Posto Bhapa / Steamed Poppy Seeds Paste

We are planning to halt in Dubai again this year. Last year we had a small trip but seriously Dubai is too large to finish off in just 3 days. My husband had to resume his work and we could manage only 3 days in Dubai. Needless to say that there are a lot of things still unseen for us. So I have picked up some 3 or 4 stops which we will see this year. We will roam the city throughout the day, storm out the spice souk and will catch our flight in dawn. Then we will be landing in India in the morning...and yes...this is the killer....we will be having lunch in Bhojohori Manna on our way home. I am really excited now. Although our holiday is still far far away....but still the sense of it makes me all giggly. I am dying to visit my city of joy again!!!

Bhapa posto or Steamed Poppy seeds paste is another way of indulging yourself in a simple yet so flavourful poppy seeds dish. This steamed poppy seeds paste is very much like the Raw poppy seeds paste / Kacha posto bata, that we eat often but steaming it with heaps of mustard oil makes it too much perfect in its own sense. I can finish off an entire meal only with bhapa posto.

Mainly this recipe is from Burdwan, where it’s more likely that people have poppy seeds paste running in their vein rather than blood....but I guess every Bengali of West Bengal...i s more or less familiar with this recipe.

Posto Bhape / Steamed Poppy Seeds Paste

Serves 6-7

Ingredients:

3 tbsp poppy seeds

¼ th cup water, use more if requires

½ of a medium onion – chopped

½ of a small tomato – chopped

2 green chillies – chopped

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – chopped

Salt

2 tbsp mustard oil, use more if required

Method:

Grind the poppy seeds with some water to make a smooth paste. If you want your Steamed Posto a little runny then add some more water to them. If not leave it the way it is.

Pour the poppy seeds paste in a micro oven proof box.

Add in the chopped tomato, chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, salt and mustard oil.

Put cover and put it in the oven.

Bake on high heat for 6-7 minutes.

Then take the box out. Put off the cover, stir in the mixture, put cover again and bake again on high heat for another 6-7 minutes. The more liquid your paste is, the longer it will take to cook.

Once done, serve immediately with some hot steamed rice, with an additional drizzle of mustard oil.