This year started quietly for me like most years. I have hardly been one for new year parties so it's not unusual for me to have a quiet start to the year. I did make a resolution which is not a resolution- to not change anything about myself which destroys the aim of a New Year resolution.
Anyway, that aside, I started this year with some cooking. That basically ensured that I did not even chop up an onion for the rest of the week. Cooking is either appetite based or mood based for me. I would never cook for the rest of my life if food was put in front of me everyday and if it was interesting food. It is always the latter that inspires me to cook and bake, to make food interesting.I started off with an old recipe with a new twist. Vegetable Koftas were something I tried about a year ago when my mother was out of town. I made a huge box of Vegetable Kofta Curry which was promptly devoured at lunch by the rest of my team. I have been subjected to empty flattery ever since requesting a repeat of the dish. I being lazy me did not want to make it. But finally the other day, I bought a packet of paneer and decided to try making deep fried koftas. Yes, I was a wuss last time and did not dare to deep fry anything. So anyway, with a great deal of help from my mother and my refrigerator I ended up with great looking koftas ( mostly) and mom even recycled the leftovers as vegetable cutlets the next day.
On my kitchen counter:
Handful of peas
7-8 cauliflower florets- par boiled and grated
One carrot- grated
About 100g of paneer grated
2 potatoes boiled
Bread crumbs
Salt
Green Chillies- 2 chopped
Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric
Jeera Powder
Amchur
Coriander Powder
Kitchen King Masala
2 Onions
3 Tomatoes
Ginger Garlic Paste
Garam Masala
Corn Flour
Bread Crumbs
Coriander leaves- chopped
1-2 Cloves
A small piece of cinnamon
A small piece of bayleaf
Jeera
How to make this curry:
1. Start with some oil in a pan, add green chillies and saute them for couple of minutes. Add peas and some water and cook until the peas are boiled.
2. Grate the parboiled cauliflower and add to the pan along with the grated carrots. Add turmeric powder, salt, chilly powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, amchur and a pinch of garam masala and mix well.
3. Saute until all the vegetables are cooked and do not retain too much water. This is to make the forming of the koftas easier.
4. Combine the grated paneer, mash of the boiled potatoes and the bread crumbs and corn flour along with coriander leaves. Take the mixture in step 3 and allow it to cool before kneading it together with the above mixture.
5. Shape into small spheres between your hands and deep fry the Koftas in oil and drain excess oil on a tissue and allow to rest.
If koftas begin to break when you are frying them, give them an additional coating of bread crumbs and place in fridge to set before frying again. If your oil has crumbly bits, filter it before continuing with your frying. Try to make it homogenous on the outer layer by mashing up the peas or pushing them to the center of the kofta, else you might have a case of exploding peas.
6. The curry is quite straight forward. Add jeera and allow it to splutter. Add cloves, bayleaf and cinnamon.
7. Add ginger garlic paste and chopped/pureed onions and fry until it is well cooked.
8. Place tomatoes in boiling water and allow them to cook. Remove the skin and puree.
9. Add puree to step 7. Add turmeric, jeera powder, coriander powder, kitchen king masala, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
10. When the tomato starts to exude oil, add water and oil to bubble and boil.
11. When the curry boils and reduces add a dollop of cream and mix well.
Just about 1/2 hr before you eat, remember to add the koftas to the curry and mix carefully without mashing them. Also avoid soaking them for too long as they will break apart and make a mess of your gravy.
This hot dish can be enjoyed with steaming phulkas or rice, whichever way you like it.
