Gobi Palak kofta curry/Cauliflower-Spinach dumplings curry

In the original form, koftas consist of little balls of ground meat usually mixed with spices.However in india, especially due to predominant vegetarianism,a wide variety of koftas are made with potatoes, bottle gourd,cottage cheese,cabbage,etc.

In my house,koftas were generally prepared during family gatherings, birthday parties etc.Maybe because they involved a little more effort than the normal home meal.Similarly, the guests too treated them as a delicacy and probably felt honored Anybody who served kofta curry[especially the meat ones] was considered to have worked her heart out in serving the guests..so there you have it …a well tested hospitality indicator !

I had an excess of cauliflower in the refrigerator for past 1 week.I have possibly put it to as much use as possible in flatbread, dry fries, curry etc till I was cauliflower-sick Some of it was also used for making these koftas which were again my first time try and surprisingly turned out very well and the spinach in these makes them less cauliflowerly! These were soft,well-seasoned and just yummy! The carrom seeds and fenugreek leaves are the stars here which give the koftas & overall dish loads of aroma & taste.Here’s how I did it!

What I needed:

For the Koftas

• 1 cup minced cauliflower [I chopped it in food proccessor]
• 1/2 cup spinach [finely chopped]
• 1-2 tbsp besan [chickpeas flour]{as required}
• 2 tsp ginger & garlic paste
• 1 tsp carrom seeds [ajwain]
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp kasuri methi [ fenugreek leaves]
• 2 tsp garam masala [ see here]
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

For the gravy

• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 cup pureed roma tomatoes
• 2 gloves garlic finely grated
• 1 tbsp red chili powder [adjust to taste]
• 1.5 tspn dry coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchoor [ dry mango powder]
• 2 tbsp oil [I used olive oil]
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• 2/3 cup water
• Salt to taste

How I did it :

Koftas

• Mix all the ingredients for koftas in a bowl except salt. If u feel that the mixture is dry add 1 tsp water or as required but slowly because cauliflower has a lot of water on its own.I didnt need any extra water.Add more besan for  binding the mixture together . If you plan to make the koftas later then set the mixture aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan at a till u start seeing ripples on the surface.Do not over heat the oil else when u put the koftas, they will cook from outside and will remain raw from inside.
• Add the salt to the mixture whenever you are ready to fry and make small koftas.Fry these from all sides in the heated oil till golden brown.About 3-4 minutes overall.
• Drain on a paper towel & set aside to cool.

Curry

• In the cooking vessel add the oil and heat it up till the oil starts smoking slightly.
• Add the finely chopped onion and cook it till golden brown.After this add the grated garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Next add the tomato puree along with chili powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder,and salt.Cook this masala [ spice mix] on low heat till the oil starts separating from the mix along the sides of the vessel.
• Add  plain yogurt & water, cover and let the curry come to a boil.Once the curry has come to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes.You can add more water depending on the consistency required.
• Remove from heat and while the curry is still hot, add the koftas to the curry and put on the lid. Do not stir or mix the curry too much after adding koftas else they  ll break.
• Serve with rice or flatbread and a salad.

Enjoy!