Koftas

[Monica Bhide]

SO how do you make your koftas? DO you add a binder or not? What are some of the gravies you add them in..

do share

[SobaAddict70]

Explain please (what a kofta is).

Soba

[Monica Bhide]

Very similar to a meatball - but can be made with vegetarain choices as well.

[da_coolestofall]

The way I make koftas is using opo(lauki), I grate the opo and squeeze some of the juice out. Then I add a couple of tablespoons of besan, just enough to bind. For the gravy I just make a regulation onion. tomato masal gravy.

[Yajna Patni]

I use cabbage and potato, and salt them, then leave them a while and squeeze the water out, then I use as little gram flour as possible. and make sure they are cooked through. A lot of times when i eat them in resteraunts, thye have way too much gram flour and are not cooked really well, so they have a bitter taste that i don't like, and a very heavy texture.

Edited October 28, 2004 by Yajna Patni (log)

[BBhasin]

I do not use any binders in the meat koftas. Making them tight and dropping them gently in simmering gravy are usually enough to hold them.

For vegetable koftas the trick is to use as little binder as possible. Just enough to hold them and then simmer then delicately in the sauce to produce a nice velvety kofta.

In restaurants sometimes due to rough handling, specially at the buffet table, they need to be a little tougher and more binder is added which as someone pointed out does not taste good as some cooks overdo the quantity. Even worse is when the kofta is not cooked through and you taste the raw besan or whatever binder was used.

Another simple rule, forgotten by many, is not to add salt to koftas like cabbage or lotus root as doing so prevents the sauce from pnetrating and softening the koftas.

Cabbage koftas.

Grind cabbage and squeeze out the water. Add

little ajwain ( bishops weed or carom seeds)

little cayenne

little amchoor ( mango powder)

little crushed corriander seeds and

just enough besan ( gram flour) to bind them

Form into balls and deep fry med hot oil till golden brown

If your kofta breaks or is toooo soft, go ahead add a bit more besan. Frying is done usually to form a good skinn and hold the kofta together. It is not cooked through yet, that will happen when you simmer it in the sauce.

for the sauce

saute finely chopped onion in oil until translucent. Add

finely chopped ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute a few minutes. Add

salt, very little turmeric, little cayenne, and a decent amount of corriander powder.

saute a few minutes to cook the spices then add

diced tomatoes and beaten yogurt. Cook till the oil comes to the top. Add

lots of water ( enough to produce a 'rasam like' consistancy). Simmer a few minutes and add the koftas. Simmer till they are done.

Some cooks will break one or two koftas in the sauce to add more viscocity and texture to the dish.

Add little garam masalla and methi leaves, check seasoning and add fresh chopped corriander.

Edited to add ENJOY

Edited October 28, 2004 by BBhasin (log)

[ravum]

I bake them.Place 16 oz ricotta under weight overnite.Mash+cilantro+garam masala+salt.Roll into balls and bake at 350 for 20 mins(turning once).They flatten out and are delicate.Then added to a warm gravy.It would break up on boiling.

I also make them with boiled,mashed potatoes,grated lauki(strained)+ginger+green chillies+garlic and roasted besan to bind. Bake as above.These are a little more firm and can be added to a boiling hot gravy.I have not tried boiling them in the gravy (as the besan is cooked in the oven anyway),so dont know if it will withstand it.

Gravy is similar to Bhasin's,only I puree and strain.

Have never made a cabbage kofta before,will definitely try it.