This is a traditional homemade Banana Blossom / Flower curry called 'Mocha Chingri' cooked along with prawns in an authentic Bengali style. It is quite a popular dish among most of the Bengali crowd and is actually an age old recipe. Earlier it was a simple homemade curry, but in recent times it made its way into many Bengali restaurants, especially outside West Bengal.
Banana Blossom / Flower has a lot of health benefits as it contains vitamins and minerals. A lot of time goes into cleaning the blossom, but it definitely is worth every effort when you relish this exotic delicacy either with rice or chapatti. It is just irresistible. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
First I recommend you to put on disposable gloves as the iron content in these flowers will discolor your nails and fingers. Then peel the layers of the banana blossom and remove the florets. Then from each floret discard a thick stamen from the centre and a translucent outer cover. All this process is pretty time consuming so be patient as the end product is just irresistible. So Happy Cooking !!!
- 1 medium size mocha / banana blossom, cleaned & chopped finely
- 10-15 prawns, deveined & washed
- 3 tbsp. mustard oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole dry red chilies
- 1" cinnamon stick
- 2-3 green cardamoms
- 4-5 cloves
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 potato, cubed
- 1 onion , chopped
- 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2-3 green chilies, slit
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. sugar (opt)
- 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- 1 tsp. ghee
Soak the chopped banana blossom in salted water along with a pinch of turmeric powder and juice of 1/2 lime for an hour.
Marinate the prawns with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder for 10 minutes.
Wash the soaked banana blossom well and drain. Pressure cook in required quantity of water in which a pinch each of salt and turmeric powder has been added. Drain and mash well. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till light brown. Drain and keep aside. Fry the marinated prawns till they changes colour and keep aside.
Temper the same oil with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.
Add the onion and sauté till light brown. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices (except garam masala and salt) mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry till it is mashed. Now add the fried potatoes and prawns. Mix nicely and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.
Add the boiled mocha (banana flower), salt and green chilies. Give it a stir and cook, covered on a low flame till done. Sprinkle water at intervals if needed.
When done, add the garam masala and ghee. Give it a toss and switch off the flame. Serve with hot steamed rice or chapatti.
Heat oil & fry potatoes till light brown. Drain and keep aside.
Fry the marinated prawns till they changes colour and keep aside.
Temper same oil with dry red chilies, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cinnamon,
cloves and cardamoms.
Add the onion and sauté till light brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste & all dry spices (except garam masala & salt)
mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates.
Add chopped tomatoes and stir fry till it is mashed.
Add fried potatoes & prawns. Mix & cook on a low flame for 2-3 min.
Add boiled mocha (banana flower), salt & green chilies. Stir & cook,
covered on a low flame till done. Sprinkle water at intervals if needed.
When done, add garam masala & ghee. Toss & switch off the flame.
Serve with hot steamed rice or chapatti.
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