Recipe: 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!