Name: Bengali Mochar Chop
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g Banana Flower, mocha, thoroughly cleaned, finely chopped, boiled soft, and water squeezed out completely; 150 g Boiled Potato, peeled and mashed without lumps; 2 tbsp Peanuts, peanuts, dry roasted and coarsely crushed; 1 tsp Ginger, finely grated; 1 tsp Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; 1½ tsp Bhaja Masala, signature roasted Bengali spice mix (cumin, coriander, dry red chilli); ½ tsp Garam Masala; 1 tbsp Raisins, chopped; ½ tsp Sugar, essential to balance the astringency of the flower; 1 tsp Salt, to taste; 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour, mixed with a little water to create a thin dipping slurry; 1 cup Breadcrumbs, for the outer crispy coating; 1 cup Mustard Oil, for traditional deep frying

3 hrtotal

1 hr hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 45 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Heat a teaspoon of mustard oil in a pan. Sauté the grated ginger and green chillies for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the thoroughly boiled and squeezed banana flower (mocha). Sauté on medium heat for 3-4 minutes to dry out any residual moisture.
3–4 min
Stir in the mashed boiled potato, bhaja masala, garam masala, salt, and sugar. Mix vigorously so the potato binds the banana flower together.
Add the roasted crushed groundnuts and chopped raisins. Fold them in. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down completely.
Once cool enough to handle, divide the mixture into equal portions and shape them into traditional oval or tear-drop shaped croquettes (chops).
Prepare your coating station: Have the all-purpose flour slurry in one shallow bowl and the breadcrumbs spread out on a flat plate.
Dip each shaped chop first into the wet slurry, letting the excess drip off, and then roll it generously in the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to adhere.
For the best crust, repeat the dipping and crumb-rolling process once more (double coating). Refrigerate the chops for 15 minutes to firm up.
15 min
Heat the mustard oil in a deep kadhai until it reaches smoking point, then reduce the heat to medium.
Deep fry the chops in small batches, turning them gently, until they are deep golden brown and exceptionally crispy all over. Drain on paper towels and serve.

How to tell it's done

A thick, deeply crunchy outer shell breaking open to reveal a soft, earthy, slightly sweet, and heavily spiced interior dotted with crunchy peanuts.

Getting it right

Tip

Squeezing out absolutely all the water from the boiled banana flower is critical. Any leftover moisture will cause the chops to crack open in the hot oil.

What to serve it with

A quintessential evening starter in Bengal. Serve piping hot with Kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce), thinly sliced onions, and a cup of ginger tea.

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