Mughlai paneer kofta curry
- Portion size: Serves 6
- Hands-on time 20 min, simmering time 40-50 min, plus soaking
- Difficulty: medium
”There’s a bit of preparation to this rich, flavoursome dish but it’s well worth the effort. Serve these cheese, potato and nut dumplings with roti, parathas or rice to soak up the creamy, nutty curry sauce.”
This recipe is from Peter Kuruvita‘s cookbook, Lands of the Curry Leaf (Murdoch Books RRP £25).
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- ¾ tsp crushed garlic
- ¾ tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed (see tip)
- 250ml double cream, plus a splash extra (optional)
- Coriander leaves to garnish
For the paneer kofta
- 350g paneer, crumbled or grated
- 230g floury potatoes, such as king edward, boiled and mashed
- 60g mixed unsalted cashews, almonds, pistachios and sultanas, chopped
- 2 Indian green chillies, finely chopped (see tips)
- 3cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 litre vegetable oil for deep-frying
For the onion paste
- 40g blanched almonds
- 40g unsalted cashews
- 3 large onions, quartered
- 3 Indian green chillies, roughly chopped (see tips)
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken
- 3 whole cloves
- Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan and ground in a pestle and mortar
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
You’ll also need
- Food processor
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Method
- For the kofta, put the paneer and mashed potato in a large bowl. Add the mixed nuts and dried fruit, chillies, ginger, turmeric and garam masala. Season with salt and mix well. Shape into balls a bit smaller than a golf ball, squeezing tightly.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy- based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the kofta in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan, then cook for about 5 minutes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside each cooked batch on kitchen paper while you cook the rest.
- To make the onion paste, soak the almonds and cashews in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and tip into a food processor. Add the onions, chillies, cinnamon, cloves, and the cardamom, cumin and coriander seeds. Whizz to a smooth paste and set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onion paste, garlic, ginger and sugar. Cook, stirring lightly, for 8-10 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the onion paste.
- Add the turmeric, garam masala and fenugreek leaves, then cook for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in 500ml water and add salt to taste. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the sauce comes to a fast boil. Stir in the cream (add a little extra if it looks too thick), then cook for about 2 minutes.
- Before serving, reheat the kofta in a warm oven. Arrange on top of the sauce and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rice.
Nutrition
- 692kcals Calories
- 58g (28.6g saturated) Fat
- 21.7g Protein
- 18.7g (9.8g sugars) Carbs
- 4.3g Fibre
- 0.1g Salt
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