Spinach Kofta in Makhani Gravy(Palak Kofta Curry)

Koftas are always special to me since my childhood.the moment our family steps in to a fine dining restaurant in Coimbatore, me and my brother used to order to paneer butter masala and malai kofta and there will be a spoon fight between us to win the bigger piece of kofta dipped in a rich creamy gravy.

After marriage I somehow feel I didnt have an opportunity to eat malai kofta often because my hubby is not a fan of this malai kofta and mostly we end ordering a paneer dish for my son and some veggie curry or dal for us.I have already made kofta curry at home even before marriage and once I made a kofta in green spinach gravy ( recipe from Mallika badrinath)for which I received complements from my family members and guests.After marriage I made it a couple of times and not too often because we deep fry the koftas which adds a lot of calories and a bit time consuming.

But recently after going through a lot of blogs which posted recipes on koftas that are not deep fried but roasted on nonstick paniyaram pan, I was motivated to make these healthy koftas at home again.I had some spinach in my fridge and so I went ahead making spinach koftas in a makhani gravy and it came out really nice and didn't make much of a difference compared to their deep fried counterparts.To make the makhani gravy rich I used blanched almonds,poppy seeds and 2 cashews.also addition of milk makes it creamier and less caloric compared to the addition of cream.

Preparation time :45 minutes

Serves:3

Ingredients :

For spinach koftas:(makes around 20 small koftas)

Spinach -1 small bunch

Chopped onion-1 big

Boiled potatoes-3 big size

Chopped fresh coriander -1 tbsp

Salt-to taste

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Hing-1/2 tsp

Garam masala-1 tsp

Jeera-1 tsp

Oil-few tsps to roast the koftas

For the makhani gravy:

Big onions-2 no

Tomatoes-2 no

Ginger-1 inch

Garlic -5 pods

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Chilli powder-1 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Cumin powder-1 tsp

Garam Masala-1tsp

Kasuri methi-1 tsp

Milk-1 and 1/4 cups

Cashew-2 no(optional)

Poppy seeds-1 1/2 tsp

Blanched almonds-4 no

salt- to taste

Oil-2 tbsp

Coriander leaves-to garnish

sugar-1 tsp

To temper:

Bay leaves-2

Cinnamon -1 inch stick

Cloves-2

Cardamoms-2

Procedure:

Spinach Koftas:

1.Wash the spinach thoroughly in water and drain it.Heat a pan and saute the leaves in low flame till they are cooked.

2.Grind it to a coarse paste by using the pulse mode in the mixie.If there is any water in the spinach before grinding drain it and keep it separately so that we can add it later to the makhani gravy.If too much water is there while grinding then you wont be able to form koftas.

3.Heat the pan with a tsp of oil and add jeera.After it splutters, add the onion,turmeric powder,hing and salt necessary for the kofta and saute well.After it turns transparent add the chilli powder and garam masala.

4.Once it is sauteed well add this onion mixture to the boiled and mashed potatoes.Add the spinach puree and some chopped coriander leaves also and mix well to form a smooth dough.Take a small amount of this dough and roll it in to small koftas and keep it ready.

5.Heat the non-stick paniyaram pan with a tsp of oil in every mold in it.Place the kofta in each mold and roast them in low flame till it turns golden brown on both sides.Flip the koftas in between when one side is roasted.

6.Your koftas are ready.The spinach koftas can be had as an evening snack as well along with a tomato ketchup .

Makhani Gravy:

1.Grind ginger garlic to a paste.Grind onions and tomatoes to a paste separately.Soak alomonds,poppy seeds and cashew in hot water and grind them to a fine paste.

2.In a wok,add the oil and heat it along with a tsp of sugar and the tempering ingredients.

2.When the sugar carmelises add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.After it is sauteed well add the onion paste,turmeric powder and salt.Mix well and let it be on medium flame till the raw smell of onion goes off.

3.Add the tomato paste,chilli powder,coriander powder,cumin powder and saute well.Add little water if the gravy is too thick.Once the tomatoes and masala powders are cooked add the almond paste.

4.The gravy will start thickening and at this stage keep adding milk little by little in a low flame.If you keep the flame high or add the milk as a whole then it will curdle.Keep stirring.When all the milk is added to the gravy add the garam masala and kasuri methi to the makhani gravy and mix well.

5.The makhani gravy is ready.Switch off the flame and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and grated paneer(optional).Add the spinach koftas to this gravy just before serving.If you add it too early then the koftas might become soggy.Serve the spinach kofta in Makhani gravy with hot phulkhas or chappathi or roti or a mild pulao.

Tips:

* You can deep fry the koftas if you wish.

*You can also add butter along with oil for the makhani gravy to make it rich.

*Paneer makhani is same as above makhani gravy but instead of koftas we add fried/fresh paneer cubes to the gravy.

*Make sure you drain out all the water from sauteed spinach before grinding it to a puree.Otherwise you wont be able to shape koftas.

Moonu Paruppu Sambar(Three Dal Sambar)

Moonu Paruppu Sambar/Three Dal Sambar

Moonu paruppu Sambar or Three dal Sambar is new to me also but came to know through my aunt Mangalam who is a great cook.She is very good in making authentic tambrahm dishes and pickles.Whenever she visits our home I get to taste a new dish which is authentic to our cuisine but forgotten by many of us these days.I once heard my cousin Lata(my aunts daughter) asking her mom to make moonu paruppu Sambar.I was quite puzzled to hear the name but thought it must be one of my aunt's speciality but never got  the opportunity to taste this sambar made by my aunt.

After I started blogging I wanted to post some of the most authentic and forgotten recipes as well.I remembered the name of this dish and wanted the recipe and my mom helped in getting the recipe from my aunt Mangalam .I was amazed by the simplicity of the recipe and wondered how it will taste, but to my surprise the outcome was so delicious and made me think  how simple ingredients could lead to such wonderful dish with awesome taste.

Last weekend was a good meal for our family with this moonu paruppu sambar paired with cabbage and carrot stir fry and rice.My son too enjoyed the sambar.

The addition of kollu or horse gram adds health benefits to this dish and also reduces gas formation which can happen due to the addition of mochai paruppu or dry field beans in this dish.How those days our ancestors paired ingredients!(In an authentic tambrahm cuisine garlic was never used  so they used hing or ginger and in this case used horse gram ).Horse gram reduces cholesterol ,gas and aids in reducing our weight as well.So lets get to the recipe.

Monnu Paruppu Sambar

If you like this recipe please be free to leave a comment below in the comments section.Your comments motivate me to do more.

Other kuzhambhu /Sambar recipes in my blog are:

1.Ennai Kathrikai Kuzhambhu

2.Karuveppilai Kuzhambhu

3.Mor Kuzhambhu

4.Sundaikai Vathakuzhambhu

Preparation time:30 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients:

Toor dal or thuvaram paruppu-100 gms

Mochai paruppu or dry field beans-100 gms

Kollu paruppu or horsegram-100 gms

Tamarind-1 lemon size ball

Hing or asafetida -1 tsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Jaggery-1 tsp

Oil-2 tsp

Sambar powder-3 tbsp

Fresh coriander leaves-few

To temper :

Mustard -1 tsp

Fenugreek -1/2 tsp

Red chillies-2 

Curry leaves-few 

Procedure:

1.Dry roast horse gram for 2-3 minutes till nice atone arises and ground them to a coarse mixture without water.

2.Soak the dry field beans or mochai paruppu overnight.

3.Add the toor dal to the soaked mochai paruppu and pressure cook mochai paruppu and toor dal together in a vessel  and the horse gram on a different vessel with required amount of water.

4.Once all the dals are cooked well mix them together till they become mushy and come together.

5.In a wok add the oil and temper it with the tempering ingredients and once mustard splutters add the tamarind extract ,salt,turmeric powder,sambar powder and hing.Let it boil till the raw smell of tamarind and sambar powder goes away

.

6.After about 8 mins add the three cooked dals and let it boil for few more mins.Add water if the sambar is too thick.

7.Then switch off the flame add the jaggery and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.Serve hot with poriyal/stir fry and rice.

Moonu Paruppu Sambar

Tips:

*The dry field beans/mochai need not get smashed ,it needs to be soft after pressure cooked.

*The authentic dish doesn't require any onion but you can add small onions while tempering for enhanced taste.

*If the horse gram didn't get mushy but is cooked then you can pulse it in a mixer for few seconds and then add it to the other dals.

Kumbakonam Kadappa(Side dish for Idli/Dosa)

Kumbakonam Kadappa

 According to me food reflects our mental state and right now ,post diwali I am trying to cook more healthy and less oil food to even out the rich foods which we had during the week of diwali.So I ended up making this healthy and most authentic kumbakonam kadappa.this recipe is healthy as I used just less than a tbsp of oil for the entire dish.also there was no sacrifice on taste.The kadappa recipe that I am posting here is originally my moms and she makes awesome kumbakonam kadappa as a side dish for hot steaming idlis and crispy dosas.There are many versions of kadappa, but the all of them basically uses potato,moong dal and the coconut mixture made to a paste.

I actually had some potato curry leftover from the lunch and so I used it instead of boiled and mashed potatoes but you can use fresh boiled potatoes for the dish.In fact I was happy to make use of the remaining potato curry in to a delicious sidedish for idlis for dinner. So if any of you want to have a tasty side dish as well as on a healthier side then this is your dish .It goes well with Idli,Dosa or Appam.

Kumbakonam Kadappa

If you like this recipe please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.Your comments motivates me to do more.

Preparation time:25 mins

Serves:3

Ingredients:

Moong dal/pasi paruppu -1 cup

Boiled potato-2 medium size

Chopped onion-1 big 

Chopped tomatoes-1 big

Garlic -5 pods

Salt-to taste

Oil-1 tbsp

Hing-1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

To dry roast and grind to a fine paste:

Fennel seeds-2 tsp

Jeera -1/2 tsp

Cloves-2

Cinnamon-1 inch stick

Poppy seeds-1 tsp

Fried gram dal/pottu kadalai-1 tbsp

Grated Coconut-4 tbsp approximately 

Green chillies-2 no ( change according to your need)

To temper:

Bay leaves-2

Curry leaves-few

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Jeera-1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the moong dal with turmeric powder and tomato,onion and garlic .

2.Mash the boiled potato.here I used the leftover potato curry from lunch.

3.Dry roast jeera,cinnamon,cloves and fennel seeds and keep it on a plate.Then add the poppy seeds and roast till they splutter followed by slight roasting of fried gram dal.

4. Grind all the above ingredients in step 3 along with green chillies and coconut to a fine paste.

5.Add the mashed potatoes along with the cooked dal and onion tomato garlic mixture.add the salt and hing to this.

6.Do the tempering in a tbsp of oil in a pan and add the moong dal and potato mixture followed by the addition of ground paste.

7.Allow the mixture to boil on slow fle for 6-8 minutes and garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.Serve hot with idlis or dosas.

Tips:

*Make sure the potatoes are mashed even if you use the potato curry make sure it is mashed.

* you can also sauté the onion tomatoes and garlic in oil and then add it to the moong dal and potato mixture.

* You can also add a red chilli while tempering.

* Add water to he mixture if it's too thick while boiling it at the end.

Kumbakonam Kadappa

Pudina Rice/Mint Rice

Mint rice is a very refreshing and satisfying one pot meal which can be prepared in a jiffy and also an ideal lunch box recipe.My mom used to make this often when we were kids and in fact we used to have it for dinner also when we run out of tiffen ideas.Mint rice tastes delicious with a simple raita and I like to eat just like that even without a side dish.It is quite similar to coriander rice but has an intense mint flavor and awesome taste.I added the whole garam masala for tempering as my son always prefers any variety rice in pulao style.You can omit it and yet the Mint rice tastes yummy.

If you like the recipe please free to drop a comment below.Your comments encourage me to do more.Thank you!

Other rice varieties on my blog are:

• Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Briyani
• Bisibelebath/Sambar rice
• Quick capsicum rice
• Coriander rice
• Curd rice

Preparation time :20 mins

Serves:3

Ingredients:

Basmati rice-2 cups

Chopped onion-1 no

Oil-2 tbsp

Ghee -1 tbsp

Salt-to taste

Bay leaves-2 no

Cinnamon-3 small stocks of 1/4th of an inch

Cardamoms-2

Cloves-3 

Cashews broken-6 to 7 

To be Grind to a paste:

Mint leaves-1 small bunch

Coriander leaves-few strands (1:4=coriander:mint)

Small onions-6 to 8 nos

Ginger -1 inch

Garlic -5 to 6 cloves

Tamarind-a small piece

Grated coconut -3 tbsp

Green chillies-3 (increase or decrease according to your need)

Procedure :

1.Soak the basmati rice in 3 cups of water and cook them till they are soft,fluffy and separate(cook for 2 whistles along with the soaked water).

2.Grind mint,coriander,ginger,garlic,small onions,green chillies,tamarind and coconut to a fine paste.

3.Heat oil in a wok,add bay leaves,cardamom ,cloves and cinnamon .After a minute,add the cashews and fry till they are golden brown.

4.Add the chopped onions and sauté till they are transparent.then add the ground paste and keep sautéing till the raw smell goes off .

5.Add the cooked rice,salt and ghee and then mix well .make sure you don't make the rice mushy .switch off the flame and serve the mint rice with Raita or potato curry or applam/chips.

Khandvi

Lately I was left with a lot of curd in the fridge and they started turning sour after 2 or 3 days.I generally prepare mor kuzhambhu or mor kali with these leftover curds.But this time I got bored of mor kuzhambhu as well.I remembered suddenly about Khandvi ,an authentic gujarathi recipe that made use of gram flour and sour buttermilk.This dish was quite familiar to me from my school days(not that my mum used to make at home),because everytime a cookery contest was conducted by the rotary club there will be someone who had made Khandvi for the contest.My mom used to participate in few of those contests and after the contest we get to taste all the dishes made by the contestants.This is the most interesting part of a cooking contest and for this reason I used to accompany my mom for these contests!

So I was all excited to make Khandvi at home for the first time and went through many sites and videos for the recipe and adapted this recipe.Though it had few ingredients,Khandvi could be a little tricky for the fact that if you miss the correct consistency you will not be able to roll out the besan mixture in to rolls.Refer the procedure step 3 for consistency.Please follow that step carefully as it is important for getting khandvis correctly.It is a very healthy and  tasty snack and goes well with a green chutney.

Preparation time:15 min

Makes: 8-10 rolls

Ingredients:

Besan/Gram flour-1/4 cup

Sour butter milk(not too watery)-3/4 cup

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

salt-to taste

Hing-1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves chopped-few

Grated coconut-1 tbsp

To grind to a paste:

ginger-1/2 inch

Green chillies-1 no

To temper:

Mustard-1 tsp

Sesame-1/2 tsp

Jeera-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- few

Slit green chillies(Optional as I added chilli paste to the besan misture)-1 no

Procedure:

1. To the buttermilk, add the turmeric powder,salt,hing,chilli-ginger paste and besan.Mix well so that no lumps are formed.

2.Transfer this mixture to a wok and keep stirring on a low flame.

3.Slowly the mixture starts thickening and keep stirring till it leaves the sides of the wok or till the correct consistency is reached.The best way to get the right consistency is to keep a small plate nearby and pour a little mixture on to it and spread it to see whether you are able to roll it.If yes,then you can switch off the flame and spread it ona bigger plate and make Khandvis or if you are not able to roll out on the small plate,then keep stirring and testing on the small plate till the correct consistency is reached and you are able to roll out properly.

4.Once the right consisyency is reached,spread the mixture on a big greased plate and spread out thinly using a knife or a spoon.Do it fast or else it will solidify and you wont be able to spread it thinly.

5.Optionally you can spread some chopped coriander leaves on the plate before rolling out.Draw lines across it through knife and then roll out the individual strips.

6.Repeat the same for all strips.Then temper the Khandvis with the tempering ingredients and garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Tips:

* Use sour buttermilk and good quality gram flour/besan.

*Buttermilk should be neither too thick nor too thin.

*The ratio of besan:buttermilk is 1:3.