A lavish meal with hariyali kofta
Koftas contain the goodness of greens like spinach, coriander and fenugreek, and are deep fried for a crunchy texture. Then they are added to a creamy and delicious gravy that’s seasoned with onions, cashew and saffron. The combination of a creamy gravy with crunchy fried koftas adds the perfect balance to this dish. If you are planning a lavish dinner to show off your cooking skills then a kofta curry must be on the menu. Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
For the onion paste:
1 ¾ cups roughly chopped onions
¼ cup cashewnuts (kaju)
7 garlic (lehsun) cloves
2 tbsp melon seeds (charmagaz)
12 mm ( ½” ) ginger (adrak) piece
For the white gravy:
3 tbsp oil
3 cardamoms
3 cloves (laung / lavang)
1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies
½ tsp garam masala
¾ cup whisked curds (dahi)
2 tbsp fresh cream
salt to taste
For the spinach koftas:
1 ½ cups boiled , peeled and mashed potatoes
¾ cup finely chopped coriander (dhania)
¾ cup finely chopped spinach (palak)
¼ cup finely chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
2 tsp green chili paste
½ tsp garam masala
2 tbsp cornflour
salt to taste
oil for deep-frying
Other ingredients:
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
2 tbsp fresh cream
a few saffron (kesar) strands
1 tbsp milk
For the garnish
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
Method:
For the onion paste:
1. Combine all the ingredients along with 1½ cups of water in a kadhai, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes or till the onions turn soft. Keep aside to cool completely.
2. Blend in a mixer to a smooth paste and keep aside.
For the white gravy:
1. Heat the oil in a kadhai, add the cardamom, cloves and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
2. Add the green chillies, prepared onion paste, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for two to three minutes.
3. Add the garam masala, curds, mix well and cook on a medium flame for one to two minutes, while stirring occasionally.
4. Add the cream and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for one minute. Keep aside.
For the spinach koftas:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions and shape each portion into a round ball.
3. Heat the oil in a kadhai, deep-fry the koftas, a few at a time, on a medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour from all sides. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.
How to proceed:
1. Combine the prepared white gravy in a kadhai, add the chili powder, dried fenugreek leaves and half cup of water and cook on a medium flame for one to two minutes, while stirring continuously.
2. Add the cream, mix well and simmer for another one minute, while stirring continuously.
3. Meanwhile combine the saffron strands with the milk in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Add this saffron-milk mixture to the gravy, mix well and cook on a medium flame for one minute.
5. Just before serving, add the spinach koftas to the hot gravy and simmer for one to two minutes.
6. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with parathas.
Here’s the video:
Recipe courtesy: Hariyali kofta video, Tarla Dalal.com
Image courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty images
Image for representational purposes only.
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