Kochu Shak Ghonto | কচু শাকের ঘন্ট
This kochu shak ghonto is a traditional Bengali delicacy where the stem of Taro plant is cooked with freshly grated coconut and served with steaming hot rice with fresh green chilies. It has a smooth paste-like texture. It is a niramish ranna recipe or a vegetarian dish with no onion or garlic.
Servings 5 people
Ingredients
- 1.5 kilos Kochu Danta or Taro plant stem - I have used 1 large piece of stem weighing just over a kilo.
- 200 gms Coconut - freshly grated
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 2 Bay leaf or Tej pata
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to Taste
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 2 Green chilies
- Tamarind or Lemon juice - an alternate would be vinegar
Instructions
- You can either boil the kochu danta or taro stems for a couple of minutes, or pressure cook them with a pinch of salt to let them release their water content. You will see that they have turned almost mushy. Sieve them and discard the water.1.5 kilos Kochu Danta or Taro plant stem
- In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat the mustard oil and drop a couple of bay leaves. Now, add the cooked kochu danta and give everything a very good mix. It would turn mushy and soft.1 tbsp Mustard Oil, 2 Bay leaf or Tej pata
- Add salt, sugar, a touch of turmeric powder, and coriander powder. Keep mixing everything till it dries up considerably and reduce it to half of its original volume.½ tsp Turmeric powder, Salt to Taste, ½ tsp Sugar, 2 tsp Coriander powder
- Add the freshly grated coconut and mix it well. As the coconut gets cooked, it releases its oil and adds richness to the dish. You may reserve some for garnish.200 gms Coconut
- Add green chilies and squeeze a large lemon into the mix before turning the heat off.2 Green chilies, Tamarind or Lemon juice
- Garnish with some freshly grated coconut before serving.