Thor Bengali Recipe (Banana Stem Stir Fry)

I remember during my childhood days, we had a small banana garden in our backyard. We had a never-ending supply of 'Thor' (banana stems) and 'Mocha' (banana flowers)  throughout the year. My mother used to take care of them like her own child but used to scream and run away as soon as she saw a caterpillar relishing over the leaves or snails attached to the stems! Winters are harsh in my Assam so the plants were unable to bear the cold and die resulting no fruits but flowers. But as the weather changed, they used to grow back on their own without doing any effort. The thor and mocha used to be so organic and fresh and my father and elder sister enjoyed eating it the most. My sister used to call this 'tube light' because it somehow looked like that. I had no interest in eating such gems of our culture. I was happy to have my 'sheddo bhat' with 'dim sheddo' (boiled egg) and butter and refused to eat anything else apart from that. Though sheddo bhat will always remain my all time favourite, now I regret not eating anything of my mother's skills. Therefore, nowadays I try to grab any eatables originated to my culture and make a call to my mother asking her to share her recipe then prepare and if it becomes a success, then write it down on a blog so that my children don't face any difficulties if they try to taste our culture in the future.

Moving on to the banana stems, they are low in calories and highly nutritious. They are said to have many benefits such as the removal of kidney stones, weight loss, managing blood pressure and many more. This is an interesting stir free which tastes great with added health benefits. Try it once and I am sure you'll love it.

Image credit: Anu TChatterjee

Ingredients:

• Banana stem or Thor: 1 small
  
• Water: To boil the thor in a pressure cooker
• Ripened Jackfruit seeds ( Kathal Bichi): 10 to 12 Boiled and cut diagonally into 4 halves (Optional)
• Coconut paste or grated coconut of 1/2 a coconut
  
• Mustard, poppy seeds and chilli paste: 1 and 1/2 tablespoon
• Green Chillies: 2 or 3
• Cumin seeds: 1Tsp
• Dried Red Chilli: 1
• Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon while boiling the thor and 1 teaspoon while stir frying
• Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon (Add more or less as per requirement)
• Salt: As per requirement
• Sugar: As per requirement
• Mustard oil: 3 to 4 tablespoon (Add less or more according to your needs)
• Roasted Panch Phoran Powder: 1 Tablespoon
• Grated coconut: For garnishing
  

Method:

Prepping the Thor:

1. Peel and cut the thor as shown in the pictures below
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Image Credit: Anu TChatterjee

        
   

   

   Image Credit: Anu TChatterjee

                                    
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Then add some salt, turmeric and adequate water to boil the thor for about two whistles and remove the pressure and strain the water.
   

For the stir fry:

1. Heat 3 tablespoon mustard oil in a heavy bottomed kadhai.
2.  Once the oil reaches the smoking point, fry the jackfruit seeds and set aside
   
3. In the same oil add the dried red chillies, cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.
   
4. Now add the coconut and ginger paste and saute for a minute in medium flame.
   
   
   
   
5. Next, add the boiled thor along with the fried jackfruit seeds and saute again.
   
6. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, sugar, green chillies and saute it.
   
7. Now add the mustard and poppy seeds paste and saute it again then cover and cook in low to medium flame for about 5 minutes.
   
8. Switch off the flame and add the panch phoran powder and garnish it with grated coconut.
   

This recipe is better served with rice. If you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, please share and comment below. Take care.