I had an interesting encounter with the green-eyed monster the other day. That sly creature appeared out of nowhere and took me completely by surprise! This story ended happily though, as it resulted in this delicious kofta.
So this is what happened. I was over at my N.’s house for dinner and she had made an amazing north Indian meal – shahi paneer, kadai paneer, vegetable korma etc. It was beyond delicious! After dinner, she was showing me some pictures on her computer and I happened to see eight open windows of another food blog. Not one but eight. EIGHT!!! Green smoke rose in front of my eyes and there appeared the monster! Seeing my look of utter outrage, N. giggled and said “If you had posted Shahi paneer, I would have cooked from your blog too!” Point taken. On the drive back home, I was consumed by visions of paneer dishes and one-upmanship – what can I say, I am a little competitive that way :).Long story short, the smoke eventually cleared and I decided that paneer dishes had been done and redone by too many blogs. I needed to make something deliciously different. Something Mughlai that would scream Shahi (Royal)! And the best Moghlai dish I ever had came to mind. A potato and dried plum kofta bathed in a silky smooth sauce that just melted in my mouth – Kofta Alu Bukhara (alubukhara is the hindi/persian name for plums). I remember having it over 25 years ago at a very fancy restaurant called Rangoli in Mumbai where we ate on special, rare occassions. Even today, when I close my eyes and think of the place, I am transported to the fashionably dim room with candles in red votives on tables covered with white tablecloths, the muted conversations, the smoky aroma of tandoori dishes and fresh naans, and the scented basmati pulaos. And my Dad’s face glowing the candlelight. And our happy conversations.
So with those memories in hand, I proceeded to make my own version of that dish. Although Thanksgiving marked the official end to the pumpkin season, an abundance of winter squash in the stores and a stash of frozen pumpkin in the freezer begging to be used nudged me to substitute the potato with pumpkin.
You can use butternut or acorn squash too……just make sure it is not very watery and that the dried plums remain. I have used pitted plums (prunes) and I must say that the end result is decidedly regal.
A note about prepping the squash. I usually find them a real pain to peel but of late, I have been roasting them and that makes peeling the skin a breeze. Simply cut the butternut or acorn squash in half (pumpkin into fourths) and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Sprinkle some salt and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 25 -30 minutes until it is fork-tender. Scoop out the flesh or peel skin and chop.So this is for you dear N. – melt-in-mouth Shahi Kofta Bukhara! Teeth optional.
Shahi Kofta Bukhara
Printable Recipe
Koftas:
Makes 18 koftas
2 cups roasted pumpkin/winter squash (I used calabaza pumpkin)
1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour)
1 tsp corainder powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 pinch baking powder
9 pitted prunes, cut in half to make 18
36 pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight in water
oil to deep or pan fry
salt to taste
Sauce:
1 small onion, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 small green chili (thai, serrano or jalapeno – adjust amount depending on how hot you like your food)
3 green cardamoms, seeds only
2 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon – about 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
a large pinch of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kasoori methi (optional)
8-10 raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tbsp oil or ghee (canola, sunflower or vegetable)
Take the pumpkin in a large bowl and mash with your hands or a potato masher. Do not use a food processor as it will turn it into paste. * If the pumpkin looks like it is watery, make sure you squeeze out as much water as possible.
Add the besan, salt, coriander and cumin powders, baking powder and the crushed red pepper.
Mix and divide into 18 balls
Flatten each ball slightly or make a hole and put the prune and a couple of the sunflower seeds. Cover the prune completely with the pumpkin dough. Repeat for all the balls.
Deep fry on medium flame or pan fry the balls until dark brown. Make sure you don’t cook them on high heat because the outside will turn brown but the inside will still stay raw. Keep aside.
For the sauce, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onions. When they start to soften, add the garlic, ginger and green chili.
When the onions turn light brown, add the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel and cloves. You can use some garam masala powder in case you don’t have these spices. Fry for 2-3 minuts.
Add the chopped tomato and cook till it gets soft. Add the turmeric and cashews and fry until it becomes a homogenous mass.
Turn of stove and let it cool. Blend the cooled masala into a smooth paste.
Add the paste back into the skillet along with a little water. Add salt and kasoori methi and bring to a boil. Taste and if it feels too sour, add the sugar.
Add the heavy cream and stir. Then add the koftas and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Garnish with some sliced almonds and cream.
Serve with rice, naans, puris or rotis.
