Begun-Zucchini Posto

Eggplant-Zucchini Posto

Our neighbour across the street shared his bumper crop of Japanese eggplants and zucchini with us. The eggplants were young, seedless, tender and tasted so much better than what's available in the stores around here. 

Posto are white poppy seeds (sometimes combine with mustard seeds), green chilies and salt to make a creamy sauce that goes with most vegetables, fish or chicken. It serves to thicken gravy and has a soporific effect, ideal for lunch, eaten before taking a nap.

Leaving the skin on the zucchinis prevents them from dissolving into mush while cooking and gives this dish a better colour.

Chicken Rezala - Boneless Chicken in Yogurt Sauce

Chicken Rezala

Mum made her rezala with bone-in, golden browned chicken which I've replaced with boneless, skinless chicken thighs to cater to the taste of people in my household. There are umpteen different recipes on the internet for this dish, some more complicated than others. I'm all for easy cooking, so please excuse me if you don't consider this the authentic way to make rezala.

In keeping with the white and creamy appearance of the gravy, the chicken pieces are not browned and white pepper powder adds a tinge of spiciness without darkening the look. If you prefer to use bone-in chicken, double the amount of chicken and increase the cooking time.

Palang Alu Posto Bhaja - Stir-Fried Spinach & Potatoes with White Poppy Seeds

Palang Alu Posto Bhaja

I usually use frozen spinach because it's so convenient, but nowadays one pound packages of pre-washed baby spinach are available in supermarkets and membership stores. They can be used right out of the container because they have been triple-washed and are very fresh. 

Sprinkling white poppy seeds or posto over vegetables as they cook is a common stir-fry technique used in the Bengali kitchen. Stir-frying the poppy seeds before adding vegetables leaves them toasted and crunchy in pleasant contrast to the softness of the cooked spinach and potatoes.

This spinach dish is seasoned very simply with sliced onions and ginger paste. More flavour is imparted by tempering dried red peppers at the start of the cooking process. Leaving them whole imparts flavour from the dried peppers without releasing a lot of heat.

Stir-fried spinach can be served as a side dish over steamed long-grain rice or with any kind of Indian bread. 

Cilantro, Coconut & White Poppy Seeds Chutney

Cilantro-Coconut-White Poppy Seeds Chutney
Dhonepata-Narkol- Posto Bata

There's excess cilantro every week because we use only a sprinkling for garnishing certain dishes, and the rest spoils so easily in the fridge. This is the ideal condiment to keep on hand to be had with hot, steamed Basmati rice.

Dharosh Aloo Posto - Okra & Potatoes in White Poppy Seed Sauce

Mum and I made something similar to this with just okra once.  She has been my mentor in all of life's lessons, and cooking in particular.  There were eight of us siblings in our family and we waited with our tongues hanging out for her food, whenever she had the time to cook.  Sometimes the wait would be almost unbearable, but she stood for no nonsense in the kitchen and we were not allowed to whine or bug her while she was cooking.  When I grew older and spoke to her on the phone, our main topic of conversation was what she was going to cook or had cooked that day.  I, therefore, dedicate this blog and all my recipes to her and hope she is in a place where she is getting a well-deserved rest.  How did she ever get through life with so many strings attached to her 'sarir achol'?  'Sarir achol' is the portion of the sari that is draped over the left shoulder.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. fresh okra, trimmed & cut on bias
1 russet potato, cubed
1 tsp. amchur (dried mango powder)
1/4 tsp. nigella seeds
1 tsp. ginger paste
2 tsp. Coleman's mustard powder, soaked in 2 Tbsp. cold water
3 Tbsp. white poppy seeds (posto), soaked in hot water for 30 minutes.
2 Tbsp. grated, unsweetened coconut
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. Toss okra with amchur.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat, fry okra until golden and set aside.
3. In the same saucepan, heat remaining oil and sputter nigella seeds.
4. Add cubed potatoes, ginger paste, salt and fry until potatoes are tender.
5. Meanwhile, puree posto along with soaking water, coconut and some salt until smooth.
6. When potatoes are fork tender, combine posto with mustard and pour over potatoes.
7. Cook until some of the liquid evaporates, add okra back into pan, stir and cook until thick and almost dry.
8. Adjust salt, garnish with ghee, stir and remove from heat.
9. Serve with hot, cooked basmati rice.

Zucchini Chingri Posto

Zucchini and Shrimp in White Poppy Seed Gravy

This is a variation of Jhinge Chingri Posto. Jhinge is ridge gourd which is not readily available in the U.S. Zucchini and Chayote Squash are similar in taste, so I've substituted zucchini for the ridge gourd today.

Ingredients: 
7-10 medium zucchini, peeled and cubed
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbsp. white poppy seeds, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1/4 tsp. nigella or kalonji or kalo jeera seeds
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
salt to taste
1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. Boil a cup of water and soak poppy seeds for half an hour. 
2. Heat 1 Tbsp.oil, mix shrimp with salt, fry until it turns pink and set aside.
3. Heat remaining oil over high heat and sputter nigella seeds.
4. Add ginger paste and zucchini, stir and cook until tender.
5. Blend poppy seeds along with water in which they were soaked.
6. Adjust salt to taste in zucchini and add poppy seed paste.
7. Stir and cook until most of the gravy has evaporated.
8. Add shrimp, stir and cook for a minute or two and remove from heat.
9. Garnish with ghee and serve with hot cooked rice.