A pure Bengali delicacy--Kanchkalar Kofta curry(Green banana/plaintain kofta in a curry)

Koftas are made from ground minced vegetables or meat. Some spices and binders are added to form a shape of small balls. These balls/dumplings are then deep fried and then simmer in a curried gravy. There are lots of varieties of koftas available in Indian cuisine. Malai Kofta is the vegetarian version of Kofta, where koftas are made with potato and paneer(Indian Cottage cheese). Nargisi Koftas are made with mix-vegetable only. I've posted the recipe here. Similarly, Koftas are also made with Chicken, Mutton and even with Fish.
I'm posting today a vegetarian kofta recipe which is made from Kanchkola, i.e., green banana/Plaintain. This kofta recipe hails specifically from Bengali Cuisine(from Indian state of west bengal). The gravy preperation is also quite different from North Indian Mughlai style Kofta gravy. It is less spicier and that way healthier and can be made for daily meal.

Health Benefits of eating Green Banana :
Eating green bananas offers some advantages that you won't get from eating the ripe, yellow banana. It has all the goodness that a ripe banana has. Green bananas are said to be good for your stomach and overall digestive system. And off course it's a great source of Iron, Vitamin B6 and Potassium, Phosphate.

Intestinal Health : Green bananas contain compounds called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which nourish the cell tissue lining of the small intestine, dramatically enhancing the body's capacity to absorb nutrients. 
Diabetics Diet : Green bananas offer diabetics a high-energy, low-calorie source of carbohydrates, which meets the glycemic requirements recommended for their diets.

Now to the recipe.....

Ingredients :

For kofta ====
Kanchkala/green banana : 3
Potato : 1-2(medium)
Onion : 1(medium-finely grated/paste)
Ginger : 1" piece(finely chopped)
Garlic : 2-3 cloves(finely chopped)
Green chilli : 2(finely chopped)/red chilli powder : 2 tsp.(as per taste)
Fresh coriander leaves : 1/2 cup(finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Raisin : 10-12 pcs.
Besan/gram flour : 1/2 cup or as needed to bind the koftas
Corn flour : 1/3 cup

For gravy =====

Bay leaf : 1
Cumin seed : 1/2 tsp.

Ginger paste : 1 tblsp.
Tomato  : 2(medium)
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.(as per taste)
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp. + oil for deep frying the koftas
Bengali Garam Masala powder : 1 tsp.(take 2-3 of cardamoms, cloves and 1 stock of cinnmon and grind into powder)

Method :

• To make koftas : Peel green banana, potato and boil them. When cool, squeeze out as much water as possible, then mash them well. Mix onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chilli or red chilli powder, salt, coriander leaves and raisin in mashed banana-potato mix. Add gram flour slowly in the mix until you can make a ball from the mix. Finish making ball shaped koftas from the plaintain-potato mix. Set aside.

• Now for frying the koftas, roll your koftas on cornflour and put them on oil. In medium flame, fry the koftas until they are golden brown from all sides. Drain on paper towel.

• To make gravy, heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf and cumin seed. When seed crackels, add ginger paste and add a mixture of turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powder, dissolved in 2 tblsp. water. Stir not to burn the spices. 
• Now add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes get pulpy and oil seperates from spices. Add 1 cup warm water in it. Let it cook until the gravy thickens. Just 2-3 minutes before it's done, add fried koftas in the gravy and in low flame let it cook. 
• Remove from fire. You can add boiled cubed potatoes in the gravy. I didn't add it. Sprinkle little Bengali garam masala over the gravy and serve it immidiately, Otherwise the koftas will soak all the gravy and will become soggy. 
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

Serve this with any Indian roti/chapathi/paratha or even with hot steamed rice. It tastes great when still hot.........
Sending this to Charitha's "C for Colorful Currys"