Kachkolar Dalna
A simple curry made with green unripe bananas, cubed potatoes, grated coconut, and dal'er bora—best for summers
- Cooking time45 minutes
Calorieskcal
The truth is kachkola (green bananas) aren't universally loved among Bengalis, unless they are made into a kofta. However, this version of kachkola alu'r dalna will hopefully satisfy even the haters. The dal'er bora is, of course, optional, but it really makes the dalna special. Enjoy this with light mosur or moog dal for lunch on a hot summer afternoon. Don't forget the preserve the peels for kachkola'r khosha chochchori!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients
Serves
5 servings
For dal'er bora
- 100 g mosur dal
- 2 pcs green chillies (chopped)
- 3 g salt
- 30–40 ml water
For kachkolar dalna
- 400 g kachkola (unripe bananas)
- 120 g potatoes
- 30 g mustard oil
- 2 pcs dried red chillies
- 2 pcs bay leaves
- 2 pcs cardamom
- 2 pcs cloves
- 1 pc cinnamon
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 20 g grated coconut
- 6 g cumin powder
- 3 g turmeric
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- 30 g ginger paste
- 15 g total salt
- 16 g sugar
- 4 pcs slit green chillies
- 400 g hot water (for the curry)
- 7–8 pcs or ~50 g dal'er bora
- ¼ tsp gorom moshla
- 1 tsp ghee
Method
Making dal'er bora
- Soak mosur dal (orange lentils) in water for 2 hours.
- Transfer the soaked mosur dal to mixer jar. Add chopped green chillies, salt, and water. Add just enough water needed to grind the dal; the mixture should not be too loose or watery. Grind coarsely; this will give the boras a crunchy texture.
- Whip the mixture to incorporate air; this will make the boras airy and allow them to soak up the jhol.
- Heat vegetable oil in a kadai (2 cm deep). Place little dollops of the mixture on oil. Fry on medium heat until crisp and brown. This will take around 6 minutes. Set aside.
Making kachkolar dalna
- Mix salt and turmeric in a bowl of water. Set aside. Peel the green outer layer of the kachkola and cut them into 3-cm long pieces.
- Reserve them in the bowl of turmeric water to prevent them from turning brown.
- Peel potatoes and cut into 3-cm cubes.
- Heat mustard oil in a kadai. Add kachkola and a little salt, and fry on medium heat until brown (5 minutes). Set aside.
- Temper the same oil with dried red chillies, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds. Add potatoes. Fry on medium heat until golden (4 minutes).
- Add grated coconut. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the spice slurry (ginger, cumin powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder mixed with water).
- Sauté the spices on low heat for about 4 minutes. Add salt and sugar, and slit green chillies.
- Cover the pan and sauté until the spices lose their raw smell.
- Add fried kachkola. Sauté with the spices for 2 minutes. Add hot water. Continue cooking until the curry thickens, and the kachkola turn soft.
- Add dal'er bora. Mix everything gently and bubble on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Finish with more slit green chillies, gorom moshla, and ghee.
