Malai Kofta (Cottage Cheese Dumplings in a rich tomato gravy)

What’s in a name?” quoted Shakespeare. “Lot’s”, I’d say, if the name is “Malai Kofta”. And so, as promised on my facebook page, here is the recipe for this culinary equivalent of the hydrogen bomb.

I must not hesitate to admit that this was one of the more difficult dishes I’ve made. What sets this dish apart this that it is that although it is extremely popular (almost a “cannot-do-without) at wedding functions and large festivals. This mildly spiced, almost sweetish gravy is a combination of finely blended spices and enriched with cream, onion and tomatoes. Can I see you salivating already?

Let me tell you, making this dish is a long drawn and elaborate process; however, it will be worth the effort when you have a soft, perfectly fried koftas covered with creamy gravy, that you will want to share with your family and friends.

The taste queens loved it, and I’m sure you will as well.

Go ahead, indulge!!

Malai Kofta

For the Koftas:- (will yield about 18 medium sized koftas)

•          220 grams Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
•          80 grams dried fruits; roughly chopped (I used almonds and raisins)
•          1 tablespoon corn flour (and some more for dusting)
•          Oil for frying
•          Salt to taste

For the Gravy:-

•          1 cup boiled onion paste
•          1½ cup tomato paste
•          2 tablespoons tomato puree
•          3 tablespoons cashew paste
•          2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
•          2 green chillies, roughly chopped
•          1 teaspoon cumin seeds
•          1 teaspoon red chilli powder
•          1 teaspoon turmeric powder
•          1 teaspoon garam masala powder
•          3 tablespoons ghee (Clarified butter)
•          1 cup fresh cream (I skipped this)
•          Whole Spices (2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 small bay leaf)
•          Salt to taste
•          Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Procedure:

To make the kofta’s:-

•  Heat a pan on a low flame, dry roast the almonds and raisins till they change colour. Once done allow them to cool and then chop them roughly.

•   In a bowl, roughly grate the cottage cheese, add 1 tablespoon corn flour, salt and mash it together such that it forms a single lump

•  Now take a lemon sized piece and roll it well between your palms. Then make a small well in the center and fill in some of the chopped dry fruits. Cover the well and roll it once again between the palms of your hand. Repeat the process with the other Koftas. Dust each kofta with corn flour and keep aside.

• Fry the koftas in oil on a low flame till they are bright orange in colour. Frying on a slow flame will ensure that the Koftas are cooked right to the center and pass the ultimate test of being crisp on the outside and soft inside.

•  Once done remove and drain on an absorbent paper.

     For the gravy:-

•     In a heavy bottomed pan heat ghee, and add in the whole spices. Sauté spices till you have a fragrant aroma from them.
•      Once the spices are done, add the onion paste and allow it to cook till the oil leaves the sides. Now, add the ginger garlic paste and stir well, allowing to cook.
•     Add the cashew paste and mix well till the onion and cashew paste have integrated well. This will take time. You will know it’s done when the mixture moves around the pan in a single lump.
•     Now, add the spice powders, green chillies.
•     Once the spice powders have integrated well, add in the tomato paste and puree & salt. Allow this to cook well. If required, add in a cup of water at this point.
•      If you are using cream, add it in at this point.
•      Add the koftas in the gravy and give it a stir.
•     Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and  accompanied with parathas

Aloo Saunfiyana (Fennel Flavored Baby Potatoes in a rich gravy)

Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together and welcome the first vegetarian dish on my blog. Being the first veggie dish means it had to be something special and what better dish than something made from the world’s favorite vegetable, the humble potato. Well, what do I say about the potato that hasn’t been said already? Simply put, if there was an award in the vegetable kingdom, I’m sure the humble potato would sure win the “most versatile ingredient award” hands down. Wedges, fries, and mashes, you name it and the potato has adapted itself so wonderfully to suit taste tastes and culinary preferences. You shouldn’t be surprised that across the world, there are more than 3000 different ways to cook the potato.

The dish for today is “Aloo Saunfiyana”. Honestly, I have made this dish many times earlier each time making subtle changes and this recipe finally was confirmed to be worthy of the blog by the two taste queens at my place, my mum and my sister. Infact, I had made this when a cousin had come over for dinner (a slightly drier version though) and she’s been asking me for the recipe since then. Even if you prefer spicy food, my suggestion is try not using too many spices. The crisp fried baby potatoes and the strong fennel form a combination you wouldn’t want to resist for long.

I do hope you will like it as much as my cousin did!

Aloo Saunfiyana

Ingredients:

• 200 grams baby potatoes
• 1 cup boiled onion paste * Refer note 1 below
• 125 grams curd (beaten well)
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped (I used red chili flakes; just for a slight twist)
• 2 large tablespoons fennel seeds (lightly roasted and crushed a bit) *Refer note 2 below
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• Oil for frying the potatoes and 3 tablespoons oil for the gravy
• Salt to taste
• Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped
• Ginger juliennes for garnishing

Procedure:

• Peel, wash, prick and fry the potatoes till they are golden brown in colour. Once done, remove on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
• For the gravy, heat oil in a pan add the cumin seeds and garlic paste and cook well.
• Now add in the boiled onion paste and cook till the raw smell leaves and the paste starts leaving the sides. If it is getting too dry, you could add in very little water
• Once the onion paste is cooked add in the chilli flakes, chilli powder, turmeric powder and the garam masala powder. Cook this for a while.
• Add in the curd and stir well so that all ingredients integrate well. Add some water if required.
• When it comes to a boil add in the potatoes and mix well till the potatoes are well covered with the gravy.
• Add in the fennel seeds, chopped and the salt and stir well.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes and serve hot with chappatis or parathas

Notes:

1. For the boiled onion paste:

• Peel about 3- 4 onions (depending on the quantity of paste you want) and cut them into halves.
• In a deep pan add water and bring to a boil. Once the water boils add the onions and cook till the onions soften or loose colour.
• Once they are cooked, remove the onions and put them in a bowl of cold water. This is to stop the cooking process.
• After about 5 minutes, grind them to a fine paste.
• This paste can be used as a base for gravies by itself.

2. For the fennel seeds.

·         Lightly roast the fennel seeds on a pan and when they cool crush them lightly; but not entirely as you don’t want a powder. Use as instructed in the recipe.