Recipes

ALOO PANEER KOFTA IN TOMATO / PALAK GRAVY

Aloo Paneer Kofta

I was keen to make Paneer Kofta for Diwali. I have never made this before and so I browsed the net and checked out a few recipes. Armed with this knowledge, I set out to make Aloo Paneer Kofta in both tomato and palak gravies. They both turned out to be delicious.

ALOO PANEER KOFTA

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes – ½ kg
French Beans – 100 gm (chopped fine)
Carrots – 2 (chopped fine)
Paneer – 150 gm (grated)
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ½ tsp
Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
Jeera Powder – ½ tsp
Kotmir – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Corn flour – 100-150 gm
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

METHOD

1. Boil the potatoes. Peel the skin and mash them in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the chopped beans and carrots to boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes before draining the water completely. Add these also to the bowl.
3. Add grated paneer and the many powders along with salt and kotmir.
4. Sprinkle the corn flour over this and mix well into a thick dough. Add flour as per requirement.
5. Shape them into round balls or ovals as you please.
6. Deep fry in medium hot oil till golden brown in colour.
7. Remove and keep them aside.

The Aloo Paneer Kofta is ready. They taste yummy by themselves - but more so with the gravies.

Aloo Paneer Kofta in Palak Gravy

TOMATO & PALAK GRAVIES 

I am giving the two recipes together as the basic masala is the same – the only difference being tomato and spinach themselves.

INGREDIENTS

Onion – 6 (large; chopped)
Tomato – 4 (large; cut into pieces)
Palak – 2 bunches (chopped roughly)
Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
Jeera Powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Mirchi Powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera – 1 tsp
Kotmir – 1 tsp (chopped; only for tomato gravy)
Salt to taste
Oil – 3 tbsp
Fresh cream – 5-6 tbsp

Masala

Cashewnuts – 8 (soaked for 15 minutes)
Garlic – 6-8 cloves
Green Chillies – 8 (less if you don’t like spicy)
Ginger – 2” piece

Aloo Paneer Kofta in Tomato Gravy

METHOD

1. Boil the palak in salted water for 3-4 minutes before draining the water completely.
2. Grind the masala ingredients to a smooth paste.
3. Take a kadai and heat oil in it before adding jeera.
4. Once that crackles, add chopped onions.
5. As it begins to turn colour, add the ground masala.
6. Keep stirring as you add the masala powders and salt.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes and switch off the gas.
8. Remove half of this cooked mixture into another kadai and leave the balance in the same kadai.
9. Add cooked palak to one kadai and chopped tomatoes to the other.
10. Add a cup of water each and cook both the gravies with the lids on for 6-8 minutes.
11. Switch off gas and grind both the gravies into a coarse consistency with a hand blender.
12. Check for salt and cook them for 2 more minutes each.

For serving Aloo Paneer Kofta in Palak Gravy

Place 2 Aloo Paneer Kofta on a plate and pour a few spoons of palak gravy on them. Add some dollops of fresh cream on it and serve hot with puris or rotis.

For serving Aloo Paneer Kofta in Tomato Gravy

Place 2 Aloo Paneer Kofta on a plate and four a few spoons of tomato gravy on them. Add some dollops of fresh cream and sprinkle chopped kotmir on it and serve.

Both of them taste absolutely yummy, I promise!

PINDI CHOLE

Pindi Chole

I have tasted this version of chole at a few restaurants and I liked the one at Cream Centre best. Asking a couple of friends and using my imagination, I arrived at the following recipe. It was yummy, to say the least.

INGREDIENTS

Kabuli Channa – 250 gm (soaked overnight)
Tea decoction – 1 cup (Boil 2 tsp of tea leaves in 2 cups of water until it becomes 1 cup. Filter the decoction and keep aside)
Jeera – 1 tsp
Bayleaf – 2
Turmeric Powder – 1 large pinch
Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
Dhania Powder – ½ tsp
Jeera Powder – ¼ tsp
Garam Masala Powder – ½ tsp
Oil – 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Kotmir for garnish

Masala

Onions – 3 (medium; cut into pieces)
Boiled channa – a handful
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Ginger – 1” piece
Green chillies – 3
Tamarind – 4-5 strips (soaked in water)
Jaggery – 3 tbsp

METHOD

1. Pressure cook the soaked channa along with the tea decoction, some more water, ½ tsp of salt and one small pinch of turmeric powder. Allow it to cook for 8 whistles.
2. Grind all the items under masala to a smooth, thick paste.
3. Take a kadai and heat oil in it.
4. Add jeera and bayleaves and allow them to crackle before adding the masala paste.
5. Cook for a while with the lid on, stirring on and off.
6. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder and garam masala powder to the cooking gravy and stir well.
7. Add salt and cook for 4-5 minutes till you see the oil surfacing above the masala.
8. Add the boiled channa to this along with the water it was cooked in.
9. Allow the mixture to cook for 8-10 minutes on a slow fire, stirring occasionally.
10. Allow the chole to reach a thick consistency before switching off the gas.
11. Garnish with kotmir before you serve hot with puris, rotis, baturas or naans.

The Pindi Chole turned out to be as tasty as the one I ate at Cream Centre.

NOTE: The tea extract gives the channa a lovely brown colour. One might ask why use white channa and make it brown. Why not use brown channa instead? Well, brown channa’s flavour is very different and does not suit this dish, that’s why.