Poppy Seeds, white

White Poppy Seeds are found mostly in Indian and Asian recipes or to a lesser amount in Middle Eastern dishes.  In Indian cooking, the small white seeds are used as a natural thickening agent in curries.  Less sweet than their blue counterpart, they are also great in lentils, dhal and vegetarian dishes.  If you want to grind the seeds first:  As the seeds are tough, to ease the grinding process first roast lightly then crush using a mortar and pestle (also applies to blue poppy seeds) or soak seeds in water for 2-3 hours then use in a blender with some of the liquid.   Roasting the seeds also brings out their rich nutty flavours.