Baked Gajar Ke Kofte / Baked Carrot Dumplings in Spiced Gravy

I love experimenting in my kitchen, specially with Kadhi and Kofte. As many as vegetables you can cook and has less moisture can be best for experimenting in these dishes. Up to now I've made several kind of Koftas but didn't get chance to click every time but few of them I've posted here.

This time while thinking to make Koftas, I saw leftover grated carrot (after making carrot muffins). I thought to use it for Kofta dumplings. So this recipe calls for goodness of carrots. As everyone knows, Carrots are awesome source of vitamin A and C, so why not use it in more new ways to feed our kids.

Some information about Kofta, they are introduced in India by in decades ago in Mughal era. It's shaped like meatballs, sometimes coated and sometimes not then deep fried in the oil. Indian and surrounding countries Koftas are served in a spicy gravy, as the dry version is often known as Kebab.

Lets see the recipe and some pictorial about making "Baked Gajar Ke Kofte". I baked the Kofta dumplings instead of frying them, so the curry is on healthier side of Indian food. So here is the recipe for you all to try. I would love hear your take on this recipe. Until next time...............Happy Cooking friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

Grated Carrot                   - 1 cup grated
Gramflour                        - 4 tblspoon
Salt                                   - To taste
Amchoor                          - 1/2 tspoon
Garam Masala                  - 1/2 tspoon
Red Chilli Powder            - 1/4 tspoon
Baking Soda                     - 1/8 tspoon
Coriander                          - 1 tblspoon chopped
Water                                - for making batter


For Kofta Gravy:

Cumin Seeds                     - 1/4 tspoon
Asafetida/Hing                  - 1 pinch
Onions                               - 2 finely chopped
Garlic                                 - 4 cloves finely chopped
Ginger                                - 1/2 inch finely chopped
Tomatoes                           - 2 large finely chopped
Brown Sugar                      - 1 tspoon
Turmeric powder               - 1/4 teaspoon
Amchoor powder               - 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder              - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala                    - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chili Powder              - 1/4 tspoon
Kitchen King Masala         - 2 tspoon (Optional)
Salt                                     - to taste
Oil                                      - 1 tblspoon for tempering
Water                                  - 2 cup or as per your choice of thickness
Coriander                            - 2 tblspoon finely chopped

Method:

For Kofta balls:

Mix everything listed under Kofta ingredients, except water in a bowl.

Pre-heat the oven at 200c and line a baking tray with parchment paper and grease with 3-4 drops of oil.
With the help of water mix the ingredients and form a thick batter.

Scoop the batter of desired size on the baking sheet.

Bake it on preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until the dumplings are puffed and golden.
Do not keep the batter for long time after mixing else dumplings will not puff and result in flat and stiff.
Once baked keep the dumplings in a serving bowl.

For Kofta Gravy:

Warm 1 tblspoon oil heavy bottom pan.
Add all the cumin and hing to it. Add chopped garlic and ginger in it.

Once garlic starts to turn golden, add chopped onion and sugar into it. Sugar will help with breaking the acid of gravy and caramelising the onions.

When Onions starts to turn brown and you smell the caramelised sugar, add in the tomatoes and salt into it. Mix well.

After 2-3 minutes of mixing the tomatoes add the spices, turmeric, coriander, amchoor, red chili, garam masala and kitchen king. Mix well.

Add 2 cup of water and mix well. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium flame.
After 20 minutes, gravy will be cooked thoroughly and thicken a bit.

Pour the gravy over the dumplings in the bowl.

Garnish it with fresh coriander and serve hot with choice of Roti, Chapati or Paratha and rice.
These Koftas go very well in any dinner or lunch menu party. This can also be a part of your festive Thali food.

Leftover Vegetable Pulao and Cheese Patties

I quite "not throw" but use the leftover food most of the time, especially the dinner leftovers. Most of the dinner leftovers make very good Breakfast Dishes. I always look for the "leftover Rice and Chapati" to use in making something delicious for breakfast.

For instance, from one of the dinner recently, I was left with 1 and 1/2 cup of Vegetable Pulao. I was thinking it's not even a full portion for someone. So thats going to be converted into something else. Kept it carefully in the fridge and next morning i was up with a recipe in mind for a tasty breakfast.

I gathered all the ingredients, in my mind for this breakfast treat. Mixed it all up along with the leftover Pulao, shallow fry that and we have yummy, tasty, delicious Patties to go with Buns, Cookies and morning drinks for breakfast.

Here's presenting Leftover Vegetable Pulao and Cheese Patties. Kids simply loved eating them with out any fussy morning face, Hubby asked me to make them again whenever we have any leftover pulao and me so happy to see them having something they liked.

Try this quick, simple and easy recipe in your kitchen and see your family members face lighting with joy and mouth singing praises for you. Let me know your feedback in the comments below.................... Until Next Time, Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Leftover Vegetable Pulao                     - 1 - 1/2 cup
Gram Flour                                           - 3 tblspoon
Grated Cheese                                      - 2 tblspoon
Desiccated Coconut                             - 1 tblspoon
Salt                                                       - to taste / optional
Red Chili Flakes                                  - to taste / optional
Lemon Juice                                        - 1 tblspoon
Oil                                                       - 2 tblspoon to shallow fry

Method:

In a heavy bottom pan, dry roast the gram flour for 3-4 minutes.
Tip over the roasted gramflour into the Pulao bowl.
Now add cheese, salt, chili flakes, lemon juice and coconut into the same bowl.
Mix well with your hand to give it a texture of loose dough. Refer the picture.

Divide the Pulao dough into 8-9 equal pieces with greased hands.
Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium heat.
Grease your hands again and shape the dough balls into patties.
Shallow Fry the Patties , 4-5 at a time, giving them space to cook properly.
Fry them until golden from both sides, flipping carefully in between.
Once all of them are done, Patties are ready to be served, as a starter, light lunch with salad, tea-time snack or breakfast as we did.
You can also sandwich them with buns, baps or Pav with Chutneys, Condiments or sauces.
Enjoy the light, crunchy and filling patties.

Notes:
You can also use Oats powder, but I was run out it so used gram flour.

You can replace Cheese with crumbled Paneer.

Coconut is totally optional.

Spices are also optional, if the Pulao is spiced and floured extremely hot.

Aaloo Methi Kadhi / Potato Fenugreek Kadhi

Kadhi or karhi (  Hindi: कढ़ी, Rajasthani: कड्डी/खाटो, Jharkhand: परेह, Marathi: कढ़ी)  is an Indian dish, said to be originated from Rajasthan .  Kadhi is a spicy dish whose thick gravy is based on chickpea flour (called Besan in Hindi)and sour curd/yogurt. It is then furnished with various kinds of vegetable fritters or plain gramflour pakoras. It is often eaten with boiled rice or roti and sometimes with dry sabzi as a side dish. Among the Sindhi people, a different variety of Kadhi is popular and made with seasonal vegetables in plenty.

In North India, Various vegetable Pakoras are added to the gravy and are eaten with boiled Rice or Roti. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, it is usually served with Khichdi, Rice or Roti.  Rajasthani and Gujarati kadhi differs from the Uttar Pradesh variety. Traditionally, it is sweeter than the other variants, because sugar or jaggery is added to it, but it can be made without sugar for a more sour taste. It is eaten without pakoras and its consistency is slightly thinner. The Gujarati kadhi is made preferably from buttermilk as it gives a more smooth texture compared to yogurt.

In Southern states, It is called Majjiga (yogurt) Pulusu (slow cooked soup) in Telugu, and Mor Kulumbu in Tamil with a similar meaning. The Sindhis in India usually make kadhi by first roasting the chickpea flour and adding vegetables to the chickpea gravy. Instead of yogurt, tamarind pulp is used to give it a sour taste. An alternate way is to make a liquid mixture of the chickpea flour instead of roasting chickpeas. Punjabi kadhi is different from the other regional variations of kadhi. Punjabi kadhi is thicker and creamier and the other kadhi variations have a slight thin consistency. Each state and region have their own ways of making kadhi. so we have Punjabi Kadhi, Maharashtrian kadhi, Rajasthani kadhi, Gujarati kadhi, Sindhi kadhi and South Indian kadhi .

Here are some much needed tips for making Kadhi. Ingredients for making Kadhi is more or less same for each State / Style Kadhi. Try using full fat yogurt/Curd, the sourness in Kadhi makes it stand out among all other recipes. Mustard oil works best for tadka and tempering of Kadhi. Curry leaves give the Tadka another level of taste and smell. Gramflour, you use should be good quality, I use the home-made gram flour sometimes, which I bring from my native place. Use the heavy bottom and deep pan to boil the Kadhi as it froths and boil a lot. Do not make very soft Pakoras, as they will get mushy in the gravy, if left for sometime. Other then kids no-one likes mushy food :)

So here is my Another variation of Kadhi, This time Pakodas are made with Aloo Methi (Potato & Fenugreek Leaves), which tasted awesome. I'm really blessed to have such family, who enjoys home cooked food and all my experiments in the kitchen. Till now I've tried several variety of Kadhis in my Kitchen but very few times i could get the time to click. As and When I capture the pictures, I post that new variation of Kadhi. My family loves to eat Kadhi, so I make it in Plenty, atleast for two meals. Lots of clarified butter (ghee) on Hot piping Kadhi with steamed rice is a treat to your taste buds and tummy. Try this variation of Kadhi and drop your feedback in comments.................Until next time, Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For Pakora:
Gram flour                                   - 3 tblsp
Mashed Potato                             - 1/2 cup (4 small potatoes makes 1/2 cup mash)
Methi Leaves                               - 1/2 cup
Baking soda                                 - 1/4 tsp
Oil                                                - for deep frying
Garam Masala                              - 1/4 tspoon
Red Chili Powder                         - 1/2 tspoon
Amchoor Powder                         - 1/2 tspoon
Asafetida                                      - 1 pinch
Salt                                               - As per taste
Water                                           - 3-4 tblspoon or as required to mix

For Kadhi:
Sour Curd/Khatta Dahi               - 1 cup
Gram Flour/Besan                      - 2 tblsp
Turmeric powder                        - 1/2 tsp
Salt                                             - to taste
Red Chilli Powder                      - 1/2 tsp
Oil                                               - 1/2 tspoon
Asafetida                                     - a pinch
Fenugreek Seeds                         - 1/4 tspoon

For Tadka: 
Dry red chili whole                     - 2
Mustard seeds                             - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves                              - 5-6
Garlic                                          - 3 cloves finely chopped
Onion                                          - 1 small finely sliced
Oil                                               - 2 tbsp

Method:

Boil and mash 4 small potatoes and that will give you approximately 1/2 cup mash.
Thoroughly wash and Chop Methi (Fenugreek Leaves). I used the frozen one (I usually wash cut and freeze Methi for easy use).
Now, Mix Potatoes, Methi, Gram Flour, Amchoor, Asafetida, Salt, red chilli and baking soda in mixing bowl. Mix it well to make thick batter with the help of little water at a time.
The batter should be thick enough to form a little dumpling inside your five pinched fingers.
Heat oil for frying in a kadhai. When piping hot, drop small balls of the mixture in the oil carefully.
Fry in batches of 6 - 7 at a time. When the pakoras are light golden, drain them on a kitchen paper. Keep them aside.

In a separate bowl beat the curd/yogurt and mix gram flour in it.
Blend thoroughly to ensure that there are no lumps of Gramflour.
Add turmeric powder, salt and 4 -5 cups of water. Whisk well.
Now heat oil in a big karahi. Add Fenugreek seeds and asafetida in to the oil.
When they begin to sputter add turmeric, red chilli powder.
Now add the yogurt mixture and salt to the Karahi. Stir well and bring it to a boil.
Then let it simmer on a low flame for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
After 25-30 mins you will see Kadhi had reduced in amount and begin to thicken up.
Add the pakoras to it and again simmer the kadhi for about 5 more minutes.
Take the Kadhi out in a serving dish.

Now in a Tadka Pan, heat oil and add whole red chili, Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves.
Once it starts to crackle, add onions and garlic, roast them until golden brown.
Pour the tadka over the Kadhi.

Serve the kadhi hot with steamed rice or roti  with a side dish of dry sabzi.
Kadhi is the best dish for your Thali meal.

Gajar Kadhi / Carrort Kadhi

Ingredients:

For Pakora:
Gram flour                                             - 5 tblsp
Carrots                                                   - 2 cup grated
Ajwain                                                   - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder                                   - 1 tsp
Baking soda                                           - 1/4 tsp
Oil                                                          - for deep frying
Salt                                                         - As per taste
Water                                                      - 1/2 cup

For Kadhi:
Sour Curd/Khatta Dahi                          - 1 cup
Gram Flour/Besan                                 - 2 tblsp
Mustard seeds                                        - 1/4 tsp
Asafetida                                                - a pinch
Curry Leaves                                          - 5-6
Turmeric powder                                    - 1/2 tsp
Salt                                                          - to taste
Red Chilli Powder                                   - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chili whole                                  - 2
Oil                                                            - 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash and grate carrots.
Now, Mix all ingredients listed for pakora in a deep bowl except the oil.
Now add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the mixture little by little.
The batter should be thick enough to form a little dumpling inside your five pinched fingers.
Heat oil for frying in a kadhai. When piping hot, drop small balls of the mixture in the oil carefuly.
Fry in batches of 6 - 7 at a time. When the pakoras are light golden, drain them on a kitchen paper. Keep them aside.
In a separate bowl beat the curd/yogurt and mix gram flour in it.
Blend thoroughly so as to ensure that there are no lumps.
Add turmeric powder, salt and 4 -5 cups of water. Whisk well.
Now heat oil in a big karahi. Add mustard seeds, red chilli and asafetida to oil.
When they begin to sputter add turmeric, red chilli powder.
Now add the yogurt mixture and salt to the Karahi. Stir well and bring it to a boil.
Then let it simmer on a low flame for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
After 25-30 mins you will see Kadhi had reduced in amount and begin to thicken up.
Add the pakoras to it and again simmer the kadhi for about 5 more minutes.
Take the Kadhi out in a dish. Serve the kadhi hot with steamed rice or roti.
Kadhi is the best dish for your Thali meal.

Spinach GramFlour Cake / Palak Dhokla

Ingredients:

For Dhokla:
Gram Flour                                                   - 1 cup
Spinach                                                         - 1 cup finely chopped and blanched
Yogurt                                                           - 1/4 cup
Ginger                                                           - 1 tspoon grated
Green Chilies                                                - 2 finely chopped
Lemon Juice                                                 - 1 tblspoon
Eno Fruit Salt                                               - 1 tspoon
Salt                                                               - to taste
Oil                                                                - 1 tblspoon

For Tempering:
Oil                                                                - 1 tblspoon
Mustard Seeds                                             - 1 tspoon
Green Chili                                                  - 4-5 slit into 4
Curry Leaves                                               - 5-6 chopped
Asafetida                                                     - 1 pinch
water                                                           - 3 tblspoon

Method:

Blanch or steam the spinach leaves along with stalk. Allow it to cool.
Once cooled finely chop them .
In a wide bowl add in the gram flour, chopped spinach, yogurt and oil. Mix well.
Add a little water at a time to make the thick dropping batter. The batter should be of dropping consistency, not very runny.
Now add in salt, sugar (if using) and lemon juice and mix well avoiding any lumps in the batter.
Now leave the batter rest for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile grease a steamer plates and keep ready. Prepare the steamer with water and keep aside.
Once the batter has rested, mix in the fruit salt and mix well with the whisk. Do not beat it very much.
Just mix until the fruit salt is combined well into the batter, and its starts to get fluffy.
Immediately pour the batter in the greased plates and place it into the steamer for steaming.
Steam on high in the steamer for around 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.
Remove the steamed spinach/palak Dhokla's from the steamer and allow it cool for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a Tadka/Small pan; add asafetida, mustard seeds,  curry leaves and allow them to crackle.
Add in the slit green chilies as well. Let them get brown.
Turn off the heat and gradually add the 3 tablespoons of water to the tempering.
Take care as the  oil will start spluttering. Adding water is necessary as it helps in keeping the Dhokla soft and moist.
Drizzle this seasoning on top of the Palak Dhokla.  Cut the Dhokla into desired pieces.
Serve Dhokla warm with choice of dips. I serve them with green mint and coriander chutney.

Pakoda Platter

Ingredients:

Gram Flour/Besan                               - 2 cup
Bread Slice                                          - 6 slices
Onions                                                 - 1 thinly sliced
Brinjal                                                 - 1 cut in thin roundels
Carom seeds                                        - 1 tspoon
Turmeric Powder                                - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                      - to taste
Red Chili Powder                                - 1/2 tspoon
Coriander Powder                               - 1 tspoon
Green Chili                                         - 2 finely chopped
Fresh Coriander                                  - 1 tblspoon finely chopped
Oil                                                       - to deep fry + 1 tblspoon
Water                                                  - to adjust the batter

Method:

Wash the Brinjal and cut thin roundels, soak in water until ready to coat & fry.
Cut the onion into thin slices.
Sieve the gram-flour in a deep mixing bowl.
Add in carom seeds, turmeric powder,salt,red chili powder,coriendar powder,green chili and fresh coriander and 1 tblspoon of oil into it.
Divide this flour mix in to bowls.

Making Bread Pakoda:
Start adding water little by little in one bowl to make the batter. Mix it for few minutes to full it up.
This should not be very runny but not very thick as well.
Now cut or shape the bread slices as per your choice, square, triangle or rectangle.
Heat oil into a deep Pan/Karahi.
Now coat each piece of bread into the batter.
Fry until golden brown from both sides.

Making Baguni:
Coat the Brinjal roundels into the same bowl, we coat the bread slices.
Fry until golden brown from both sides.

Making Onion Bhaji:
In the second bowl, make thick batter.
Mix in the onion slices, Mix well.
now pinch the batter with your fingers and drop in the karahi.
drop 4-5 at a time, do not overcrowd.
Flip them and Fry until golden brown from both sides.


Serve these Pakoda on breakfast, brunch or as a starter for small get together . I serve variety of Chutnies with this platter.

Broccoli Kadhi

Ingredients:

For Pakora:
Gram flour                                            - 5 tblsp
Broccoli Florets                                    - 5-7 or 1 cup grated broccoli
Ajwain                                                  - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder                                  - 1 tsp
Baking soda                                          - 1/4 tsp
Oil                                                         - for deep frying
Salt                                                        - As per taste
Water                                                    - 1/2 cup

For Kadhi:
Sour Curd/Khatta Dahi                       - 1 cup
Gram Flour/Besan                               - 2 tblsp
Mustard seeds                                      - 1/4 tsp
Asafetida                                             - a pinch
Curry Leaves                                       - 5-6
Turmeric powder                                 - 1/2 tsp
Salt                                                       - to taste
Red Chilli Powder                                - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chili whole                               - 2
Oil                                                         - 2 tbsp

Method:

Wash and dry the broccoli florets. If you want to use grated broccoli, grate it at the start.
Now, Mix all ingredients listed for pakora in a deep bowl except the oil and florets.
If you are using grated broccoli, mix it with everything.
Now add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the mixture little by little.
The batter should be thick enough to form a little dumpling inside your five pinched fingers. If you are using grated broccoli.
If you are using florets, batter should be thick enough to dip and coat the florets properly.

you can also make other vegetable pakoras if you prefer so.
Heat oil for frying in a kadhai. When piping hot, drop small balls of the mixture/ coated florets in the oil.
Fry in batches of 6 - 7 at a time. When the pakoras are light golden, drain them on a kitchen paper. Keep them aside.
I've made both kind of Pakoras as my kids don't like the chewiness of broccoli stems.

In a separate bowl beat the curd/yogurt and mix gram flour in it.
Blend thoroughly so as to ensure that there are no lumps.
Add turmeric powder, salt and 4 -5 cups of water. Whisk well.
Now heat oil in a big karahi. Add mustard seeds, red chilli and asafetida to oil.
When they begin to sputter add turmeric, red chilli powder.
Now add the yogurt mixture and salt to the Karahi. Stir well and bring it to a boil.

Then let it simmer on a low flame for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
After 25-30 mins you will see Kadhi had reduced in amount and begin to thicken up.
Add the pakoras to it and again simmer the kadhi for about 5 more minutes.
Take the Kadhi out in a dish. Serve the kadhi hot with steamed rice or roti.

Gujarati Kadhi

Ingredients:

Yogurt / Curd                                        - 2 cups
Gram flour/Chickpea Flour                   - 2 Tbsp
Asafetida                                               - 1 pinch
Jaggery                                                  - 1 tspoon
Salt                                                        - to taste
Water                                                     - 2-1/2 cups
Oil/Ghee                                                - 1 tblspoon
Cinnamon Stick                                     - 1/2 inch
Cumin seeds                                          - 1/4 tspoon
Mustard Seeds                                       - 1/4 tspoon
Cloves                                                    - 2
Ginger puree                                          - 1 tspoon
Curry Leaves                                         - 1/2 tspoon
Whole Red Chili                                    - 2


Method:

In a deep mixing bowl, mix the gram flour/besan, ginger puree, yogurt, jaggery and salt with water. Beat it to a smooth mixture.

Heat the oil in a deep kadhai and add cumin, mustard, whole chili, curry leaves, and cloves.

When seeds start crackling, add the yogurt-water mixture to the Kadhai.

Give a boil first and then simmer for 10 minutes or until Kadhi starts to thicken up.

Stir in between to avoid lumps from boiling.
Garnish kadhi with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or chapati.