Green plantain or raw banana curry - A traditional Bengali Preparation

Among the many kolagach (banana plant) products Bengalis have thought to turn into delectable food items, kachkola’r kofta (raw banana kofta) remains an eternal favourite. The Raw banana is rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  The starch content present in raw banana will help in controlling blood sugar level and manage cholesterol. Bengali Style Kanch kolar Kofta Curry Recipe (Green Plantain or Raw Banana Kofta Curry Recipe) is a Bengali dish made with soft and crispy Koftas dipped in thin and tangy based curry. This one is delicately spiced, deep-fried raw banana fritters. Boiled kachkola are mashed with boiled potatoes, onion paste, ginger, green chilies, and a host of dry spices. Let’s start the recipe without any delay:-

Preparation Time: - 10 min

Cooking Time: - 30 min

Servings: - 5~6 persons

Ingredients:

1. 2 Large Kanchkola / green banana
2. 5 Large potato
3. 1 medium Onion (optional – not for pure veg preparation)
4. 1 Large Tomato
5. 6 tbsp Mustard oil (I used Mustard oil as this recipe is traditional Bengali one, you can use any vegetable oil as you wish if you do not like the pungent smell of the mustard oil )
6. 2 tbsp Ginger paste
7. Salt as per taste
8. ½ tsp Sugar (Bengalis love sugar but you can opt out of it if you have any issue)
9. 1 tsp Turmeric powder
10. 2 tsp Cumin powder
11. ½ tsp Cumin seed
12. 2 large Green chili
13. 1 tsp Garam masala
14. ½ tsp Red chili powder (I used Kashmiri red chili but you can use red chilli as per your taste)
15. 2 Bay leaves

Preparation: -

1. Chop the tomatoes, onion and smash the ginger with the help of pestle and mortar. Make a smooth paste of Ginger. If you want to prepare the pure veg curry then you need the onion.
2. Boil green banana and potato in a pressure cooker. Remove the skin.
3. Heat 2 tbsp Mustard oil in a pan and shallow fry half of the potatoes till they turn slightly brown. Keep aside.
4. Mash the other half of boiled potato and green banana. Mix salt, little ginger paste, cumin powder, garam masala powder and red chili powder with the mashed potato and green banana to make a dough.
5. Make small balls from the dough.
6. Heat rest of the oil in a pan and shallow fry the balls till brownish. Please take the balls out and keep aside.
7. Add bay leaves and cumin seed.
8. Add onion if you need. Sauté till the onion become translucent.
9. Add ginger paste and stir.
10. Add previously cut tomato. Allow to cook for 5 minutes or till the water from tomato is dried up. 
11. Pour cumin powder and turmeric powder. Stir and mix everything properly. Cook for 5 minutes.
12. Add fried balls. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
13. Now add the shallow fried potatoes. Mix everything together.
14. If you want you can add sugar here and stir well the mix. You can skip this if you are not having sugar tooth like we Bengalis have.
15. Add salt to taste.
16. Add a cup of water and green chili. Allow to boil.
17. Sprinkle garam masala and turn off the burner.

Serve hot as Side dish to Roti, Paratha or flavored/jeera rice. I even have it with steamed rice. 

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Chole Masala or Chana Masala - in Bengali style

Chole masala or chana masala is one of the most popular curry dishes in India. In fact in north India no wedding or party is complete until you have chole masala on the menu. But the one I present here is Chole masala in Bengali style. This one is my favourite as it can be used as chat.  The main ingredient for this recipe is still Kabuli chana or yellow bigger chickpeas which with its high protein content and less in fat is a very healthy food. And, also for the way it’s cooked, it turns out to be a lip-smacking side dish.

Preparation Time: - 20 min

Cooking Time: - 45~60 min

Servings: - 3~4 persons

Ingredients:-

1. 250 gm yellow Chickpeas.
2. 150 gm. Onion for paste and few slices of onion for garnishing purpose
3. 2 large Potatos (optional if you want to cook in Bengali style)
4. 1 large Tomato chopped
5. 1-inch Ginger chopped
6. 4 cloves of garlic crushed (You can use 2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste instead of chopped ginger and crushed garlic)
7. 2 Green Chili deseeded (you can have more according to your taste)
8. 1 ½  tsp Coriander Powder
9. 1 ½ tsp Cumin Powder
10. 1-inch Cinnamon crushed by mortar and pestle
11. 4 pods of Green cardamom crushed and dehusked by pestle and mortar
12. 2 Bay leaf
13. 2 nos. Red Chilli or 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder (again you can increase this as per your taste)
14. 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
15. 1 ½ tbsp. Chole Masala
16. 1 tsp Chat Masala (optional - only if you want to cook in Bengali style)
17. 2 tsp Garam Masala powder
18. 1 cup water
19. 10~12 tbsp Vegetable Oil ( I used Sunflower oil but you can use Canola or any vegetable oil )
20. 1 tbsp Mustard oil (optional – only if you want to cook in Bengali style)
21. Salt to taste
22. 2 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped

Preparation: -

1. Wash the chickpeas thoroughly and soak overnight.
2. Wash and boil the potatoes, peel and cut into small cubes.
3. Heat sufficient vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet and fry the potato cubes till they turn golden yellow.
4. Chop onion and tomato. Keep aside.
5. You need to chop and crush garlic & ginger if you do not use ginger garlic paste like me.
6. Use blender to make a paste of onion, use pestle and mortar to crush cardamom pods and again use blender to powder cinnamon. De-husk the cardamom and keep aside.
7. In a Kadai or deep bottomed frying pan, heat rest of the oil in high heat and then turn the burner to medium.
8. Add Bay leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom in it and let the spices crackle.
9. Add Onion paste and sauté till they turn translucent.
10. Then add crushed ginger garlic and keep stirring till the aroma of garlic goes away.
11. Stir continuously , otherwise the mixture will burn
12. Add deseeded green chilies and finely chopped tomatoes, stir and cook for 3~4 minutes till the juice of the tomato evaporates and start to leave oil.
13. Now add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri Chilli powder (or Red chilli) and chole masala in the mixture and stir for 1~2 min.
14. Add soaked Chickpeas and cook for a couple of minutes – keep stirring always so that the spice paste is coated smoothly on the chickpeas.
15. Pour 1 cup water and transfer the whole content to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook till about 2~3 whistle blows. Idea is to cook the chickpeas properly.
16. Open the lid of the pressure cooker and cook till the gravy is adjusted to your preference. Add Garam masala.
17. Now up to this is your normal chole masala preparation. My Bengali style recipe starts differing from here.
18. Add the fried potatoes and stir continuously for 1 minute
19. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. mustard oil and chat masala. Stir for few seconds and turn off the burner.
20. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and sliced onion rings if you like.

Serve hot as Side dish to Roti, Paratha or flavored/jeera rice. I even have it with steamed rice.

If you like the recipe, then click my Facebook Page and like my page for regular updates. You can even share the recipe via Facebook, twitter or Pinterest.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Bhai Phota Menu from my kitchen

Bhai phonta or Bhai Dooj is a Bengali Celebration for the wonderful relation between brother and sister. We celebrate this on third day of Diwali. We cook a lot of authentic Bengali dishes on this day. Here is a list of few dishes recipes of which are available in my blog.

Luchi

Bengali Ghugni - Dried yellow peas curry

 

Bengali Basanti Pulao - Sweet Yellow fried rice 

Bhapa Ilish - Bengali style steamed Hilsa with mustard sauce and yogurt

 

Kasha Murgir Mangsho - Chicken curry with thick gravy

Rasgulla / Rosogolla - Bengali syrupy dessert

 

Please take a look at the recipes and provide any feedback as you like / dislike