Aloo Poshto- Potato in Couscous gravy

This is a traditional Bengali dish which is served along with rice and dhal/Kichdi. My friend Malathi, who is  great cook, prepared this dish and she suggested that even though traditonal recipe requires Potato, Ridge gourd(Peerkangai), Bottle gourd(suraikkai) and Raw banana(Vazhaikkai) can be used.


Ingredients
Potato-1/2 kg peeled and cut into cubes
Red chillies-2
Kala Jeera- 1 teaspoon
Onion-3(one for the Masala paste and 2 for cooking)
Poppy seeds-Couscous-Kasakasa-50gms
Green chillies-2
Jeera-1/2 teaspoon

Potato, Green chillies, Kala Jeera, Onion and Poppy seeds, Jeera. Green chilly paste

Procedure
1.Soak Poppy seeds, jeera, green chillies together for half an hour.

2.Grind the above with one onion and required salt to a smooth paste.
3.In a kadai, add oil(preferably mustard oil). Add red chillies, Kala Jeera and potato.Cook the potato for 5 minutes.

4.Add the rest of the onions,Cook for few minutes.



Malathy, who prepared this dish

 5.Add water and cook the potatoes with lid covered.
6. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the ground paste.simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

7.Serve it with steaming rice and dhal!