Mocha Chingri

Name: Mocha Chingri
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 medium size mocha / banana blossom, cleaned & chopped finely; 10-15 prawns, deveined & washed; 3 tbsp mustard oil; 2 bay leaves; 2 whole dry red chilies; 1" cinnamon stick; 2-3 green cardamoms; 4-5 cloves; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 potato, cubed; 1 onion, chopped; 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 tomato, chopped; 2-3 green chilies, slit; to taste salt; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp sugar (opt); 1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder; 1 tsp garam masala powder; 1 tsp ghee

Bethica Das @kitchen_flavours

Sharjah (UAE)

This is a traditional homemade Banana Blossom / Flower curry called 'Mocha Chingri' cooked along with prawns in an authentic Bengali style. It is quite a popular dish among most of the Bengali crowd and is actually an age old recipe. Earlier it was a simple homemade curry, but in recent times it made it's way into many Bengali restaurants, especially outside West Bengal.

Banana Blossom / Flower has a lot of health benefits as it contains vitamins and minerals. A lot of time goes into cleaning the blossom, but it definitely is worth every effort when you relish this exotic delicacy either with rice or chapati.

First I recommend you to put on disposable gloves as the iron content in these flowers will discolour your nails and fingers. Then peel the layers of the banana blossom and remove the florets. Then from each floret discard a thick stamen from the centre and a translucent outer cover. All this process is pretty time consuming so be patient as the end product is just irresistible. So Happy Cooking !!!
#goldenapron

Bethica Das @kitchen_flavours

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Ingredients

1medium size mocha / banana blossom, cleaned & chopped finely
10-15prawns, deveined & washed
3 tbspmustard oil
2bay leaves
2whole dry red chilies
1"cinnamon stick
2-3green cardamoms
4-5cloves
1 tspcumin seeds
1potato, cubed
1onion, chopped
1 tspginger-garlic paste
1tomato, chopped
2-3green chilies, slit
to tastesalt
1/2 tspturmeric powder
1 tspsugar (opt)
1 tbspcoriander-cumin powder
1 tspgaram masala powder
1 tspghee

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Steps

1

Soak the chopped banana blossom in salted water along with a pinch of turmeric powder and juice of 1/2 lime for an hour.
2

Marinate the prawns with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder for 10 minutes.
3

Wash the soaked banana blossom well and drain. Pressure cook in required quantity of water in which a pinch each of salt and turmeric powder has been added. Drain and mash well. Keep aside.
4

Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till light brown. Drain and keep aside. Fry the marinated prawns till they changes colour and keep aside.
5

Temper the same oil with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.
6

Add the onion and saute till light brown.
7

Then add the ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices (except garam masala and salt) mixed with some water. Saute till the oil separates.
8

Add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry till it is mashed.
9

Add the fried potatoes & prawns. Mix nicely and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.
10

Add the boiled mocha (banana flower), salt & green chilies. Give it a stir and cook, covered on a low flame till done. Sprinkle water at intervals if needed.
11

When done, add the garam masala & ghee. Give it a toss and switch off the flame.
12

Serve with hot steamed rice or chapati.