Nargisi kofta curry

The word kofta is derived from Persian kūfta, means "to beat" or "to grind" or meatball. Kofta is a Middle Eastern and South Asian Meatball.
Koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat, mixed with spices and/or onions. The vegetarian variety like lauki kofta/bottle gourd kofta, shahi aloo kofta/potato kofta are popular in India. Koftas can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked or marinated, and are served with a rich spicy sauce. Malai Kofta(veg. kofta) curry, a dish for special occassions, is the vegetarian alternative to meatballs. It goes very well with any Indian flatbreads or Pulao.

Ingredients :

Potato(medium) : 2 (diced)
Mix vegetables : 2 cups of finely chopped carrots, green beans, cauliflower florets, green peas, Bell peppers/capsicum, bottle gourd/ lauki can be added too(I didn't)
Ginger-garlic paste : 2 tblsp.
Green chilli : 1  or 2
Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.(as per taste)
Chat Masala powder : 2 tsp. or lemon juice : 1 tblsp.
Maida/all purpose flour : 1/2 cup(less/more)
Oil for deep frying the koftas

For the sauce :

Onion(medium) : 2 (finely grated)
Ginger : 1"
Garlic : 3-4 cloves
Tomatoes : 3 (medium)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Bay leaf : 1, Cardamoms : 2-3, Cinnamon: 1 stick, Cloves : 2-3
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 2 tsp.
Cream : 2-3 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

Prep -----

• Make a smooth paste of onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Puree the tomatoes or store bought tomato puree or paste will also work. 
• To puree a tomato : Make a few slits on the skin pf tomato and then put them in boiling water, switch off the heat now and leave them there for another five minutes. Take them out, cool them down, now you can take off the skin very easily. Now put them in a blender and puree them.

Making and frying Koftas ---------

• Boil or steam or microwave cook carrots, peas, potatoes, cauliflower and other vegetables together, until tender. Drain excess water, keep the water to add to the gravy later. Squeeze veges well, so that not much water is present in the vegetables.  
• Mash all vegetables nicely and add rest of the ingredients except oil. Add maida until you can form a ball.
• Heat the oil in a heave bottomed pan to high and then reduce to medium heat. Test if the right temperature is reached by dropping a small ball of mix in oil. It should sizzle and rise to the top. If it doesn’t, oil is not hot enough. If the test ball breaks up, you need to add more binding agent like plain flour or bread crumbs. 
• Now make small balls or koftas, take little bit of mix and roll on your palm.  If you wet our hands or apply little oil on your palms, making ball become easier.  
• Gently drop them in the oil from the side of the wok and fry until each kofta ball is evenly browned. Keep the fried koftas aside on an absorbent paper, to remove excess oil.   

Making gravy or sauce ---------

	Heat the oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamoms and cloves. Once cumin seeds splutter and turn brown, add onion-ginger-garlic paste and fry until light brown.   Now add pureed tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir fry until oil separates. Add about 1 and 1/2 cups water, bring to boil and simmer until you get desired consistency gravy. Add cream, garam masala, mix well .  just before serving, add the koftas, gently in the gravy. Keep on the heat for 2-3 minutes on low heat.Turn off the heat now.  Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and 1 tsp. cream. Enjoy this real delicacy always piping hot......................... I made some Vegetable patties for sandwich from the leftover kofta mix, the recipe I'll give in my next post..so long Have a Very Very Joyful 63rd Independence Day, All Indians I'm so Proud to be an Indian......... Other might have forgotten, But never can i, The Flag of my country Furls very high, Happy Independence day