Name: Bengali Mochar Ghonto
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ Banana Flower, mocha, painstakingly cleaned, finely chopped, and boiled with turmeric; ½ Potato, cut into small cubes; ¼ cup Black Chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled; 1½ tbsp Fresh Coconut, grated; 1¼ tbsp Mustard Oil; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ½ Indian Bay Leaf; ½ inch Ginger, grated or paste; 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tsp Ground Cumin; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ½ tbsp Ghee, skip for strict vegan; ½ tsp Salt

2 hrtotal

1 hr 15 min hands-on45 min hands-off

Prep 45 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Medium

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Method

Pressure cook the cleaned and finely chopped banana flower with a pinch of turmeric, salt, and water for 3 whistles until soft. Drain the water completely.
Heat mustard oil in a kadhai until it smokes slightly, then lower the heat. Fry the potato cubes until golden brown and keep aside.
In the remaining oil, add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Add grated ginger and slit green chillies, sautéing for 30 seconds.
30 sec
Add turmeric powder and cumin powder, mixing quickly. Immediately add the boiled banana flower and boiled black chickpeas.
Stir-fry everything on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. The banana flower should be mashed slightly with your spatula as you stir.
5–7 min
Add the fried potatoes, grated coconut, and salt. Sprinkle a little water, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until flavors blend and potatoes are fully soft.
10 min
Remove the lid and cook off any excess moisture. It should be a dry, cohesive, and slightly sticky mixture.
Turn off the heat, stir in garam masala and ghee. Serve hot.

How to tell it's done

A dry, earthy, finely hashed texture punctuated by soft starchy potatoes, crunchy chickpeas, and sweet coconut flakes.

Getting it right

Tip

Draining the water after boiling the banana flower is essential as it removes the vegetable's innate astringent and bitter sap.

What to serve it with

An absolute delicacy that requires effort but rewards with incredible taste. Serve with hot steamed white rice.

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