Begun Posto / Bengali Style Eggplant in Poppy Seeds Paste

By now you must be sure that posto aka the poppy seed is a staple in our home. It has to be made at least twice a week...and really I can’t have aloo posto twice every time. So I try different dishes, different ways to make the poppy seeds more useful and versatile. So, after sorshe begun...I wanted to make the dish without mustard seeds and in a way I was pretty much sure that begun posto will taste great too.

Back in Kolkata, use of posto or poppy seeds are versatile, and jhinge aloo posto is a regular in summer time as well as potol posto. But we don’t get potol or jhinge here. My husband’s aunt makes a delicious Tomato Posto, which I intend to learn when I will visit her the next time, but till then I have to make my life through these recipes.

Begun Posto is very similar like sorshe begun...but its more simpler and quick. In a way it’s just a two step recipe where you have to fry the aubergines, cook the poppy seeds and then mix them both. No tempering no spices....nothing.

Begun Posto / Bengali Style Eggplant in Poppy Seeds Paste

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 big eggplant / 7-8 baby eggplants

2 tbsp poppy seeds

2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt

½ inch stick of ginger

4 whole green chillies - slitted

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

2 and ½ tbsp mustard oil

Method:

Slice and halve the eggplant. If you are using baby eggplants, slice them into 2-3 pieces.

In a grinder grind the poppy seeds with 2 tbsp water, until you get a smooth velvety paste. To make that, first grind the poppy seeds without water until it forms a dry coarse powder. Then add water and grind till smooth. Check before pouring the paste into a bowl and if required grind again.

In a bowl put all the eggplant slices and sprinkle some salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Rub them over the eggplant pieces till all the pieces are nicely coated with them.

Heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the eggplants in small batches till they are nicely brown from both the sides. Once done, take them out of the kadai and put in a separate bowl.

If any oil remains in the kadai after frying the eggplants use them for further cooking or else add some more oil to the kadai.

Heat the oil on medium flame and pour in the prepared poppy seeds paste into it. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes, or until the raw flavour of the poppy seeds is gone.

Now add in ½-1 cup of water, rest of the turmeric powder and salt. Mix in and put cover.

Let them cook for another 2-3 minutes and then put off the lid.

The poppy seeds paste must be bubbling by now and the oil should be floating on top of it. If you want it to be drier, simmer for another minute. If you want a thinner gravy add in more ¼ cup of water.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Then take the fried eggplant and put them into the kadai.

Stir carefully so that all the eggplant pieces are nicely coated with the poppy seeds. Put off the flame and sprinkle the chopped fresh coriander leaves and slitted green chillies on top of them.

Drizzle rest of the mustard oil over the eggplants and serve hot with some rice and dal / lentils of your choice.