Banana Flower Dry Curry or Mochar Ghonto

Name: Banana Flower Dry Curry or Mochar Ghonto
Total time: 3600 s
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 mocha or banana flower; 2 potatoes cut into cubed; 1 tsp ginger paste; 1/2 tsp cumin powder; 1/2 tsp garam masala; 2 bay leaves; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1/4 tsp red chilli powder; 2-3 green and red chillies; 1 dry red chilli; To taste salt and sugar; 2 tbsp mustard oil; 1 tsp ghee; 2 tbsp coconut grated; 1 tbsp raisins

Kumkum Chatterjee @cook_12055532

#india2020
#flavour3
Mocha or banana flower has amazing health benefits and rich in iron,vitamins and minerals.Mocha ghonto is a dry curry and delicacy in traditional Bengali cuisine.Due to the pressure of today's fast lifestyle this veggie and the authentic way of preparing them is disappearing from our kitchen.The cleaning process and chopping is time consuming and if not done properly it will taste bitter.It needs great skill to chop the flowers.At first, hands should be smeared with mustard oil before chopping to avoid staining the fingers.Discard the large purple petals and take out the flowers from each layer.Remove the hard stigma from the flowers and chop them finely.Soaking in turmeric water, then boiling them and discarding water is important to remove bitterness.The authentic way of cooking them with coconut and potato makes it all the more flavourful.This delicacy is a sure hit as a side dish with steamed rice in lunch.

Kumkum Chatterjee @cook_12055532

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Ingredients

1 hour

4 servings

1mocha or banana flower
2potatoes cut into cubed
1 tspginger paste
1/2 tspcumin powder
1/2 tspgaram masala
2bay leaves
1/2 tspturmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
2-3green and red chillies
1dry red chilli
To tastesalt and sugar
2 tbspmustard oil
1 tspghee
2 tbspcoconut grated
1 tbspraisins

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Steps

1 hour

1

To begin making this dish,first discard the purple petals.Take out the flowers from each layer.Remove a thin hard hair like thread with a round head called stigma and a transparent petal and chop them finely.Immerse in turmeric water for half hour or if possible overnight refrigerated.Pressure cook 3-4 whistles and drain water.
2

Grate coconut and set aside.Cut potatoes into cubes.Heat mustard oil and sprinkle dry red chilli, cumin seeds and bay leaves.Smear little salt in cubed potatoes and fry in low flame till nearly done.Add ginger paste and grated coconut and fry..
3

Now add the boiled banana flower,turmeric,red chilli powder and cumin powder.Also add salt and sugar to taste.Add 1/2 cup water and cook covered till done.Add grated coconut,raisins and ghee and toss.Garnish with green and red chillies.Boiled black chickpeas or lentil dumplings may be added to make it all the more flavourful.Serve hot in lunch with steamed rice.