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.

Potato & Peas Kofta Curry

Kofta, 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.

Koftas can be made with any vegetable or meat. In India, Koftas are normally vegetarian and made with Paneer, Potato, Mix Veggies, Soya Granules, Bottle Gourd and so on. Koftas are served with Paratha, Chapati, Roti and most of the time with steamed Rice.

The name Kofta is originated from greek verb Kopto, which means "minced". Usually in Mughlai and Awadhi meals Koftas were made with minced meats of all sorts, so it's called Kofta.

I always liked Koftas a lot, specially bottlegourd Koftas and potato Koftas. Whenever I'm left with any sort of potato mix, I quickly mix the flour in it, roll them out, deep fry them dung in the gravy and wallah, one of the main dish is ready for lunch or dinner. Easy and quick to make, Koftas are very good addition to the menu, when planning a meal for friends.

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

Boiled Potatoes                 - 3 boiled and mashed
Green Peas                        - 1 cup boiled
Gramflour                         - 4 tblspoon
Salt                                    - To taste
Amchoor                           - 1/2 tspoon + 1/2 Tspoon
Garam Masala                   - 1/2 tspoon + 1/4 tspoon
Red Chilli Powder             - 1/4 tspoon
Oil                                      - for deep frying
Water                                 - for making batter

For Kofta Gravy:

Cumin Seeds                     - 1/4 tspoon
Asafetida/Hing                  - 1 pinch
Black Cardamom              - 1
Cloves                              - 2
Cinnamon                        - 1/2 inch stick
Bay Leaf                          - 1
Onions                             - 2 puree
Garlic                               - 6 cloves puree
Ginger                              - 1 inch puree
Tomatoes                         - 2 large finely chopped/pureed
Turmeric powder             - 1/4 teaspoon
Amchoor powder             - 1/4 teaspoon
coriander powder             - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala                  - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt                                   - to taste
Cream/Set Yogurt            - 1 tblspoon
Oil                                    - 1 tblspoon for tempering
Water                               - 2 cup or as per your choice of thickness
Coriander                         - 2 tblspoon finely chopped

Method:

For Kofta balls:

Mash the boiled potatoes in a deep mixing bowl. Add in the boiled peas in it.
Now add salt, 1/2 tspoon amchoor, 1/2 tspoon garam masala, mix it like a dough.
Now make same size round balls out of this mix. I made 15 balls out this quantity.
Once all the balls are shaped, keep them in the fridge for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, add Gramflour, salt, 1/2 tspoon amchoor, 1/4 tspoon Red chili powder, 1/4 tspoon garam masala, mix well.
Now add little water at a time, to make a thick batter, keep it aside.
The consistency of the batter should be like ribbon fall. If you drop the batter from a spoon and it falls in a continuous sting, it's called ribbon fall.
Heat the oil in a deep pan/Karahi.
Take out the potato balls from the fridge and Coat the them into the batter and deep fry them until golden from each side.
Keep the kofta balls aside after frying them to cool them.


For Kofta Gravy:

Grind Onion, garlic and ginger to fine paste.
Also puree the tomatoes. Keep the paste and puree aside and start with the cooking of gravy.
Warm 1 tblspoon oil heavy bottom pan.
Add all the whole spices Cumin, black Cardamom, Cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon and hing to it.
Now lower the flame to slow, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, amchoor powder and salt to the pan.
Mix it well for a second and add onion paste to it.
Cook for 3-5 minutes until the raw smell of onion & garlic goes away.
Once done, add in the tomato puree to it. cook again for 2-3 minutes, covered with a lid.
Now add the 1 tblspoon of set yogurt/cream to the pan and mix it very well while stirring continuously.
Add in the water and let it boil for 5-7 minutes.
Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander on the gravy.
Check the consistency of gravy as per your choice. I keep kofta curry a bit thick else koftas go very soft and fall apart in the gravy. The kofta gravy is ready.

To assemble the koftas and gravy, your just need to take out the gravy in a deep serving bowl and dip the kofta balls into it.
Garnish them with fresh coriander and 1/2 table spoon of cream/yogurt.

Notes:
Make sure you dip the Kofta balls in the gravy only before serving.
Kofta balls get soft if left longer in the gravy and fall apart.
Serve the Koftas with Rice, Chapati or Paratha.

Royal Nutty Veggie Kofta

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

Cashewnuts                        - 5
Almonds                             - 5
Pistachio                             - 5
Coconut                              - 1 tblspoon grated
Raisins                                - 10
Corn Kernels                      - 1 tblspoon
Carrot                                 - 2 tblspoon (Grated / Finely chopped)
Mix Peppers                       - 2 tblspoon (Finely chopped)
Boiled Potatoes                  - 3 boiled and mashed
Fresh Coriander                 - 1 tblspoon
Cornflour                           - 2 tblspoon
Salt                                    - To taste
Amchoor                           - 1 tspoon
Black pepper                     - 1 tspoon (Powder)
Oil                                     - for deep frying

For Kofta Gravy:

Cumin Seeds                     - 1/4 tspoon
Hing                                  - 1 pinch
Green Cardamom             - 2
Cloves                               - 2
Cinnamon powder            - 1/4 tspoon
Onions                              - 2
Garlic                                - 4 cloves
Ginger                               - 1 inch
Tomatoes                          - 2 large
Cashewnuts                      - 5 soaked in water
coriander powder             - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala                  - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder             - 1/4 teaspoon
Kasoori methi                  - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt                                   - to taste
Cream/Set Yogurt            - 2 tblspoon
Oil                                     - 1 tblspoon for tempering
Water                               - 2 cup or your choice of thickness


Method:

For Kofta balls:

Mash the boiled potatoes in a deep mixing bowl.
Now mix in the veggies to the potatoes.
Coarse grind the nuts except raisin and coconut.
Mix the nuts, raisins and coconut to the potatoes.
Finely chop the fresh coriander and throw it in the mixing bowl.
Now add all the dry masalas (salt, amchoor, black pepper powder) and cornflour into the bowl.
Give it a good mix using your hands and make it like a dough.
Now make same size round balls out of this mix.

Once all the balls are shaped, keep them in the fridge for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes take the Kofta balls out of the fridge and deep fry them until golden brown and crisp.
Keep the kofta balls aside after frying them to cool them.

For Kofta Gravy:

Grind Onion, garlic and ginger to fine paste.
Grind the cashewnuts into a fine paste.
Also puree the tomatoes. Keep both the pastes and puree aside and start with the cooking of gravy.
Warm 1 tblspoon oil heavy bottom pan. Add all the whole spices ( Cumin, Green Cardamom, Cloves and hing) to it.
Now lower the flame to slow, add cinnamon powder, turmeric powder and salt to the pan.
Mix it well for a second and add onion paste to it. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the raw smell of onion goes away.
Once done, add in the tomato puree to it. cook again for 2-3 minutes.
Now add coriander powder, kasoori methi and cashewnut paste to it.
Mix it well and cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the 1 n half tblspoon of set yogurt/cream to the pan and mix it very well while stirring continuously.
Add in the water and let it boil for 5-7 minutes.
Check the consistency of gravy as per your choice. I keep kofta curry a bit thick else koftas go very soft and fall apart in the gravy.
The gravy is ready.

To assemble the koftas and gravy, your just need to take out the gravy in a deep serving bowl and dip the kofta balls into it.
Garnish them with fresh coriander and 1/2 table spoon of cream/yogurt.

If your kofta balls are very soft, do not dip them in the gravy just after cooking. Dip them just before serving.
Serve these Royal Nutty Veggie Koftas with steamed rice and laccha parathas.

Lauki Ke Kofte (Baked Kofta Version)

Ingredients:

For the koftas:
Ghiya or Lauki or bottlegourd              -4 cups peeled, washed and finely grated
Besan / Gram flour                                -2 tblspoon
Ginger paste                                           -1/2 tspoon
Garam masala                                        -1/2 tspoon
Coriander Powder                                  -1/2 tspoon
Dry mango powder                                -1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                         - to taste
Green Chilli                                           -2 grated
Fresh Coriander                                     -1 tblspoon finely chopped

For the gravy:
Oil                                                        -2 tblspoon
Onion                                                   -2 large finely chopped
Garlic cloves                                        -4 finely chopped
Ginger                                                  -1 tspoon finely chopped
Tomatoes                                              -4 Pureed or Very finely chopped
Jeera (cumin seeds)                              -1 tspoon
Tej Patta (Bay Leaf)                             -1
Dahi (yogurt)                                        -1/2 cup smoothly beaten
Haldi (Turmeric)                                  -1/2 tspoon
Garam Masala                                      -1/2 tspoon
Dhaniya (Coriander powder)               -1/2 tspoon             
Amchoor (Dry mango Powder)           -1/2 tspoon            
Lal Mirch (Chilli Powder)                   - to taste (Optional)
Salt                                                       - to taste
Fresh Coriander                                     -1 tblspoon finely chopped for Garnishing

Instructions:
Grate and mix a pinch of salt in the bottlegourd and keep aside for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes you will see a bit of water in the bowl of grated bottlegourd.
Squeeze the water out of the bottlegourd.
Now add gram flour, and other ingredients of Kofta and mix well and shape into walnut sized balls.
I have baked my Koftas not deep fried. Pls refer the picture. Heat the oven on 190 C. bake them for 10-15 minutes or until they are brown from both sides.

Now heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf followed by ginger, garlic and sauté them to a light brown.
Now add Onion to the mix and saute until golden brown. Now is the time to add tomatoes. Mix it well and let it cook for another 5 minutes on high flame.
Now add all dry masalas and salt. Sauté until oil separates from the mix.
Add yogurt and mix it very well so that it blends into the paste.
Add 2-3 cups water and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add koftas and simmer for another 2 minutes, and serve hot.
Garnish it with chopped fresh coriander.
Serve hot with puri or rice.

Quick tip: If not eating right away the adding kofta step should be done just before eating.