Bengali Mochar Ghonto Recipe

Mocha or banana flower is one of the more complex Bengali cooking, but it brings out the flavors of rural Bengal with mochar ghanto, a traditional Bengali recipe made of the banana flower. The recipe is bit difficult and time taking but once its made, the pain goes after its tasted.

The banana flower, also known as the banana heart, is a fleshy, purple-skinned, teardrop-shaped flower that grows at the end of a bunch of bananas. It has traditionally been used in Southeast Asian and Indian cuisine. The banana flower has a pretty neutral flavor, so it absorbs the flavors really well.

Banana flower is an ingredient that is packed with nutrients. And when you add it to your plate, it enhances the multifold taste! So if you are looking forward to finding out how to make delicious banana blossom meals, here you go!

Knowing how to cook banana flowers can make you look great with your guests, especially if you like ethnic cuisine. This ingredient, whose properties and benefits are excellent for our body, can be prepared in many ways. The hardest part, when it comes to banana flowers, is, paradoxically, cleaning them.

In many ways, this ingredient is very reminiscent of the artichoke, as its heart is protected by a series of tough and inedible leathery petals. They are usually removed one by one until they give way to a tender heart, the most precious part, which is actually what is used in the kitchen.

You can also use those flowers that will become the fruits themselves, hidden between one leaf and another , but also with these we must be careful to eliminate the most indigestible parts. The last thing to take into account is oxidation : in contact with air, like artichokes, this fruit tends to darken very quickly, so it is better to treat it with water and lemon.

It can also be used to make pancakes, a typical recipe from Sri Lanka and South India. In the Philippines , on the other hand, banana flowers are used for a typical stew known as Kari-kari. In Laos, on the other hand, it is combined with Galangal, a kind of root similar to ginger.

In Bengali 'Mocha' means 'banana flower' and 'Ghonto' is more or less a 'sauteed puree'. Preparing banana flowers is a painstaking activity, but it's worth every drop of sweat. This recipe is our version of the famous Bengali delicacy. Follow our recipe as is and keep it simple. Everything will be great.

Ours is a three part recipe. Prepare the banana flowers, crush a basic Bengali garam masala, and make the curry with potato, chickpeas and coconut milk. Here is a recipe of the Mochar Ghonto.



Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 187 kcal

Ingredients

1 banana blossom
1 potato
1 cup coconut
4 tbsp Bengal gram
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic
1 cup milk
4 cloves
2 pods cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red pepper powder
4 green chilies
1 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp mustard oil
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method

Peel the purple layers of the Banana flower to expose the banana blossoms. For each blossom, pull down the stamen. This will pull a translucent skin alongwith. Remove the stamen and the skin from the blossom and and chop them finely. Wash them thoroughly and soak the florets pieces in for an hour in turmeric powder and water in a pan.

Heat the water pan containing the florets and bring to boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Cover and stop the flame, let it cool off well. Drain the water thoroughly from the banana florets and keep it aside.

Heat up a skillet with the mustard oil until smoking. Reduce to medium and add the cumin seeds, sugar and bay leaves. Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Fry for a few minutes.

Add the potato cubes and toss until golden brown. Add turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander, cumin powder, salt to taste and Bengal gram. Fry all the ingredients for 4 minutes at medium heat. Add the cooked florets and fry them gently for a few minutes.

Add the coconut and milk. Gently mash the entire gravy and mix in well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes at low heat, or till the potatoes are cooked and the liquid evaporates. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and ghee over the top. Shimmer it for sometime and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with chopped coriander leaves accompanied by dal and rice.