The Bengali in me yearns for a posto fix this mellow honey sunshine morning.
And even before I have blinked, the poppy seeds have been soaked in warm water and ground to a paste. With an extravagance of mean green chillies.
Heaped spoonfuls of poppy seed paste disappear into a bowl.
More chillies. This is wicked !!!
Finely chopped onions.
Salt.
A generous glug of golden mustard oil.
A stir and my posto bata is ready. Waiting to be relished with rice.
But before long the euphoria is over and it dawns on a thrifty me that I am still left with an abundance of poppy seed paste.
And I now fervently look around for what I could pair the leftover posto with.
Potatoes ? Potatoes and ridgegourd ?
May be something less commonplace ? Bottlegourd ? Green papaya ?
Prawns ?
A kaleidoscope of delectable options but I finally settle in for Katla Posto, been quite a while I have relished the adorable katla slathered with wicked chilli-spiked posto. And a profusion of coriander leaves for that soothing freshness.
Katla Posto, yet another from my repertoire of Bengali classics. Divine with a bowl of piping hot rice.
Rui Posto / Katla Posto (Rohu / Katla fish with poppy seed paste)
Ingredients
- 4 slices Rui / Katla
- 4 tbsp Poppy paste (Poppy seeds soaked in warm water for about 20 minutes, then removed from water and blended to a paste with 2 tbsp of water and 3-4 green chilies)
- 2 large onions chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 2 green chillies slit
- 1 tomato roughly chopped
- 1 tsps turmeric powder
- 2 tsps red chilli powder
- 3 tbsps mustard oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the fish with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
- Heat the mustard oil in a frying pan and fry the fish till light brown. Keep aside.
- Reheat the same oil, add the chopped onions and green chillies, fry till the onions are soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook over a medium flame till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Now add the remaining turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt. Cook over a moderate flame till oil starts to release from the masala. Splash a little water if needed, you wouldn't want the masala to burn.
- At this stage, stir in the posto paste, mix well and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes on a moderate flame.
- Add 1 cup of warm water, give it a nice stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Gently add the fried fish, adjust the salt and cook for a further 5-6 minutes till the posto gravy has thickened.
- Finish it with a generous drizzle of mustard oil and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.
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