mochar chop - banana blossom appetizer
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetiser
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Banna blossom appetizer with coconut and peanuts, it holds a special stature in Bengali cuisine.
Ingredients
  • Flower of Banana (or Mocha): One
  • Potatoes (mashed): 3 big sized
  • Green chilies (chopped):4-5
  • Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
  • Cardamoms: 2-3
  • Scraped Coconut and peanuts: ½ cup
  • Cumin powder: 1 tsp
  • Ginger (chopped):1tsp
  • Garam masala: 1 tsp
  • Sugar : ½ tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • A mix of cornflour and breadcrumbs: ½ cup
  • Oil for deep-frying
Instructions
Prepare the florets
  1. Collect the florets of the flower, tear out the middle stem (stigma) of the florets and finely chopped the florets in batches.
  2. Boil the florets in water with lemon juice or tamarind extract or try it with milk for 10 minutes. Strain the florets in a strainer and discard the water, squeeze extra water out of it by hard pressing, it will become pulpy. Keep it aside.
Prepare the stuffing
  1. Heat some oil in a pan and temper it with cumin seeds. Add the chopped mocha or banana florets and saute for sometime. Next add the peanuts or grated coconut along with cumin powder, garam masala, ginger, salt and sugar to taste. Lightly stir fry for few more minutes and remove from the heat.
Prepare the potato shells
  1. Mashed thoroughly the potatoes and mix it with salt and finely chopped green chillies. Divide it into six portions, flatten them like patties and give a bowl like shape.
  2. Filled the bowl of mashed potatoes with stir fried mocha or banana blossom in the centre and wrap it along so that the mocha is well secured inside it .
  3. Give them your desired shapes and dust each of the mochar chop / cutlet with cornflour and breadcrumbs mix, deep fry them in sufficient oil till they become golden brown in color.
  4. Serve the hot mochar chop / banana blossom appetizer with kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) or any sauce of your choice.
Notes
Oil your palms well, specially the finger tips and nails, otherwise the sap or juicy extract from the blossoms will blacken the fingers , the black marks will eventually disappear in 2-3 days.
Oil the knife too if you are chopping the florets for the same reason stated above.
After removing the florets, directly put them in a bowl of water as they are quick to oxidize.
Recipe by saffronstreaks at https://saffronstreaks.com/recipes/mochar-chop-banana-blossom-appetizer/