How to make Special Veg Kofta Recipe?

The vegetables used are carrot, capsicum, bell pepper, potatoes, cauliflower and green peas. I have also added some processed cheese but you can skip it. This recipe is a good way to use leftover vegetables.

Apart from these veggies you can also add broccoli, corn, french beans, baby corn etc.

This preparation of this veg kofta is different than the recipe of Malai kofta that I have shared on the blog.

Mix Vegetable

The mix vegetables are not cooked but are minced in a food processor. To these minced veggies, processed cheese, herbs, spices and gram flour are added. The mixture is then shaped into balls and deep fried.

Making any kofta gravy takes time. First the veggie kofta have to be made and then the gravy or curry. Usually I prepare everything in one go. But if short of time, you can either make the curry base or the kofta mixture a day before and refrigerate.

You can make the curry first or the kofta first. I prepare the curry first and then prepare the kofta. Then pour the curry in a serving bowl. Place the koftas and then garnish.

Veg kofta curry goes best with chapatis or rotis or naan or rumali roti. You can also serve it with matar pulao or jeera rice or saffron rice.

How to make Veg Kofta Recipe

For ease of understanding I have divided this post into 3 main steps:

•  1 – making veggie kofta mixture
•  2 – frying vegetable kofta
•  3 – making vegetable kofta curry

4. Add ¼ cup grated cheese or paneer. You can use cheddar cheese or processed cheese. You can also skip adding cheese or paneer.

5. Then add the following ground spices:

• • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 2/1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼ cup garam masala powder
  • ¼ tsp black pepper powder

6. Next add ½ cup besan (gram flour) and salt as per taste.

7. Mix very well. If the mixture appears too light and watery, then add some more besan. Check the taste and add more spices and salt if required.

8. Make small to medium sized balls from this veggie mixture. If you are not able to shape into balls, then add some water and make a pakora batter consistency. Then fry like the way pakoras are fried.

Frying veg kofta

9. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan. Add a small tiny piece of the veggie ball and see if it breaks in oil or not.

If it breaks or bursts in oil, then add more besan. The amount of besan to be added depends on the moisture content in the veggies.

If using vegetables with high water content like bottle gourd (lauki), cabbage, zucchini or pumpkin etc, then add some salt in the grated veggies. Mix very well and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Then squeeze the excess water. Keep this water and add later to the gravy.

10. If the veggie ball does not break, then you can easily start frying them. Keep the flame to medium and gently slid the veggie kofta balls in the hot oil.

11. Add as much depending on the size and capacity of the kadai or pan. Do not overcrowd.

12. Turn only when one side is golden or else the vegetable kofta can break.

13. Turn over a couple of times for even frying. Fry till they are crisp and golden.

14 Remove with a slotted spoon draining extra oil. Place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb extra oil.

15. Prepare all vegetable kofta this way and keep them aside.

Making veg kofta curry

1. In a food processor or chopper or blender/grinder jar, take 12 cashews.

2. Add 3 tablespoons of water and grind to a smooth paste. You can soak cashews for 20 minutes in hot water also before blending.

Alternatively, you can even make a fine cashew powder instead of paste. Remove cashew paste and keep aside.

3. In the same processor or chopper or grinder, take 1.3 cups roughly chopped onions, 1 green chilli, ½ tsp  roughly chopped garlic and ½ tablespoon roughly chopped ginger.

4. Without adding any water, grind to a semi fine or a smooth paste. Keep aside.

5. In the same processor or chopper or grinder, take 1 cup of tightly packed chopped tomatoes.

6. Without adding any water, grind to a semi fine or a smooth puree. Remove and keep aside.

7. Heat 3 tablespoons oil or ghee in a pan or thick bottomed kadai. Add 1 tej patta, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom and 2 single strands of mace. Sauté for a few seconds till the spices splutter.

8. Then add the onion paste.

9. Mix and begin to sauté the onion paste on a low to medium flame stirring often.

10. Sautéing onion paste takes a lot of time, so add a pinch of salt to quicken the cooking process.

11. Sauté till the onion paste turns golden.

12. Then add the tomato puree.

13. Stir and mix very well.

14. Next add the cashew paste.

15. Mix again and sauté this masala for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame stirring often.

16. Then add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder or 1/3 cup regular red chili powder. Mix very well.

17. Keep the flame to a low and then add 3 tablespoons fresh curd or yogurt.

18. Stir briskly and quickly while you are adding the fresh curd. Mix very well.

19. Now sauté this masala, till you see oil or ghee releasing from the sides. The whole masala will reduce and you can easily see oil releasing from the masala.

20. Now add 1.5 cups water or add as required. For a thicker gravy, you can add 1 to 1.25 cups water.

If serving kofta gravy with chapatis or rotis, then keep the gravy slightly thick. It serving mix veg kofta gravy with rice, then keep the gravy slightly thin or with medium consistency.

21. Season with salt as needed.