Phulkopi posto

Chandana Ganguly’s Phulkopi Posto is her Bengali cauliflower side dish cooked with a poppy-seed and green-chilli paste. Nigella, ghee, turmeric and sugar are part of this selected recipe.

Supplied cauliflower florets sit in warm salted water in a large bowl, then are drained and kept aside. Poppy seeds and two green chillies are ground with water into a paste, which is also kept aside. Salt and turmeric are mixed with the cauliflower.

Oil heats in a frying pan, and the same florets are fried until light brown, removed and kept aside. Nigella and ghee are added to the remaining oil, followed by the prepared poppy paste, which cooks with continuous stirring.

Water is added and brought to a boil. The fried florets return with salt, sugar and the separately supplied slit green chillies, and cooking continues until the water evaporates.

The pan is removed from the heat, covered and left to stand before serving. Rice is the selected accompaniment from the author’s offered rice, roti or chapathi choices.