Mochar Ghonto — Banana Flower Curry
A finely chopped banana flower curry cooked dry with coconut and whole garam masala — a labour-intensive, increasingly rare grandmother-style Bengali dish.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 200 kcal
Equipment
- •Kadai
- •Cutting board coated with oil
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- fat
- 9 g
- carbs
- 26 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 200 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub your hands and knife with mustard oil to prevent staining. Peel away the tough outer petals until you reach the tender core.
- 2
Finely chop the tender core. Immediately soak it in water with a little turmeric and lime to prevent discolouration.
- 3
Boil the chopped banana flower with the soaked chana dal (split chickpeas) until just tender. Drain the water well.
- 4
Heat mustard oil in a kadai (deep Indian pan). Sizzle the bay leaf and whole garam masala in the hot oil.
- 5
Add the diced potato. Stir and fry until lightly golden.
- 6
Add ginger paste, turmeric, and the boiled banana flower and dal. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- 7
Cook uncovered on medium-low heat, stirring often. Let the moisture evaporate until the mixture turns dry.
- 8
Stir in the grated coconut, slit green chillies, sugar and salt. Cook for a final 5 minutes.
- 9
Serve warm as a side dish with dal and rice.
Chef's tips
Cleaning the banana flower takes time. Throw away any hard, fibrous strands inside each floret while chopping. Cook it dry without gravy for the classic ghonto texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- chana dal → omit if unavailable, though it adds traditional bite
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not soaking the chopped banana flower in lime water, which makes it turn black quickly.
- •Leaving too much moisture in the dish, instead of cooking it until dry and slightly coarse.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Mochar Ghonto — Banana Flower Curry?
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