Ingredients:
For koftas-
1/2 head of a small cabbage, grated,
2 tbsp of gram flour (for binding),
1 tbsp rice flour,
2 green chillies, finely chopped,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder,
1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder,
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying.
For the gravy-
1 large onion, ground to paste,
1 tomato, pureed or ready-made puree – 2tbsp,
5-6 cashew nuts and almonds each soaked in little warm water for 15 minutes and then ground to paste,
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves,
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera),
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
1 bay leaf (tejpatta),
1-2 tbsp cream (optional),
Salt to taste,
Oil,
Water.
Method:
To prepare koftas mix all the ingredients except oil and prepare a dough. Then make small balls and shape them as per your choice. Heat oil in a kadhai (wok) if you want to deep fry them and fry these balls, few at a time, on medium flame. If you want to avoid deep frying, choose to shallow fry them in a non-stick pan or bake them in an oven.
To prepare gravy, heat a pan, put oil and then add cumin seeds and bay leaf. When they splutter add red chilli powder and immediately add the ground onion paste. Mix well and saute for 5 minutes on medium-low flame. Then add tomato puree, fry this masala till it starts leaving oil from the sides of the pan. Then add cashew-almond paste, mix well and cover and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover, add garam masala, salt, coriander leaves and some water and bring to boil. Remove the curry from flame, beat the cream, and add it to the gravy, mix well and drop in the koftas into the curry. Serve with parathas or jeera rice.
TIPS:
1. If you like your koftas to be little crisp in the gravy, add them only at the time of serving.
2. Do not mix the curry after you put in the koftas, else they will break.
3. Just heat the curry once you put koftas, before serving, do not boil.