Description
Bengali-style stir-fry with banana blossoms, potatoes, and warming spices. A fragrant and flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cups (237 ml) Shredded coconut
- 1 cups (237 ml) Roasted desi chickpeas or peanuts or shrimps (if you are using it)
- 1 Banana Blossom
- 1 Potato (medium, peeled and cubed into small bite size)
- 1 or 2 Bay leaf
- 1 Cinnamon sticks
- 2-3 Green cardamom
- 3-4 Cloves
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- A pinch of chilli powder
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar (or less according to taste)
- 2 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
- Turmeric water or lemon to remove the bitterness
Instructions
- Finely chop the banana blossoms and the inner white cone.
- Heat water in a deep vessel, add the chopped banana blossoms, salt, and turmeric water or lemon juice. Stir.
- Boil for a few minutes until blossoms are soft.
- Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water; squeeze dry.
- Heat ghee in a pan; add cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, and cardamom.
- Fry potatoes until lightly browned.
- Add the dried banana blossoms and chickpeas or peanuts; stir-fry on high heat for 3 minutes.
- Add shredded coconut, cumin powder, and red chili powder (if using); sauté.
- Season with salt and sugar.
- Cover and simmer on low heat until potatoes are tender.
- Add a few drops of ghee, adjust seasonings, and serve hot with steamed rice.
Notes
- To minimize browning, quickly rinse the chopped banana blossoms under cold water after draining.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the shrimp and use roasted peanuts or chickpeas instead.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat gently in a pan with a little ghee.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stir-Frying
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 10