Bengali Jhinge Posto | Jhinge Aloo Posto Recipe
Jhinge Posto, or Jhinge Aloo Posto, is a simple yetsatisfying Bengali potato curry made with ridge gourd, also known as turai,and, of course, poppy seeds (posto). Think of it as a relative of thewell-loved Bengali Aloo Posto, but with the addition of jhinge, which brings aunique and delightful flavor to the dish!
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 379kcal
Cost: Rs 200
Ingredients
- 4 Potatoes Chandramukhi
- 75 g Poppy Seed/ Posto/ Khuskhus Adjust as per your need; I prefer to add 1 tablespoon for each piece of Potato
- 2 Ridge Gourd/ Jhinge / Turai
- 4 Green Chili
- 2 Onion optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon Mustard Oil
Instructions
Prep Work
- First, thoroughly rinse the poppy seeds (posto) in a strainer 2-3 times.
- Next, create a smooth paste of the poppy seeds and 2-3 green chilies. Set the paste aside for later use in the curry.
- Now, wash the potatoes and ridge gourd.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes (refer to the images for size).
- Peel the ridge gourd (also known as Jhinge) and cut it into cubes as well.
- If you're using onions, peel and slice them.
- Also, slice a few green chilies, adjusting the quantity to your preferred spice level.
Cooking
- Heat 3 tablespoon mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Once hot, add the potatoes and fry for about 2 minutes. You don't need to deep fry them.
- Add salt at this point.
- Then, add the onions and ridge gourd and continue frying on low heat for approximately 7 minutes, or until the potatoes are about two-thirds cooked.
- Add the sliced green chilies, followed by 2 cups of water.
- Cook for another 5 minutes on low heat. By this time, the vegetables should be perfectly cooked but still maintain their shape.
- Now add the poppy seed paste aka posto bata.
- Mix everything well and cook for about 2 minutes. Once the curry has reached your desired thickness—I like mine a bit runny—add a tablespoon of mustard oil and stir it in. If you prefer a drier curry, simply cook it a little longer.
- Turn off the heat and let the curry sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestion
- Enjoy your hot Jhinge Aloo Posto with your favorite dal and steamed rice for a truly satisfying Bengali meal.
Notes
- For a quick and easy method, use a mixer grinder to make posto bata. However, for a more authentic texture, consider using a mortar and pestle (shil-nora/shil batta).
- I like to use Chandramukhi potatoes for this recipe, but any good starchy potato will work well.
- For four potatoes and two ridge gourds, I usually use about 75g of poppy seeds. Feel free to use less – some families prefer a milder flavor, while others like a generous amount. Also, poppy seeds can be expensive, so that's something to consider, too.
- Mustard oil is the best choice for an authentic taste. However, if you can't find it, are allergic, or dislike its strong flavor, feel free to use any neutral-tasting oil or olive oil instead.
- If you like, you can also add a touch of nigella seeds (kalojira) to the oil at the start for extra flavor.
- Finally, if you prefer an onion-free dish, simply leave it out.
Nutrition
Serving: 200g | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 3mg
