Peyaj Posto

Difficulty: Medium | Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins| Yield: 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS
3 Large Onions
1 Medium Tomato
6 tbsp Posto/ Poppy Seeds Paste*
2 Green Chillies**
¼ tsp Red Chilli Powder
4 tbsp oil
Salt to Taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Dice the onions into ¾" cubes.
2. Chop the tomatoes into small cubes and also thinly slice the green chillies.
3. No heat the oil in a pan.
4. Add the onions and fry till they and translucent in colour.
5. Now add the tomatoes and the green chillies and fry until the tomatoes are soft.
6. To this add the poppy seeds paste and continue frying on medium heat. The paste needs to be cooked properly until all the water in it dries up and its fried properly. But this must be done on a lower heat as burning it even a little would not give you the right flavor.
7. At this point add the salt and the red chilli powder.
8. Keep stirring from time to time on medium heat until oil separates and paste is also nicely fried. Once you reach this stage, the paste texture would be granular and not like the smooth one as before.***
9. Remove from heat and serve hot with plain rice.

NOTES
* Normally it is difficult to grind the seeds into a smooth paste. To make a paste of the poppy seeds easily, soak the seeds in warm water for about half an hour before grinding it. Also add little water at a time until it’s smooth.
**Add as per your taste.
*** If required, you might need a wee bit more oil at this juncture. Yes, this recipe does need more oil than usual but its excellent to the palate. Also some Bengalis might want to add a pinch of sugar into Peyaj Posto, but I like it without the sugar as the onions have its own sweetness.

Peyaji (Onion Fritters)

Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins| Yield: 12 pieces

INGREDIENTS
1 Large Onion
1 cup Basan
2 Green Chillies*
Salt to taste
Oil for Deep Frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely slice the onion and chop the green chillies.
2. In a bowl take the onions and the chillies.
3. Add the besan and the salt (about ½ tsp). Mix well.
4. The salt will soften the onions a little and will allow some water come off it. This will be enough to bind the mixture. If not, add just a little water so as to get the onions to stick to each other.
   
5. Now heat enough oil for deep frying.
6. Take about a table spoon full of the mixture in your hand and put it into the oil. Repeat for the rest of the mixture.
7. Fry on medium heat so that the peyajis are crisp from within.
8. Serve hot with tea or coffee..

NOTES
*You may increase the quantity of these if you wish to make the fries spicier.