Paneer Kofta Curry – who doesn’t like melt in your mouth luscious koftas dunked in a creamy gravy?
The family thoroughly enjoys this curry and I tried my hands at this tricky recipe a couple of times but not with much success. Something would always go wrong – either the koftas would come apart while frying or the cornflour would be too much giving it a chalky taste. I tried a couple of different recipes online and what worked for me was this one from veg recipes of India with some minor modifications.
This is What I Changed.
I did not use any milk or khoya in the recipe. Instead, I decided to use almond flour which I had on hand.
I also kept the gravy lighter by swapping cream with soaked and blended cashews. But you can either use only cashews or only heavy cream to give the gravy a beautifully silken texture; it would taste just fantastic either way.
This dish is perfect for special occasions when you are feeling a bit indulgent. Some chapatis or pulao on the side and you really do not need anything else. Do try this paneer kofta curry and share how you like it.
Ingredients
- Paneer or Cottage Cheese- 1 cup
- Boiled and mashed potatoes - 1/2 cup
- Almond flour- 2 tbsp
- Corn flour- 1.5 tbsp
- Coriander powder- 1.5 tsp
- Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp or as per taste
- Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp
- Chopped cashews and raisins- 2 tbsp or as per taste
- Salt- 1 tsp or as per taste ( the gravy would have salt as well so add accordingly )
- Oil for frying
- Onion Paste-3/4 cup
- Tomato Paste-1.5 cup ( preferably tomatoes boiled and skin removed)
- Cashews -1/2 cup soaked in warm water for 30-45 minutes
- Black cardamom-1
- Green cardamom-2
- Cinnamon stick-1 inch
- Bay leaf- 2 small
- Cumin-1/2 tsp
- Cloves-2 -3
- Mace- 2 strands
- Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp or as desired
- Turmeric-1/2 tsp
- Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
- Salt- 1.5 tsp
- Hot water-1/2 cup
- Kasuri Methi- 2 tsp
- Chopped coriander for garnish -1 tbsp
- Heavy cream for garnish- 1-2 tsp (optional)
- Oil-2 tbsp
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients of the kofta together except the dry fruits
- Form into small balls, poke a hole in the centre and conceal chopped nuts and raisins inside so they do not come off while frying, then reshape the balls
- Bring the oil to smoking point, then reduce to medium high and then fry the balls till golden brown flipping in between so they cook evenly
- Drain the koftas on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil and keep aside while you prepare the gravy
- Heat oil in a pan and add all the whole spices
- When the spices are fragrant , add onions and fry on medium heat till golden brown, then add tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric and ginger garlic paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes till tomatoes are cooked through
- Take out the cooked onion-tomato-spice mixture on a plate and let it cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, discard the bay leaf and black cardamom from the mixture
- Add the soaked cashews to the above mixture with a tbsp water and blend to a smooth paste
- Transfer it back into the same pan and add hot water, salt, stir well and bring to boil
- Reduce flame and add the fried dumplings to the gravy
- Give it a gentle mix and keeping the flame low, let it simmer uncovered for two minutes
- Then add kasuri methi,cover and let it simmer for another two minutes, then garnish with heavy cream and chopped coriander and serve hot with plain rice, pulao or chapati
2 Comments
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