Aloo Posto

Ingredients

• Potatoes , peeled and diced into 1 cm/1/2" cubes 500g
• Mustard oil (sarson ka tel) ½ cup (120 g)
• Fennel seeds (saunf) 1 tsp
• Mustard (sarson) seeds 1 tsp
• Fenugreek (methi dana) seeds ½ tsp
• Nigella/Onion (kalonji) seeds 1 tsp
• Bay leaf (tej patta) 1
• Onions, roughly chopped 1 ½ cups (250 g) ]
• Garlic, chopped 2 tsp ]
• Ginger, chopped 2 tsp ] grind to a paste
• Dried red chillies (Sabut lal Mirch) 2-3 ]
• Turmeric (haldi) ½ tsp
• Salt, to taste or 2 tsp
• Poppy seeds (Khus khus) ½ cup (60 g), soaked in water and ground to a paste
• Green chillies, slit lengthwise for garnish

Preparation

• Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan, and fry the potatoes over high heat, till a light brown.

• Lift the potatoes with a slotted spoon, and keep aside.

• In the remaining oil, add the fennel, mustard, fenugreek and onion seeds and the bay leaf and stir fry till the seeds splutter.

• Add the ground paste, salt and turmeric and saute till the fat separates.

• Add the poppy seed paste and the potatoes and sauté till the fat separates.

• Add about 1 cup water, and bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring a few times, till the potatoes are cooked through and the water is dried out. The oil starts to float on top.

• Serve hot, garnished with the green chillies.