0 Happy New Year from Jeenas Kitchen !

2007 has been a very busy year for me in
Jeenas kitchen and I hope to bring you
many more delicious recipes in 2008!.

I have had so much fun online this year and
have met so many new friends.

Wishing you all the very best.

Love Jeena XX

0 Saturday Kitchen Recipe - Vegetarian Kofta Curry

This is my Saturday Kitchen recipe- Vegetarian Kofta Curry !

I use a ginger and cardamon gravy that is rich and spicy. You only need one or two kofta balls per person with a little gravy as they are very nutritious and filling.

These vegetarian kofta balls do not contain any meat, so they are cooked separate from the curry sauce and I add them to the gravy at the end of the recipe, this dish is very easy to make and is a very delicious dish to eat and I am sure you will love them too.. So let's get cooking! ....

Ingredients for the Kofta Balls
1/2 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 Medium Onion (diced small)
Salt and Black Pepper
3 Small Carrots (grated)
1 level Tbsp Buckwheat Flour
1 and 1/2 cup Green Mung Beans

For the Gravy
1 Tomato (chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Leek (chopped)
1/4 Celeriac Root (diced)
Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
2 Brown Cardamon Pods
4 Green Cardamon Pods
2 Cloves
1/4 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
Fresh Coriander Leaves
5-6 Inch Fresh Ginger and 2 Garlic Cloves (chopped and grounded to a paste with a little water)
Large Pinch Dried Curry Leaves

'note...If you do not have a pressure cooker then your mung beans need to be soaked over night before cooking...also you can replace the celeriac root with a white potato if you can not find one.'

Getting Started on Jeena's Vegetarian Kofta Curry Recipe..

Soak your mung beans in hot water for an hour. Once soaked rinse the beans in a sieve and place into a pressure cooker. Cover with approx one inch of water and place the lid on securely. Bring to full pressure then turn heat down and cook for 20 minutes only.

Carefully take off the lid (place under cold water tap till the pan releases pressure). The mung beans should not have much excess water at all, if there is drain the water off.

Leave your mung beans to the side. Take a medium pan place your 4 green cardamon pods, 2 brown cardamon pods, 1/4tsp fennel seeds,1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds into the pan. Heat on on a medium heat and keep shaking the pan a little for a minute or two until you can smell the seeds toasting and then turn colour. This will only take a minute or two do not burn the seeds.

Place your seeds into a grinder and grind to a powder, put to the side for later.

In the same pan as your toasted your spices fry a medium onion (diced small) until it starts to soften. When the onion has softened add your 1/2 tsp Ginger, 1/2 Cumin Powder, 1 tsp Coriander Powder, 1 tsp Garam Masala and 1/4 tsp Turmeric, stir well for a minute then take off the heat put into a dish and keep to the side.

In the same pan fry your other chopped onion for a minute or two then add your leek and tomato and cook for another minute or two. Drizzle in some more oil and add your 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp chilli powder. Stir well cook for a minute then add your seed spice mix that you grinded down earlier.

Add your garlic ginger paste and stir well, pour in enough water to half fill your pan with salt to taste. Bring to the boil then add your curry leaves and celeriac simmer for 30 minutes.

Now for you vegetarian kofta balls mash your mung beans then stir in your pre fried onions from earlier. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Take the carrots and squeeze off the excess juice by holding the greated carrot cupped in your hands over the sink, now your carrots to the koft aball mixture. Stir in a level Tbsp of buckwheat flour. Your mung bean mixture should be thick enough to roll into balls.

Heat up some oil in large frying pan. Place your kofta balls into the pan and brown each kofta ball turning every few minutes.

Remember to give your kofta gravy a stir inbetween.

When your kofta balls are browned on each side they are ready, your kofta ginger cardamon gravy should be ready now also.

Sprinkle in some freshly washed coriander leaves into your kofta gravy pan.

Turn off the pan for your gravy and place your kofta balls gently into your curry and gently spoon over the curry onto the balls, place the lid of the pan on for a few minutes. Do not stir.

Gently take out each balls and serve in a bowl with a little of your ginger and cardamon curry.

I hope you enjoyed Jeenas Vegetarian Kofta recipe.

Kofta is a wonderful dish to eat, have you ever tried a vegetarian kofta dish ? Please feel free to comment as I would love to hear from you ...

Why not take a look at some more delicious Saturday Kitchen recipes from Jeenas Kitchen:

Saturday kitchen recipe: Jeenas Ginger Cakes

Saturday kitchen recipe: Rhubarb Crumble

Saturday kitchen: Lamb and Mushroom Kheema