Poppy seeds are called khaskhas or khus khus in Hindi and Gujarati, posto in Bengali, and gasagase in Kannada. The Indian variety is the white or cream type, distinct from the blue-black poppy seed used across European baking.

The kitchen role is textural rather than aromatic. Ground into a paste, khaskhas holds oil and water together and gives a gravy the thick, glossy body that Mughlai and Bengali cooking depend on. It does this without the richness cashew brings or the raw taste besan can leave behind, which is why korma and rezala specify it.

Bengali cooking takes it further. Aloo posto and jhinge posto are built almost entirely around poppy seed paste, where it stops being a thickener and becomes the main flavour.

Grinding is the part most people get wrong. The seeds are hard, small and slippery, and dry grinding produces a gritty result no matter how long the mixer runs. Soaking first is not optional if a smooth paste is wanted.

Poppy seeds carry oil, which means they do not keep as long as most whole spices. Old khaskhas turns bitter rather than simply fading, which is a taste people notice immediately in a pale gravy.

How to Identify Good Khaskhas

• Even cream to off-white colour with no grey or darkened seeds
• Uniform tiny seeds with minimal dust or grit
• Dry and free-flowing, not clumped or damp
• Faintly nutty smell with no sour or bitter note
• No stones or foreign matter, since the seeds are small and hard to sort
• Seeds that feel dry rather than oily to the touch

Where Khaskhas Is Used

• Korma and shahi gravies
• Rezala and Mughlai cooking
• Aloo posto and Bengali posto dishes
• Hyderabadi and Andhra curries
• Sweets, halwa and barfi
• Naan and bread toppings
• Chutneys and coconut-based masalas
• Thickening for white gravies

How to Use Khaskhas

As a paste, the main method:

• Soak two tablespoons in warm water for two to three hours, or overnight for a smoother result
• Drain, then grind with a little fresh water into a fine paste
• Use a small grinder jar. A large jar leaves the seeds spinning without grinding
• Add to the gravy in the last five to ten minutes of cooking

Dry roasted and ground:

• Dry roast on a very low flame for two to three minutes, stirring constantly
• Cool completely, then grind to a coarse powder
• Used in South Indian and Maharashtrian masalas

Whole:

• Sprinkle over naan, kulcha and bread before baking
• Add to chutneys and coconut masalas

Quantity: two tablespoons of paste thickens a gravy serving four. Too much makes the gravy pasty and dulls the other flavours.

Grinding note: never skip the soak if you want a smooth paste. Dry-ground khaskhas stays gritty and the texture shows in a pale gravy.

Dishes That Use Khaskhas

• Korma and shahi paneer
• Rezala and Mughlai gravies
• Aloo posto, jhinge posto and Bengali dishes
• Hyderabadi and Andhra curries
• Halwa, barfi and sweets
• Naan and kulcha toppings
• Chutneys and coconut masalas
• White and cream gravies

How to Store Khaskhas

Poppy seeds carry oil, which makes them one of the shorter-lived whole spices in a kitchen.

• Transfer to an airtight container as soon as the pack is opened
• Keep in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and away from the stove
• Refrigerate for longer storage, particularly the 250 g pack or during the monsoon
• Keep away from strong-smelling spices, since the seeds absorb odours

At room temperature, khaskhas keeps well for around six months. Refrigerated, closer to a year.

Old poppy seeds turn bitter rather than simply losing aroma, and that bitterness carries straight through into a pale gravy. Taste a few seeds before using an older pack.

Buy the pack size that matches your cooking. For occasional korma, 25 g or 50 g is more sensible than a large pack sitting in the cupboard for a year.