Why Bengalis love ‘khus khus': The story of poppy seeds, opium, and an easy recipe for ‘alu posto'

Indian Express

a day ago

The land of the poppy eaters – that would be a fitting name for Bengal, given the quantities of poppy seed we consume in the state. Posto, as poppy seed is called in Bengali, or khus khus in Hindi, is considered a delicacy. The white seeds are soaked in water and ground to a paste, which is then added to vegetables, resulting in a creamy, nutty coating. Sometimes the soaked seeds are ground and mixed with green chillies and a little rice flour, shaped into small cakes or tikkis, fried, and served with dal.
Poppy seed is so commonplace in Bengali cuisine – and held in such high regard – that I almost took a packet as a gift for my hosts in Singapore. Thankfully, I didn't. I was later informed that poppy seeds are banned in Singapore and carrying them could have led to my arrest, and possibly a very extended stay behind bars.
This brings us to a larger question: why is eating poppy seeds considered criminal or frowned upon in some countries?
In India, we use white poppy seeds. In the United States of America, lemon cake with black poppyseed is popular; those seeds are almost impossible to find in India. Trust me, I've tried. While many Indian communities use khus khus in their cuisine, Bengalis have made it nearly a staple. During the Mughal period, poppy seeds were even used in khjuru, a sweet, leavened bread where they were kneaded into the dough along with sugar, shaped into flatbreads, and deep-fried.
Singapore's ban stems from the fact that the capsule of the poppy flower is the source of opium, known as opion in Greek, afyun in Arabic, ahiphena in Sanskrit, and aphin in Hindi. Opium was brought to India by the Arabs around the 11th or 12th century, and soon, regions like Uttar Pradesh and Malwa became centres of opium production. In 1511, a Florentine agent and merchant, Giovanni di Empoli, recorded that Portuguese admiral Albuquerque chanced upon opium aboard eight captured ships from Gujarat.
By 1516, Barbosa had listed opium as a key export from India. In 1668, French traveller François Bernier observed that the Rajputs consumed opium as a stimulant on the eve of a battle –– this may explain why they lost most of them. Jesuit priest Father Monserrate referred to poppy seed not as khus khus, but by the older term 'post,' from which the Bengali posto is derived.
By now, I'm assuming it's clear that opium was of great importance to India and was heavily consumed by the haves, if not the have-nots.
During Akbar's reign, the poppy transitioned from being a medical plant to being a recreational drug. A royal decree increased cultivation, and the crimson flower began to appear as a motif in royal textiles. The dried white seeds, formed after the opium-rich latex had been extracted and which contain negligible narcotic properties, also entered the royal kitchens.
Khus khus is typically used as a thickener for gravies, adding a nutty flavour and creamy texture. Even today, it remains an expensive ingredient. Wars have been fought over poppy seeds, novels written on the sea of poppies which drowned India, especially when the British discovered the huge market for illegal opium in China. The East India Company, ever resourceful, monopolised the opium trade in India. By the end of the 19th century, wooden chests filled with opium balls were being ferried to China, and the EIC was fighting the opium wars to seize an offshore base at Hong Kong and safeguard its lucrative narcotics empire.
Where there is demand, supply follows. Massive tracts of agricultural land in the Bengal Presidency were converted into endless poppy fields. This is what resulted in the abundant use of posto in Bengal. The dried poppy seeds left over after opium extraction were considered waste until the ingenious Bengali housewife found a use for them. She discovered that once ground, the seeds had a nutty flavour and creamy texture, especially when mixed with mustard oil, chillies or onions, or cooked with boiled potatoes or gourd. Posto is also supposed to have a cooling effect on the body, making it ideal for Bengal's sweltering summers.
I don't know whether poppy seed, when consumed in the generous amounts preferred by Bengalis, actually has a sedative effect, but it might explain our love of an afternoon nap.
This is a delightful, albeit slightly expensive, ingredient. And once you've mastered how to cook with it, there's no turning back.
Here is one of my easiest and most popular recipes for alu posto or potato with poppy seed. Do try it.
Ingredients
• 500 gms potato – cut into cubes and boiled
• 1 large onion – sliced fine
• 75 gms of poppy seed – soaked in water
• 4 green chillies
• ½ teaspoon nigella seed/ kalo jeera/ kalonji
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons mustard oil
Method
1. Make a thick paste of the soaked poppy seeds using a mixer-grinder.
2. Heat up to 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan.
3. Add the nigella seeds.
4. Add the onions and sauté till they become translucent.
5. Add the potatoes and sauté along with the green chillies, salt and sugar.
6. Finally, add the poppy seed paste and ensure that all the potatoes are evenly coated in the paste.
7. Cook for 4-5 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water.
8. Finally, add 1 tablespoon of Mustard oil and remove from the heat.
9. Alu posto usually has a very thick gravy coating the potatoes. Serve with hot rice.
Next week, I'll write about the wonders of Kashmiri food and why it's not just limited to rogan josh and yakhni, along with some tips on where to buy Kashmiri ingredients in Delhi.
Author of The Sweet Kitchen, and chef-owner of Food For Thought Catering ... Read More