Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower)
- 80 min
- mild
- Serves 4
Mochar ghonto is a Bengali dry side of mashed banana flower cooked with potato, coconut, ginger and cumin in mustard oil. Mild, serves 4, about 80 minutes.
You’ll need: Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Banana Flower1
Water, For Soaking1000 ml
Turmeric Powder1 tsp
Salt1½ tsp
Ginger Paste15 grams
Cumin Powder1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder1 grams
Mustard Oil2 tbsp
Dry Red Chilli2 grams
Bay Leaves1 grams
Green Cardamom1 grams
Cinnamon1 grams
Cloves0.5 grams
Cumin½ tsp
Potato, Cubes120 grams
Coconut (Grated)20 grams
Sugar2 tsp
Green Chilli, Slit8 grams
Ghee8 ml
Garam Masala Powder0.5 grams
Contains: milk.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 152kcal | 608kcal |
| Protein | 1.3g | 5.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 11g | 43g |
| Fat | 12g | 48g |
| Fibre | 2.1g | 8.4g |
| Sugar | 3g | 12g |
Method
Rub a little mustard oil on your hands and knife. Pull off the purple outer leaves of the banana flower one by one and collect the florets under each leaf. From every floret, pull out the hard stamen with the round head and the thin clear cover.
Finely chop the cleaned florets and the soft white inner core. Drop them into a bowl of water mixed with a pinch of the turmeric so they do not turn black.
Drain the banana flower. Pressure cook it with 250 ml water, half the salt and a pinch of turmeric on medium flame for 1 whistle, about 8 minutes. Let the pressure drop by itself, drain well, cool and mash it lightly with your hand.
In a small bowl, mix the ginger paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder and the rest of the turmeric with 50 ml water to make a thin paste.
Heat the mustard oil in a kadai on high flame until it smokes lightly, then lower the flame. Add the dry red chillies, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds and fry for 20 seconds. Add the potato cubes and fry for 4 minutes until light golden.
Add the grated coconut and fry for 1 minute. Add the spice paste, the rest of the salt, the sugar and half the green chillies. Fry on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes until the raw smell goes, sprinkling a little water if it sticks.
Add the mashed banana flower and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 8 minutes, stirring once, until the potatoes are soft. Add the rest of the green chillies.
Switch off the flame. Mix in the ghee and garam masala. Serve hot with steamed rice and dal.
Before you start
- How long does Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower) take?
- 1 hour 20 minutes from start to finish. That is 45 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower) serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower) vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower) spicy?
- It is mild: 1 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower)?
- 1 Banana Flower, 15 grams Ginger Paste, 1 grams Red Chilli Powder, 2 grams Dry Red Chilli, 1 grams Bay Leaves, 1 grams Green Cardamom, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower)?
- Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.
- How many calories are in Mochar Ghonto (Banana Flower)?
- About 152 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
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