PANEER KOFTA CURRY

PANEER KOFTA CURRY 

Paneer kofta curry is a common restaurant dish. This recipe is a lighter than the restaurant ones. The paneer koftas are really crispy when fried and soft when immersed in the tomato gravy.

 The paneer is made from the scratch for this recipe. But you can use the store-bought also.

Serves 4

Time: 40-45 minutes

For the paneer

3 litres milk

1 tbs vinegar, citric acid or lemon juice

For the kofta

Paneer from the above recipe or 500 grm shop-bought paneer

1 potato boiled and mashed

2 tbs corn flour

1 tsp ginger & garlic paste

1 tbs chopped coriander

Salt & pepper

1/2 tsp coriander powder

For the gravy

2 tbs ghee/oil

2 tomatoes roughly chopped

1 bunch coriander ( leaves and stems separated)

1 thumb size ginger

3 garlic cloves

1 onion roughly chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

500 ml hot water

2 tbs whipping cream or yoghurt

salt

Method

For making the paneer, boil the milk to a boiling point and stir in vinegar, citric acid or lemon juice. Let it come to a rolling boil and stir at this stage. While stirring, you will see the milk curdles. Let it boil for few more minutes till the curdled milk thickens.

 Switch off the heat, sieve the curdled milk and wash under the cold running water. Squeeze the water out and tie it in a kitchen muslin cloth and keep it under a heavy object to squeeze more moisture out. Leave it for a couple of hours and then you can use it according to your recipes.

For the kofta, take the paneer and grate it. Knead it well. (I take the pieces of paneer and pass it through the chopper and blend it so it comes to fine texture).

To this add the rest of the kofta ingredients and knead well. Form balls and fry them till golden brown and keep them aside, till the gravy is ready.

For the gravy, add the tomatoes, onions and coriander stems in the chopper and blend it well. 

Heat the ghee/oil in a pan, add the tomato and onion mixture to the pan. Cook, it till the fat separates. Then add the ginger and garlic paste and rest of the ingredients. Cook for five to six minutes. 

Now add the water and cover. Cook further till the gravy thickens. Add the paneer kofta in the last 5 minutes, just before you serve. 

Garnish with chopped coriander and dot with whipped cream or yoghurt.