Theme: Cooking from Restaurant Menu
Dish: Palak Kofta
For the last day of this month's BM, I made Palak Kofta from the "Hamari Pasand" section of India House Restaurant menu. This recipe is from one of the cooking shows that I have started to watch with my mom on an Indian channel. As if I don't have enough bookmarks of recipes I want to make, I have started to note more recipes from Telugu cooking channels. I think I need 2 lifetimes to make all the recipes on my bookmarks.
The koftas are extremely easy to make with just a few ingredients and the palak gravy is very similar to the gravy in palak paneer. But I think the koftas would taste great even in a tomato-cashew based gravy too. One thing I noticed about the koftas is that they are extremely delicate and need a very gentle hand when frying.
Ingredients:
For Koftas:Potato - 2 medium, boiled, peeled and mashed
Paneer - ½cup
Milk powder - 2tbsp
Red chili powder - 1tsp (or more to taste)
Salt - to taste
For Gravy:
Spinach - 4 cups, chopped
Green chilies - 2, chopped
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Ginger + garlic paste - 1tsp
Tomato puree - ½cup
Almond butter - 1tbsp
Garam Masala - ½tsp
Red chili powder - ½tsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
- Make the Koftas: Mix all the ingredients into a smooth dough. Divide the mixture into equal balls and deep fry until golden brown. Remove onto paper towel lined plate and set aside until ready to use.
- Make the Gravy: Heat 1tsp oil in a saute pan, add spinach and green chilies; cook till spinach is just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. remove from the pan and grind to a smooth paste when cool enough to handle.
- Wipe the saute pan and heat 1tbsp oil. Add the onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Next add the tomato puree along with the dry masalas and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach puree, salt and ½cup of water. Simmer the mixture on low flame until the gravy thickens and flavors meld together.
- Finally add garam masala and cook for 1 more minute.
- When ready to serve, place the koftas in a serving bowl and pour the gravy on top. Serve hot with rotis or rice.
Lets check what my fellow marathoners have cooked for the last day of BM# 24.
