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Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Aloo posto with dal and rice

Aloo posto with dal and rice is a vegetarian Bengali meal for 4 people, ready in 45 minutes, easy to make, for about €1.50 per serving. It combines potatoes bound in a white poppy seed paste, a red lentil dal with turmeric, and basmati rice. The key to success is grinding the poppy seeds with the green chilies into a paste that coats the potatoes with a nutty flavor.

Tonight, a Bengali table with aloo posto, potatoes scented with white poppy seeds, a light dal, and white rice.

Aloo posto with dal and rice
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.50
Calories per person
710 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall

Aloo posto gets its distinctive texture from a paste of white poppy seeds, ground with green chili and a little water. This paste coats potato cubes browned in oil and gives them a nutty taste you won't find in any other potato dish. The red lentil dal, simmered simply with turmeric, brings the softness and body that balance the mild heat of the chili.

This is an everyday Bengali dish, fully vegetarian, served with white rice to soak up the dal. It fits a meatless weeknight when you still want a meal that feels different and fills the kitchen with aroma. Kids used to milder flavors might notice the chili, so adjust the amount to their taste.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 600 g
  • Green chili 2

Pantry

  • White poppy seeds 3 tbsp
  • Nigella seeds 1 tsp
  • Red lentilsoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cumin seedsoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Basmati riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Grind the poppy seeds with the green chilies and a little water to make a paste. 3 min

    If you can't find poppy seeds, almond flour gives a very close result.

  2. Cook the red lentils in three times their volume of water with turmeric and salt until they fall apart. 15 min

    Skim off the white foam that forms at the start.

  3. Heat the oil with the nigella seeds, add the diced potatoes and let them brown. 10 min

    Don't stir too much, they need to form a crust.

  4. Add the poppy seed paste, salt and half a glass of water, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender. 12 min

    Uncover at the end of cooking to let the water evaporate, the dish should be dry.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water, fry the cumin in a little oil and pour it over the dal, then serve everything together. 11 min

    This last step flavors the whole dal.

Our tips to get it right

  • Cut the potatoes into even half inch cubes so they brown and cook at the same rate.
  • Let the red lentils cook until they completely fall apart, the dal should be almost creamy, not made of whole grains.
  • Taste the dal before serving and adjust the salt, lentils absorb a lot of it during cooking.

The variations

  • Swap the potatoes for small cauliflower florets, the poppy seed paste works just as well with this vegetable.
  • For a milder version for kids, remove the seeds from the chilies or use only one.
  • If you're short on time, cook the lentils and rice at once in two pots while you prepare the potatoes, dinner is ready in 30 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Mango chutney
  • Crispy papadums
  • Spiced black tea

Storage

Aloo posto and dal keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, stored separately from the rice. The dal freezes well for up to 2 months, though the potatoes lose some texture after thawing. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of water to the dal if needed.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace the white poppy seeds with something else?

Yes, almond flour gives a very similar texture and nutty flavor. White poppy seeds can be hard to find, so this swap works well.

Can this dish be made ahead?

The dal can be made a day ahead and reheats very well. Aloo posto tastes best made the same day, since the potatoes lose some of their crisp texture while waiting.

Is this dish very spicy because of the green chili?

The heat stays mild since the chilies are ground into the paste and spread through the whole dish. You can remove the seeds or use just one chili for a gentler result.

Why fry the cumin for the dal at the end?

This step is called a tadka, it means infusing a spice in hot oil right before serving. It flavors the dal far more strongly than cooking the cumin with the lentils from the start.

How long does it take to make an aloo posto with dal and rice?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an aloo posto with dal and rice?

About 710 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an aloo posto with dal and rice cost?

About €1.50 per serving, or €6.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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