Mocha torkari - banana flower sabzi

There are some recipes which we can never be found in any restaurants or eating joints. Then there are some recipes which are dying out mainly due to unavailability of the raw materials or being v tedious to make. This mocha recipe is also one amongst them which we hardly get to see or taste anywhere.

We Bengalis love our Mocha or banana flower but it is rarely found here in Noida. So whenever I do find it in my nearby vegetable market,I immediately pick one for that delicious recipe to be cooked as soon as possible. Cleaning mocha is quite a task but obviously worth the effort.

Ingredients

1. Mocha/banana flower - 1 medium size

2. Potato - 3 medium size diced

3. Ginger - 2 inch

4. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

5. Whole red chilly. - 2 nos

6. Nigella seeds - 1 tsp

7.fresh cream - 3 tbsp

8. Milk - 100ml

9. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Desi ghee - 2 tbsp

Method

Pressure cook the cleaned mocha for 2 whistles. Once cool drain and squeeze out the moisture,keep aside. Heat ghee in a kadai,add nigella seeds,red chillies( break and add), once they start releasing their aroma add potato,salt and turmeric powder,cover and cook in low flame,stirring occassionally till the potatoes are almost cooked. In the meanwhile make a rough paste of ginger and cumin seeds. I prefer doing it on my sil-batta but you can make it in a blender too. Add this to the potato,mix mocha,milk and cover and cook further till the potatoes are cooked through. Whisk the cream and add to the sabzi,mix well and switch off the flame. Serve hot with rice.

Note - you can also add grated coconut to enhance the taste.