Mochar Ghanto/ Banana Florets curry

Mocha is the flower of the Banana plants. The flowers have numerous health benefits due to its high content of vitamins and minerals. Its magnesium content is also known to reduce anxiety and alleviate mood. Apart from the health benefits, you also get to enjoy a delicious dish. Mocha can be prepared in various ways, Mochar Ghanto is one of the amazing recipes, that defines Bengali cuisine and its treasure of vegetarian recipes. You could always add some grated coconut, dry lentil dumplings (bori) and black chickpeas to enhance the taste of the dish — this way one dish offers multiple variations with minimal tweaking. This dish is best served with plain steamed rice and a lentil soup (dal).

 

Ingredients

  • Mocha/ Banana Florets
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Turmeric powder
  • Cumin powder
  • Coriander powder
  • Ginger paste
  • Bay leaves
  • Cumin seeds
  • Cornflour
  • Ghee
  • Optional – grated coconut
  • Optional – dry lentil dumplings
  • Optional – black chickpeas

 

Preparation

  • Chop the banana florets finely and steam them
  • Squeeze out the water and keep aside
  • Mix ginger paste, turmeric, cumin, coriander & chili powder and salt to the banana florets.
  • Heat oil in a pan
  • Temper with whole cumin seeds and bay leaves and add the banana florets to this
  • Keep stirring and add keep sprinkling water to this.
  • Add sugar and salt to taste
  • Mix some corn-flour to water and add to this.
  • Once the curry thickens, add some garam masala to this.
  • Before serving add a dollop of ghee to this and also slit green chilies and grated coconut.
  • One can add fried lentil dumplings to this also. If doing so, first roast the dried lentil dumplings, and then fry them in oil, and keep side. Crumble a little and add towards the end of your cooking.
  • If adding black chick-peas, soak them for a couple of hours in water and then boil them properly with salt and turmeric, and stir them in while you are almost nearing completion.