Paneer Kofta

PANEER KOFTA! A delectable North Indian dish made of all delicious things.

This is my healthy-ish version of traditional Paneer Kofta recipe and it is fantastic!

Fried Paneer Kofta (balls) dunk in a rich, silky creamy gravy made of tomatoes, cream, cashews and mild spices is one of the dishes you will often find on special occasions in India.

“Kofta” or Kebabs as they are referred in Europe, originated in the Middle East and travelled to India with the Mughal Emperors.

The traditional Kofta is usually made with minced meat either with beef or lamb. However, since India has a vast vegetarian population this Paneer Kofta and other vegetarian koftas are as famous as the non-vegetarian variety.

Seldom I cook fried food, I am always on diet and I am always cutting down calories, trying to make my husband eat healthy food. You can say I am zealot when it comes to healthy food. My husband loves fried food so once in a while I like to treat him with something delicious and something fried.

This Paneer Kofta is made with paneer (cottage cheese), boiled potatoes and chickpea flour (besan), it is completely gluten-free and of course, it is flavoursome.

I like to serve this Paneer Kofta with rotis/parathas (flatbread) or rice.

If you like Paneer Curry then do give this yet another delicious recipe a try.

Do give this recipe a try and I am sure you will love it.

Ingredients for kofta:

• 125g grated paneer (cottage cheese)
• 100g or 1 medium boiled potato grated
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp or to taste finely chopped green chilli
• 1 tsp or to taste red chilli powder
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 40g chickpea flour
• 10g cornstarch
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp cornstarch+1 tsp rice powder+salt and pepper for dusting
• Oil for deep frying

Ingredients for gravy:

• 100g or 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 1 or to taste fresh red chilli or green chilli
• 250g tomato diced
• 4 cashews
• 4 almonds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds or dried melon seeds (magaj)
• 200ml or 1 cup milk
• 100ml or ½ cup cream
• 1 tsp or to taste red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg powder and cardamom powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp jaggery
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 bay leaf, a stick of cinnamon, few cardamoms and cloves
• Fresh coriander or cilantro for garnishing

Instructions:

For the koftas mix everything apart from dusting flour. Mix it well and make small round balls, this mixture makes about 12 balls. Dust them in the rice powder, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Fry them till are brown in colour. Drain them well on paper towel.

For the gravy:

Make a paste of onion, ginger, garlic together. Make a paste of tomatoes, cashew, almonds and poppy seeds. Keep the pastes separate.

Heat butter and oil together, add in the whole spices and onion, garlic and ginger paste. Saute for 15-20 minutes.

Add the turmeric and red chilli powder and all the other powders except garam masala. Fry for 1 minute and add in the tomato-cashew paste. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes till the paste is cooked and you see the oil floating on top.

Add in the milk, whisking the gravy well. Cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garam masala, mix well.

Just before serving, add in the koftas, cream and cook for 5 minutes.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot.