Poppy seed potatoes and chicken kebabs: Nisha Katona’s home-style recipes

Nisha Katona remembers sitting on the floor of her grandmother’s kitchen in Varanasi, mixing dough and grinding spices — sensory kitchen tasks that felt like play. The kitchens of her mother and aunt, her own home and the restaurants she runs are still where she feels most at home, standing over a pot and conjuring aromas that waft through the house.

She rejects the idea that Indian cookery is intrinsically difficult: with a single stove ring, about 20 minutes of fuel, one pot, a board, a knife and a spoon for stirring, you can create magic. Aloo posto (Bengali poppy seed potatoes) elevates the humble potato into an exciting main course, often eaten with warm rice.

The recipe calls for 450g white poppy seeds soaked in 250ml hot water for two hours, then blitzed with 100ml of the soaking water to a semi-smooth paste. Potatoes are fried in oil until golden (about seven to eight minutes), set aside, and the same pan is used to toast nigella seeds and a dried red chilli before sautéing sliced onion.

India, Varanasi

nisha katona, aloo posto, poppy seeds, bengali cuisine, potatoes, nigella seeds, red chilli, varanasi, home cooking, one pot