Veg Kofta Gravy for your taste buds

Here goes my first recipe for the blog.  :)

Not everyday I get the energy to try something new or a recipe that would need solid time. And definitely I cannot afford these on the weekdays when I juggle my work, my daughter's tiffin to school, rush with an early morning breakfast for my husband. So 99% my experimentation is reserved for the weekends. So today I gathered energy to try this Mughali reipe, veg kofta curry. Here goes the recipe.

Caution: This is too too rich and heavy on stomach. So be prepared. Not recommended for those who want to maintain a strict diet control :D

 Note: Personally I never stick to any measurement. "Kan Alavu" is my way. And I taste now and then and adjust the quantity. But anyways presenting the common way I see it on other blogs.


Verdict:
Appreciated by my mom-in-law ( She said first class), hubby and my cute little angel. Three feathers to my cap :)


Cooking Level: Intermediate

Veg Kofta balls: 

 

Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup ( carrot peas & beans, boiled and mashed)
Potatoes(Boiled and mashed) - 1 cup
Paneer - 1/2 cup heaped
Nuts - 2 tbsp crushed in a mortar ( badam & cashews)
Turmeric powder - as required
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Salt - to taste

Gravy:

 

Onion -  2 big sized, which I just puree in my food processor.
Tomatoes - 3 big sized which I pureed in my food processor
Ginger garlic paste
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
 Kitchen King masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Cashew paste - few cashews ground with little water in mixie jar.
 Fresh cream - 1/2 cup ( I kind of skipped it as I didn't have it handy. Instead went for malai from the milk I boiled in the morning).
Milk - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Kasuri Methi - 1/2 tsp crushed
Salt - to taste

Other items you will need: 

Kadai 
Spatula
Spoons 
Refined oil for frying
Appam mould


Way to go: 

Lets get the Kofta balls ready:

1. Pressure cook the veggies for 2-3 whistles(carrot,peas and beans). And I used a 2 ltr pressure cooker where I also kept a small cup with halved potatoes in it along with the veggies in water. So both gets boiled in one go.
2. I didn't keep potato directly in water to avoid it getting mushy. It is important to drain the water from the veggies and keep them free of moisture. But do not  waste the excess water and you can add it to the gravy. 
3. Mash the vegetables (except the potato) well and keep aside.
4. Mix all the spices, turmeric, red chilli, corriander powder, Jeera powder with little water. Heat oil in a kadai and pour this mixture to cook them without getting burnt. and quickly add them mashed vegetables and mix it well so that, and cook on low flame. This will help remove excees moisture and also the spices will blend well.
5. And now take the mixture out and add the mashed potato to it. and Mix well. At this stage you can add grated paneer as well to it.
6. To make it extra rich add the nuts ( ground almond, cashew bits) to it and mix it well. I also added raisins directly to the mixture.
7. Divide the above mixture into small lemon sized balls.
8.  Pick an "Appam mould" and shallow fry the lemon sized kofta balls in refined oil. Incase you feel mixture is not binding enough, you can add little rice flour to the mix so that it doesn't break while frying. 
9. Keep the Kofta balls aside and you are going to use them on the gravy only just before serving them hot. 

 
Lets get the gravy ready:

1.  Take a kadai, and a little oil. 
2. Saute some Jeera, Ginger garlic paste on it. 
3. Add the pureed onion to it and cook till the raw smell goes off
4. Add the purred tomato and cook it well, it raw small goes off
5. Now add turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder to it and cook well till mixture thicken and the spices blend well. And salt as required and adjust the spice level to your taste.
6. At this stage you can add the milk cream and cook for few mts. 
7. Then add kasturi methi and you can cook further to adjust the grave to the desired consistency. 
8. Finally switch off, and garnish with Corriander leaves and grated paneer.

Note:  

• You can also add green peas to the above gravy. 
• Here is a tip from one of the blogs : If you are adding milk instead of cream to avoid milk from curdling - You can first heat and boil milk then add it - Do not add refrigerated milk directly.Simmer the heat once milk is added and keep stirring continuously.Also add the milk little by little stirring continuously.

 

 Serving:

  Serve it hot with Chapathis and just before serving add the Kofta balls to the gravy and serve it well garnished to your taste. Kofta balls can be eaten directly as well. They are rich in taste and yummy. So no worries if you ended up making more kofta balls.