Potato mushroom posto recipe or aloo mushroom posto is a delightful twist on aloo posto, a traditional Bengali dish of potatoes in a lightly spiced white poppy seed paste. Aloo Posto is among the most popular and beloved Bengali vegetarian dishes, a favourite comfort food.
This easy potato mushroom posto is a simple, everyday yet delicious variation to the traditional aloo posto dish that uses very few ingredients and can be made in minutes. It gets its mild sweetness from potato, creaminess from poppy seed paste (posto in Bengali; khus khus in Hindi and Urdu), hotness from green chillies, delicious texture and bite from mushrooms, layered flavour from panch phoron, and pungency from mustard oil.
Aloo posto is traditionally had with mouri ada bata biulir dal (urad dal with ginger and fennel seed paste) and rice and the same accompaniments work beautifully with mushroom aloo posto too.
Since posto food is said to induce drowsiness, this dish is great for lazy Sunday lunches followed by a postprandial nap.
Posto (poppy seed paste) is used widely in Bengali cooking as a thickener, to add texture, and to enhance flavour. It lends a wonderful creamy texture to gravies (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian). It thickens the gravy nicely and reduces the need to add cream to the dish.
The popularity of posto is attested to in its use to cook a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Alu posto is by far the most common dish, but posto is also used to cook vegetables like pointed gourd (potol / patol), ridge gourd (jhinga / jhingey / jhinge), brinjal / aubergine / eggplant (begun), cauliflower (phulkopi), or even a mashroom ki sabji. It is also used to cook chicken, fish, prawn, and mutton.
Variations to aloo posto recipes such as our potato mushroom posto recipe appear across Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Tripura, and Bangladesh, but its basic character remains the same. Some versions add turmeric, some don’t. It can be made either dry–moist or with a thick gravy.
Our simple and easy-to-follow potato mushroom posto recipe showcases the traditional dish using panch phoron, a blend of five whole spices that is the hallmark of Bengali cuisine.
For best results, use freshly made paste of white poppy seed that is coarsely ground and turns from cream to white upon grinding. Cook on medium heat and stir frequently as the posto tends to stick to the pan. Add more posto if you like, adjusting the amount according to your taste. Cook until the posto is almost semi-dry. If you want a wetter consistency to the aloo mushroom posto dish, add more water as needed.
The secret to the best potato mushroom posto (with or without any other vegetable) is to use a generous amount of the most pungent mustard oil you can find. The mustard oil—a staple cooking medium in Bengal—lends the dish a characteristic flavour and pungency that cannot be matched by any other oil.
Before turning off the heat, optionally temper the dish with a spoonful of raw mustard oil (kaccha shorshe tel) for that extra zing.
Get all details of how to make Potato Mushroom Posto in your home kitchen with an easy step by step video tutorial and complete recipe with ingredients and cooking method.
You may also like:
Mishti Doi
Dahi Aloo
Aloo ka Korma
Potato Karuvattu Poriyal
Dum Aloo
Aloo Chutney Pulao
Mushroom Pepper Fry
Or take a look at all our Potato Recipes right here!