Kach Kolar Khosha Bata ( Raw Plantain Peel Paste)

Gosh it's been really long since I looked back at my poor blog, let alone write something. It's really feeling neglected. The past two months seems to have passed in a jiffy. Too many things happening at the same time - Durga Puja, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, mom visiting, a sojourn to Matheran, local sightseeing, lot's of shopping with mom, movies, eat outs...phew!! It all seems like whirlwind now. All this had hardly left me with anytime to sit and think.

I wanted us to have something healthy and light on the stomach for dinner. Raw banana or plantain makes nutritional and  tasty dishes. It one of the most versatile vegetables available. I decided to make a simple plantain fish curry for dinner. Most of the time when we prepare plantain dishes we tend to forget totally about the utility of the peels and mostly they are thrown away. But just like plantain, the peels also are very rich in iron and fiber. So I came up with the idea of preparing a dish from the plantain peels that I was about to throw away. Here is his recipe of Kach Kolar Kosha Bata.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves:2

Cuisine: Bengali

Ingredients:

• Plantain Peel of 2 big green banana
• Poppy Seed Paste (Poshto bata) - 2 tsp [1 tsp is also fine]
• Five spice mix ( panch foron) - 1/2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green chilli - as per spice tolerance
  
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - a small pinch
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil

Procedure:

1. Boil the plantain peel in the pressure cooker for a single whistle. Drain the water and chop the peels into small pieces.

2. Soak the poppy seeds for sometime 

3. In a mixer grinder grind the chopped peels, soaked poppy seeds, grated coconut and green chilli to a uniform paste. The Bengalis tend to make this paste with the "shil noda" instead of a grinder. But doing it in a mixer also doesnt alter the taste

4. Heat oil in a wok and add the five spice mix. The spices will crackle in sometime

5. Add the plantain peel paste to the seasoning. 

6. Add a pinch of turmeric

7. Adjust the salt and sugar and fry the mixture till the smell of raw poppy seeds go away and water dries from the mixture

 The main trick of the dish is to dry off the water. It's all about getting the right consistency and not burning the paste in the process. Mold the mixture into any shape you like.  This preparation can be served as a side dish with steamed rice and any kind of a dal. A yummy preparation to suit the chilly weather setting in Pune.

I knew about this recipe but never tried it for the fear of how it will turn out. But after this I know what to do with the plantain peels.

 I hope to be more regular on my blog from now. Finger crossed!