Tried Cooking Paneer Kofta Curry!

2020 has taken an unexpected turn for everyone in varying intensities, leaving most with the question of how to while away their time, CONSTRUCTIVELY, having found themselves left with abundance of free time.

Personally I spend a lot of time looking at DIYs, Recipes, Book Recommendations, Movie and Show Recommendations, and of course Immunity Boosting Tips and Tricks! Haha! I also did spend the last three months actually trying out these multiple DIY crafts and recipes off the internet. There are multiple other activities I resorted to, and I look forward to blogging about them as well.

I thought I would start this blog as a way to capture this bizarre year and document how I coped with these challenging times. I will try to document some personal as well as some professional adaptations to the new normal!

My first blog post is about cooking, something that I came to terms with and started enjoying only during this pandemic. I definitely do it with a larger heart than I used to. I want to share the Paneer Kofta Curry recipe I tried, and I only am sharing it as it is tried and tested, and to say the least - delicious! Haha! Credits are due to where it is adapted from. The recipe came from https://www.facebook.com/FoodsAndFlavors/!

INGREDIENTS
1. Paneer - 1 cup
2. Boiled Potatoes - 1/2 cup
3. Corn Flour - 2 tbsp
4. Onions - 1 large sized
5. Tomatoes - 2 medium sized
6. Jeera
7. Garam Masala Whole
8. Ginger Garlic Paste
9. Green Chilies
10. Kashmiri Red Chili powder
11. Turmeric powder
12. Coriander powder
13. Kasoori Methi - To taste
14. Salt - To taste
15. Cashews - 5-6 nos

Sneak Peak to your Final Dish!

PROCEDURE

Step 1: I first prepared the paneer koftas. This was pretty straightforward and took very less time.
In a mixing bowl, mix paneer, boiled potatoes, salt and corn flour ( I added some black pepper for taste) to form a good mixture. It would end up being a crumbly mixture, but that is okay, as the next part involves making kofta sized balls of this mix.

Mix boiled potatoes, shredded paneer, corn flour and salt (and black pepper), and form small balls.

Step 2: These koftas now need to be fried till golden brown. Fry them on medium flame, and be careful not to stir often as they might break.

Start frying the koftas on medium flame, without stirring them too often.

Step 3: Fried koftas can now be kept aside. It is now time to make the curry. Combine oil, garam masala whole ( elaichi, laung, dalchini), jeera , ginger garlic paste, green chilies and finely chopped onions in a saucepan. Add salt to cook the onions faster. Also add Kashmiri red chili powder, and turmeric powder and let the onions simmer on medium flame for atleast 10-15 mins.

Onions and spices mix. Tip: Add some water to this if onions start sticking to the bottom of your pan.

Step 4: The above onion and spices mix needs to simmer till onions blend into a paste and are almost a puree. While that simmers, combine tomatoes and 5-6 cashews in a mixer and blend to form a paste.

Step 5: We now need to add this paste to the onion mix. Be careful to add this only once the onions are soft and paste-like.

Step 6: Once onions and tomatoes mixes are combined, we need to let this mixer simmer till the rawness of the tomatoes is lost. An oil layer is formed at the top of this mix once the tomatoes start cooking. Add water to this. Be careful not to make the gravy too thin. Let this boil.

Step 7: Once the gravy has come to a boil, add Kasoori Methi and Coriander powder to taste.

Step 8: We now add the koftas and get ready to devour this tasty dish! Garnish with Coriander and Serve with Rice or Roti/ Naan! Do not stir the koftas after adding them as they may break. The koftas will absorb the gravy over time, and you can simmer this dish for an additional 5 mins before serving.