Mochar Ghonto 2 ways—with chola & coconut or chingri—Bengali Vegetarian Recipe of Banana Blossoms
Mocha’r Ghonto: 2 ways
whole mocha (banana blossom) 550gweight after cleaning 300–350g
potato 100g
dried red chillies 2 pcs; clove 1 pc; cardamom 1 pc; cinnamon 1 pc; cumin seeds ¼ tsp
grated coconut 20g; green chillies 4 pcs
ginger paste 20g
cumin powder 2g; red chilli powder ¼ tsp; total turmeric 1 tsp
sugar 18g; total salt 20g
bengali garam masala ¼ tsp; ghee 8g
small prawns (cleaned and deveined) 75g; soaked chhola (whole Bengal gram) 25g; dal’er bora 30g (recipe in description)
remove outer bracts and collect the flower clusters
repeat for each layer
discard
keep
the inner layers are packed tight and more difficult to peel, but keep going
stop when the bracts are really difficult to peel, and flowers become tiny
keep
let’s clean!
pluck a floret
WHAT TO DISCARD: pistil thick stalk with sticky, bulbous head
calyx scaly, transluscent covering
oil your hands to prevent them from getting sticky
discard
keep
the inner florets will be tighter and difficult to clean; do your best
protect your blade! oiling the knife makes it easier to clean off the sticky sap
chop evenly, 5mm apart
don’t forget to reapply oil to your knife
discard
halve
slice lengthwise
chop evenly
transfer to a pressure cooker
all our measurements are for 330g edible mocha; calculate other quantities according to your final yield
boil with 10g salt, ½ tsp turmeric
650g water
pressure cook: medium heat, one whistle
let pressure release naturally
allow to strain and cool (30 minutes)
mash boiled mocha lightly (not too much) to get a good mix of mushy and crunchy textures
cut potato in 2cm cubes
coat prawns with a pinch of salt and turmeric
25g mustard oil
fry prawns on medium heat (1 minute)
set aside
temper with dried red chillies bay leaves
cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin seeds
fry potatoes until golden (4 minutes)
grated coconut
be careful not to let coconut burn
make a paste with ginger, cumin powder, remaining turmeric (½ tsp)
red chilli powder, 50g water
remaining salt (10g), sugar
2 slit green chillies
a splash of water if spices dry out
sauté until the raw smell of spices goes away(5 minutes)
soaked chhola
cook chhola with the spices (3 minutes)
mocha
cover and cook on low heat (6 minutes)
2 more slit green chillies
cook for just 3–4 minutes after adding dal’er bora; if you add them too early, they will go soggy and break; too late, they will remain dry and won’t absorb spices
fried prawns
SECRET TIP: if it’s too dry, you can add 2 tbsp of milk
keep cooking on low heat (3 minutes)
ghee & garam masala
kacha moong’er dal
Mocha'r ghonto is special to anyone who has grown up in Bengal. Mocha is the banana blossom. The niramish (vegetarian) mocha'r ghonto with coconut (narkel) and chola (Bengal gram) is loved as much as mocha chingri, garnished with small freshwater prawns. In this video, we show methods of preparing both mocha'r ghonto as well as mocha with chingri. This also includes a very easy, step-by-step guide to cleaning, preparing and cutting mocha. Like any Bengali niramish recipe, this one uses no onion or garlic—the main flavours come from ginger, cumin, ghee and garam masala. Mocha provides a crunchy texture that is a canvas for all these flavours. Give this Bengali recipe of mocha a try. It is not the best looking dish, but once you taste mocha, it will change your life. FULL TEXT RECIPE: https://bongeats.com/recipe/mochar-ghonto/ __________________________ RECIPE FOR DAL'ER BORA ------------------------------------------- 1. Soak mosur dal (orange lentils) in water for 30 minutes. Rinse and grind with salt and green chillies using as little water as possible. The grind should be a little coarse to provide boras texture. 2. Heat oil on medium flame. Once hot, drop little dollops of the dal batter into the oil. Deep-fry until the boras are evenly golden in colour. __ RELATED VIDEOS Bengali garam masala: https://youtu.be/GqlDz7dQMA0?list=PLGX3dcCcJDYweaL6mlxJ54UAoKZAjNluz OUR KITCHEN TOOLS (affiliate links; we earn a small commission): https://bongeats.com/kit MUSIC "Shonajhuri" composed by Bemanan for Bong Eats GET THE ALBUM "Quorma-Kaliya-Polao" at https://kit.com/bongeats/music-album-quorma-kaliya-polao FIND US on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google Plus @bongeats