Paneer Kofta Curry

  

I tried this first time when my in-laws had come home; they were leaving for a pilgrimage from here. I thought of making something special and this delectable dish occurred to me. I browsed for recipe from website and gave it a very brave attempt.  It turned out well and each of us like it very much. It was a bit heavy though as I had made kulchas with them.

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

             1.   Paneer – 1 cup grated
2.       Potato – ¾ cup boiled and mashed
3.       Corn flour – 1 tbsp
4.       Green chili – 1 finely chopped
5.       Aniseeds – ¼ tsp
6.       Salt -1 tsp
7.       Oil for frying
For Gravy:
1.       Tomato – 3
2.       Green chillies – 2
3.       Ginger – 2’’ piece
4.       Garlic – 4 cloves
5.       Onion – 2
6.       Cashews – 10, soaked in water for 30 min
7.       Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
8.       Salt as per taste
9.       Oil – 2 tbsp
10.   Asafoetida – 1 pinch
11.   Turmeric – 1 pinch
12.   Chilli powder – 1 tsp
13.   Garam masala – 1 tsp
14.   Coriander – 2 tbsp finely chopped
15.   Fresh cream – 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients for kofta except the oil and make soft dough.  Check and adjust for salt and spices; now roll them into small balls until all dough is done. Remember on frying the kofts would swell a little.

Step 2: Now heat oil in a non-stick pan and either deep fry or shallow fry the koftas, either ways they won’t absorb much oil. Add more corn flour to the dough if kofta is oily and soggy, else continue with the rest.

Step 3: In a mixer take roughly chopped tomatoes, onions, green chilli, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts and grind to very smooth paste.

Step 4: Heat oil in the same kadai that you fried koftas (in case you deep fried transfer oil elsewhere retaining 2 tbsp in it), add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Add the masala paste and cover with a lid of 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

 Step 5: Now add chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and sauté until the raw smell goes off and oil starts to separate. This might take some 5 more minutes.

Step 6: Now pour in 2 cups of water and add salt. Mix and cover the lid till the gravy thickens, then add the koftas into it and switch of stove.

Step 7: Top it with fresh cream and chopped coriander. Serve hot with any Indian bread of your choice.