DEBOLINA ROY
Prepare the poppy paste
Add water to the poppy seeds and let them sit for a couple of hours before draining and filtering out every last drop of water. Mix the same seeds with some green chillies and water to turn the seeds into a coarse, thick paste, which will become the foundation of a rich, nutty flavour.
Sauté the aromatics and potatoes
Put mustard oil in a frying pan and heat it till it barely smokes, then give the cut onion a stir and keep it on the side. Add red chillies and kalonji seeds to it and stir-fry the potato cubes without browning them.
Cook the poppy paste
Place the ground poppy seed paste, salt, and sugar into the pan with potatoes. Keep stirring over low heat for four minutes, until the raw smell is gone and the potato cubes are well-coated.
Simmer and finish
Put the lid on the pot and boil it until the potatoes become soft. If necessary, pour in more water...Finally, complete the final touches by adding green chilli peppers, fried onions, and a dash of mustard oil.