Fulkopi Posto (Bengali Cauliflower Curry with Poppy Seeds)

BM# 63: Journey through the Cuisines 
Week 1: Bengali Cuisine
Day 6: F for Fulkopi Posto (Bengali Cauliflower curry with poppy seeds)
Here's another different way of cooking with veggies, the Bengali way. First up was a simple mixed vegetables flavored with just panch phoron, then it was okra in a spicy yogurt sauce and today it is cauliflower cooked in creamy poppy seed gravy.
Letter F was one of the tough letters to find a dish. Initially I wanted to make 'Fuchka', a Bengali variation of our beloved pani puri. But then after looking at couple of recipes, I wasn't sure if it was puchka, phuchka or fuchka. With so much ambiguity, I left it at that (but I still have a pack of store-bought puris waiting to be used). Then I thought of making Fuluri, a lentil based bajji but I wasn't in a mood to deep fry, so finally chose a simpler and easier to make dish.
F for Fulkopi or cauliflower in Bengali. Posto or poppy seeds is a popular ingredient in Bengali cooking. I have already tried bittergourd posto and potato-eggplant posto. This cauliflower posto is very easy to make, cook cauliflower with ground spiced poppy seed sauce. It tastes great with rice or roti. Most of the recipes I saw online also had potato in them, but I skipped it and made the curry with only cauliflower. So add potato if you want to.
Recipe from Aparna's Akcookbook:
Fulkopi Posto Ingredients:

• 1 Medium head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2tsp Mustard Oil
• 1 Bay leaf
• ½tsp Nigella Seeds
• 2~3 Green Chilies, slit
• 1tbsp Cashews, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
• 1tsp Peppercorns
• 1tbsp Poppy Seeds, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
• ½" Cinnamon stick
• 2tbsp Yogurt, whisked well
• To taste Salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Steam or microwave cauliflower until fork tender.
2. Drain the cashews, poppy seeds and grind them to a smooth paste along with the peppercorns and cinnamon stick.Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan; add the bay leaf, nigella seeds and green chilies. Saute for 1 minute. Next add the steamed cauliflower and cook for 3~4 minutes.
4. Add the ground paste and cook until the flavors get a chance to mingle, about 4~5 minutes.
5. Stir in the yogurt and season with salt. Sprinkle some water if the dish looks too dry. Cook covered for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice or roti.

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