Have you ever heard/tried Bengal’s favourite vegetarian dish – aloo posto? The creamy nutty potato and poppy seed curry graces every Bengali’s home. However, did you know that aloo posto has a rich history?
What we now consider a humble, homely favourite was born out of economic exploitation and forced adaptation during one of India’s darkest agricultural transitions. Here is looking into the iconic dish’s journey.
The history of aloo posto
According to an NDTV report, the roots of aloo posto trace back to the aftermath of the Battle of Plassey in 1757. When the British East India Company took control of Bengal, they quickly realised the region’s rich soil and favourable climate could yield something more profitable than vegetables; opium.
Soon, Bengal’s fertile land was made into poppy fields, not for local consumption, but to fuel Britain’s expanding trade with China. Farmers who once grew sustenance crops were coerced into cultivating poppy instead,
According to Thomas Santella's book Opium (Drugs: The Straight Facts), the British had monopolized opium production throughout India by the late 18th century. This made Bengal the focal point of the empire. Poppy seeds, also known as posto, were left behind when opium resin was exported for financial gain.
For poor farmers and their families, these seeds—which were inexpensive, plentiful, and otherwise thrown away—became the only available part of the poppy plant. The history of posto in Bengali cuisine thus began.
At its peak, over 500,000 acres of land across Bengal and Bihar were devoted to poppy cultivation.
As folklore suggests, that a farmer’s wife decided to grind the leftover poppy seeds into a paste. With limited vegetables left for her family, she tossed in a few boiled potatoes — and aloo posto was born.Yes, that’s how the iconic aloo posto, that is a delicacy today was born.
Soon other vegetables joined the party
Over time, this culinary improvisation grew into a regional staple. Not just potatoes — ridge gourd (jhinge), yam (ol), and colocasia (kochur loti) also found their way into posto-based dishes.
The technique travelled across borders and generations, infusing vegetarian and meat-based curries alike with its distinctive earthy aroma.
The correct way to eat aloo posto
The right way to eat aloo posto is with steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee. Beyond Bengal, khus khus or poppy seeds are used across India — in creamy curries of the south, in halwas of the north, and even in fusion recipes today.
