Words by Sangeeta M Khanna
Third generation recipe of Posto Dana
Sangeeta shared this cherished recipe of Khas Khas ka Halwa, also known as Posta Dana ka Halwa in Uttar Pradesh and Posto in Bengal. Growing up, Khas Khas ka Halwa was a beloved treat, and she had always intended to feature it on her blog, Banaras ka Khana.
The Khas Khas ka Halwa uses only three ingredients: ghee, poppy seeds, and sugar. No milk, nuts, or cardamom are added, allowing the natural flavor of the poppy seeds to shine.
She said, “We don't add any milk or nuts or even cardamom because we love the natural flavor of khas khas so much we don't want to mask it with anything”.
Sangeeta's connection to poppy seeds goes beyond the kitchen. Her maternal grandfather's family was involved in poppy farming during British times, supplying alkaloids to the largest opium factory in the world, located in Ghazipur, part of the Banaras Division. Poppy seeds, a prized by-product of the crop, were cherished for their nutty taste and richness, enhancing curries, halwas, and even chutneys. They were used extensively in Thandai, Mithais, curries, and deep-fried snacks like gulgule, malpua, and anarsa.
Ingredients
(for 6-10 servings depending on how much you love poppy seeds halwa)
- 200 gm poppy seeds
- 60 gm ghee (or 2 level tbsp)
- 100 gm sugar
Procedure
Soaking works if you plan to grind the poppy seeds on silbatta (flat stone mortar and pestle) but if you are planning to grind and make a paste in a mixie jar it is better to grind it dry for a few seconds and then add little water to make a fine paste.
Grind the poppy seeds dry till it starts making a loose lump, then add about 100 ml water and make a fine milky paste. Heat the ghee in a large thick base kadhai and pour the poppy paste in it. The paste starts coagulating at the bottom, keep scraping and stirring while you bhuno the poppy paste for about 10 minutes on medium low flame. The paste keeps getting thicker and changes color and finally looks like a scramble.
Note that the poppy paste doesn't need to be browned. It just needs to change color a little but it should still be moist. Add the sugar and stir slowly to dissolve the sugar. After about 5 minutes of cooking the sugar dissolves and the halwa becomes homogeneous. It is ready to be served. Serve this poppy seeds halwa a little warm, sprinkled with chopped pistachio. You actually don't need any garnish for this khas khas ka halwa trust me.
It looks a lot like sooji ka halwa but the similarity ends there. The aroma and the taste is so unique that it arrests your senses with its mild sweetness and robust nutty taste.
Some people add milk or khoya to the khas khas ka halwa but that dilutes the taste of khas khas in it. This is the family recipe of mine and we have made it like this forever.
Some people say poppy seeds halwa makes you sleep better and swear by it but it has never made me sleep. You can find out for yourself if you want to test the sleep inducing quality of poppy seeds.
This khas khas ka halwa remains my all time favorite poppy seeds recipe. Of course I like the poppy seeds chutney too and that is another recipe that needs to be shared here on the blog. Some recipes are so simple and commonplace we don't really value them enough. Each summer I make loads of poppy seeds chutney and yet it is not here on the blog. Just like this poppy seeds halwa that was more of a winter staple back home.