Tovchonka

Peel the potatoes, cut into large chunks and put into a pot; add the bay leaf, allspice berries and salt, cover with water and boil until tender, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the poppy seeds, pour boiling water over them and let steep for 15 minutes, then drain through a fine sieve and grind in a mortar or with a blender until it turns into a white "milk."

Finely chop the onion and fry in sunflower oil until golden, 7-8 minutes; set half aside for serving.

Warm the cold cooked beans briefly in a pan so they don't cool down the purée.

Drain the cooking liquid from the potatoes into a separate bowl and remove the bay leaf and allspice berries.

Add the butter, beans and ground poppy seeds to the hot potatoes. Mash with a wooden pestle into a thick, slightly grainy mass, adding a little of the hot cooking liquid as needed so the purée doesn't turn out dry.

Stir in most of the fried onion and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped herbs and the remaining fried onion, as a side dish for meat or as a stand-alone meatless dish.