Name: Banana Blossom Croquette / Mochar Chop recipe by Amrita Roy at BetterButter
Prep time: 300 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 320 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Banana flower/mocha - chopped, 2 cups; Potato - 2 large, boiled and mashed; Peanuts - 1/4 cup; Ginger Paste - 1 teaspoon; Turmeric - 1 teaspoon; Bhaja Masala/Moshla - 1 teaspoon; Salt to taste; Bread Crumbs - 1 cup; Black Salt - 1/4 teaspoon, for sprinkle; Mustard Oil - 2 tablespoon + 3 cups (or as required) for deep frying; Besan/Bengal Gram Flour - 1/2 cup; Rice Flour - 2 tablespoons; Baking Soda - a pinch; Red chili powder 1/4 teaspoon; Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoon; Cumin Powder - 2 teaspoon; Garam Masala Powder - 1 teaspoon; Black Pepper Powder - 1 teaspoon

ABOUT Banana Blossom Croquette / Mochar Chop RECIPE

Mochar chop or Banana Blossom Croquette is a delicacy from the land of Bengal. It is also known as Banana flower croquette which is an authentic recipe of Bengal. Banana flower is known as mocha in Bengali which is very unique in nature. Even when we talk about mocha, we (Bengalis) become sentimental as this vegetable is being cooked from ages in various forms and somewhere indicates the Bengali culture and tradition. In many Bengali novels and poems, we found the mention of mocha, even in the writings of Rabindranath Tagore. Hence, whenever there is an authentic meal, we often see mocha makes it to our menu. Mochar chop is a truly vegetarian recipe which does not have any onion or garlic and I have never heard someone cooking mocha with onion and garlic. Mochar chop is a good party snack or starter item which you can keep ready previous day and next day fry them and serve hot.

Ingredients Serving: 8

Banana flower/mocha - chopped, 2 cups
Potato - 2 large, boiled and mashed
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Ginger Paste - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
Bhaja Masala/Moshla - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
Black Salt - 1/4 teaspoon, for sprinkle
Mustard Oil - 2 tablespoon + 3 cups (or as required) for deep frying
Besan/Bengal Gram Flour - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 2 tablespoons
Baking Soda - a pinch
Red chili powder 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 2 teaspoon
Cumin Powder - 2 teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder - 1 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder - 1 teaspoon

Instructions

First remove the outer cover (reddish brown colour) of the banana blossom and collect the florets or inside flowers.
Take each floret and take out or tear the middle hard stem (stigma) and white smear present in front of the floret.
Next take few cleaned florets together and finely chop them and keep them in a bowl of turmeric water ( 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder + 3 cups water). Cut all the florets.
Now drain the turmeric water and pressure cook them up to 4 whistles with little salt.
Allow to release the pressure, drain the water and collect the boiled and chopped florets.
Take coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and black pepper powder in the ratio of 2:2:1:1 and dry roast together. Cool it and keep aside the bhaja mashla.
After cooling down take boiled and mashed potato in a plate and add bhaja mashla and salt to it and mix well using your palm.
Heat 2 tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan and fry the peanuts till they change the colour, however do not burn them.
Take out the fried peanuts and add them to the potato-banana flower mixture.
The pan will have little bit of oil (if not add little oil), add ginger paste in that and sauté it for 1-2 minutes.
Next add the mixture (potato-banana flower-peanuts) and give a good stir until the mixture is dried.
Allow to cool the mixture before you give them shape.
Apply little bit of oil in your palm and take some mixture and give them cylindrical or round (or any shape you want to give).
Let's prepare the batter now. Take besan, rice flour, baking soda, red chilli powder, and salt in a bowl.
Next add water very carefully (do not add excess water instead add little at a time and mix) and make a smooth flowing batter.
Take the breadcrumbs in a plate and add little salt in to it and mix and spread on the plate.
Now take each chop, dip in batter and roll in breadcrumbs to coat it. Follow the same process for all the chops.
Store these breadcrumb coated chops in an air tight container for minimum 3 hours (or overnight) in refrigerator.
Take out those chops from refrigerators before frying.
Heat oil in a wok and deep fry those chops under medium flame until they are nice golden and brown.
Take those out from oil in a kitchen towel or tissue paper to soak the extra oil and sprinkle black salt on top and serve hot with ketchup or kasundi (Bengali style Mustard sauce).

Similar Recipes