Mochar Ghonto – Banana Blossom Curry

Mochar Ghonto – Banana Blossom Curry

Mochar Ghonto, in Bangla ‘Mochar’ means ‘banana blossom’ & ‘Ghonto’ is roughly a ‘mashed stir fry’. Prepping banana blossoms is a labourious activity, but it is worth every bead of sweat. This recipe is our take on the famous Bengali delicacy. Follow our recipe as is and keep it simple. Everything will turn out great.

Ours is a three part recipe. Prep the banana blossoms, grind a basic Bengali garam masala and make the curry using potato, chickpeas and coconut milk. Our recipe of mochar ghonto will yield 4 servings, with 414 kilocalories in each. To make mochar ghonto, you will need the ingredients listed below,

Ingredients, Measurements & Nutritional Values

Bengali Garam Masala
Ingredients	Quantity
Cinnamon stick	10 grams
Cloves	10 grams
Green cardamom	10 grams
To Pressure Cook
Banana blossom	300 grams
Potato	200 grams
Chickpeas	50 grams
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	1 teaspoon
Water	As required
To Make Mochar Ghonto
Sunflower oil	1/2 tablespoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Green chilli	1
Bay leaf	1
Palm Jaggery	20 grams
Coconut milk	300 ml
Salt	To taste
Bengali garam masala	1 teaspoon

Click on the nutritional chart below to zoom

Facts

• Banana blossom contains antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer causing free radicals in the body.
• Banana blossom significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

Video Walk Through – Mochar Ghonto – Banana Blossom Curry

Instructions – Mochar Ghonto – Banana Blossom Curry

Prep Chickpeas

1. Add chickpeas to a bowl.
2. Add water and soak the chickpeas over night.
3. The morning after, discard the water. Wash and sort the chickpeas thoroughly.
4. Set aside.

Prep Banana Flower

1. Grease your hand with any cooking oil.
2. Open and peel the petals of a banana flower and collect the  florets (blossoms) attached to non-edible part of the flower. Collect all the florets until you reach the last petal.
3. As you collect the florets, throw them in water to prevent them from oxidizing.
4. Once all the florets are collected it is time to prep the florets.

Prep Florets (Blossoms)

1. Two parts of a floret are inedible, the pistil and the scale adjoining it. The pistil is the tallest plastic like stick within the floret. Pull it off along with the membrane like scale that covers it’s bottom. Watch our YouTube video instructions above to understand better.

Cook Chickpeas & Prepped Floret (Banana Blossom)

1. Transfer chickpeas and prepped florets to a pressure cooker.
2. Cover with water.
3. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt. Mix them in.
4. Pressure cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
5. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Drain the water and set the solids aside.

Cook Potatoes

1. Add chopped potatoes to a pressure cooker.
2. Cover with water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
3. Allow pressure to release naturally. Drain the water and set aside.

Make Bengali Garam Masala

1. Set a skillet on medium heat.
2. Add equal quantities of green cardamom, cinnamon sticks and cloves.
3. Toast them briskly for a minute or two without burning them.
4. Set aside and allow them to reach room temperature.
5. Once at room temperature, transfer to a grinder and grind into a fine powder.
6. Store in an air tight container.

You would use a teaspoon of the Bengali garam masala to make mochar ghonto.

Make Mochar Ghonto

1. Set a pan on medium heat.
2. Add sunflower oil.
3. Add bay leaf, cumin seeds and green chilli. Saute for a minute.
4. Add the cooked potato, chickpeas and florets (banana blossom). Saute for two minutes.
5. Add palm jaggery and salt to your taste. Mix it in and cook for a minute. If you cannot find palm jaggery, feel free to use coconut or cane jaggery. Brown sugar can also be considered. However, palm jaggery is the healthiest of them all.
6. Add thick homemade coconut milk. Mix and reduce on medium heat. Click here for detailed instructions on how to make your own coconut milk.
7. Once half reduced, add Bengali garam masala and turn off the heat in 10 minutes.

Serve mochar ghonto hot. You can enjoy it as is or with any rice or millet.

Mochar Ghonto – Banana Blossom Curry, another healthy recipe, the hissing cooker way.