Sim posto

The Lifestyle Portal’s selected Bengali Sheem with Posto cooks hyacinth beans with a poppy-seed paste. This version selects kalonji for the tempering and is served hot with steamed rice.

For the selected paste, khus khus is dry-ground in a small blender jar. Green chilli, garlic, salt and a little water are added to make the paste.

Mustard oil heats with kalonji, then the stringed and chopped hyacinth beans are added and stirred. Turmeric, salt and a pinch of sugar join the beans, which cook under a cover with occasional stirring.

The same prepared posto paste is added at the end and cooked with the beans. More green chillies are dropped in, and the cooking vessel is covered again before service.

Steamed rice is the selected accompaniment to the hot bean preparation. The publisher describes beans that retain a crunchy texture with their paste.