Bengali
Mochar Chop (Banana blossom chop)
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Serves: 2–4 people
Authenticity Slice
It is important that you boil the mocha in lemon juice or tamarind extract to remove the bitterness of the dish. Many people boil the mocha in diluted milk to make it softer.
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Trivia Tadka
Banana flower chop is a flavourful and healthy Bengali delicacy. Mocha refers to banana flower which is dark purple-red in colour and grows from the end of a bunch of bananas.
Ingredients
- Banana flower (mocha) (1)
- Potatoes, mashed (3)
- Green chillies, finely chopped (4-5)
- Cumin seeds (jeera) (1 tsp)
- Green cardamom (elaichi) (2–3)
- Scraped coconut & peanuts (1//2 cup)
- Cumin powder (jeera) (1 tsp)
- Ginger, finely chopped (1 tsp)
- MTR Garam Masala Powder (1 tsp)
- Sugar (1/2 tsp)
- Salt (to taste)
- Mix of cornflour and breadcrumbs (1/2 cup)
- Tamarind extract (imli) (2 tsp)
- Oil (for deep-frying)
Method
- Collect the florets of the flower, tear out the middle stem (stigma) and finely chop the florets in batches.
- Boil the florets in water with lemon juice or tamarind extract for 10 minutes.
- Strain the florets in a strainer and discard the water, squeeze out the extra water and keep aside.
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and temper it with jeera. As the jeera crackles, add the chopped banana florets and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add peanuts or grated coconut along with jeera powder, MTR Garam Masala Powder, ginger, salt and sugar. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes and keep aside.
- In a bowl, mash the potatoes into a paste and mix in some salt and green chillies.
- Pluck out balls and flatten them like patties.
- Fill the patties with the floret mixture and seal the edges.
- Shape the patties as you desire and dust each chop with cornflour and breadcrumbs mix.
- Heat oil in a kadhai and deep-fry the chops till they turn golden brown.
- Serve the hot mochar chop with kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) or any other chutney of your choice.
