The costliness of poppy seeds has made them almost a rarity in households today. Gone are the days, when they used to be an integral part of the regular food of North and East Indian families. But reviving back the goodness of the age-old tradition is never out-moded when its nutritional benefits are as tremendous and well-proven as that of posta dana or posto in Bengali. The brief discussion brings into the picture a heritage food of Bengal, Postor Bora With Onions or Ground Poppy Seeds Fritters. The nutty and earthy taste of poppy paste along with a mild spiciness of chillies, the crunch of onions and the coarseness of grated coconuts makes it one of the most sophisticated bora or tikkis you may have come across in recent times.
What Makes Poppy Seeds So Pricey?
The poppy seeds are unanimously acknowledged and held as a rich source of energy and numerous health benefits. These are rich in magnesium and help in maintaining bone health and blood clotting. Besides, the calcium and iron in the poppy seeds facilitate the development and maintenance of the nervous system. The seeds are proven to improve fertility, combat insomnia, aid digestion and improve cardiovascular health.
Countrywide Use Of Poppy Seeds In Food
Poppy seeds are also known as Khus Khus and are popularly used to flavour many baked goods, salads, and pasta dishes including lemon bread and chicken salad. These add a nice aroma and nutty taste to the food and are used for their many health benefits as well. Bengal in particular has a special place for posto in everyday cuisine. Some of the items cooked with Posto include Aloo Posto, Posto Bata, and Deem Posto. Some of the desserts made with it in other parts of the country include Khus Khus Halwa and Badam Khus Khus Doodh.
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
100 gm posto
3 gm or ½ tsp salt
4 gm or ½ tsp sugar
8 gm green chillies
24 gm onions
12 gm grated coconut
6 gm mustard oil
50 ml water
Method:
Grind posto into fine powder. Turn it into a paste by mixing in a bowl with 2-3 tsps of water.
Then chop onions and green chillies and grate coconut.
Take a mixing bowl, and into it add ground posto, chopped onions, grated coconut, salt, and sugar. Add 1-2 tsp of mustard oil on top and 2 tsp of water.
Mix everything well to combine into a dough. Take small portions out of it and flatten them into smooth round tikkis.
Optional: You can coat this posto tikkis with dry poppy seeds to get a nice crunch and grainy outer texture.
In a pan, add mustard oil and heat it. Fry the posto tikkis in it until golden and crisp.
The postor boras can be mixed with mashed potatoes as well to decrease the amount of poppy seed paste and give them a firm body. Have postor boras as your breakfast or your evening snack. These are an extremely rare delight to relish.