Recipe- Super Healthy Palak Paneer Kofta Curry

Here’s something for Palak Paneer lovers – with a healthy twist! This Healthy Palak Paneer Kofta Curry is extremely hard to resist. It has the creamiest balls which aren’t deep fried and they’re served with the greenest palak curry, just the way it is when you eat outside, but with NO added color.

Can you imagine that these aren’t deep fried?! If you still don’t own a paniyaram pan, trust me, you want to go buy one right now! Because they are so damn useful. I use mine for koftas, meatballs, cutlets and paniyaram’s of course! It’s going to come really handy this festive season when everything is loaded with oil and ghee, and when you need something a little bit lighter.

Ingredients

For The Koftas

200 g Paneer crumbled
1 teaspoon Green Chilies finely chopped
1 tablespoon Coriander finely chopped and fresh
1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
2 tablespoons Oats Instant (powdered)
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

For The Curry

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Onions roughly chopped
3 - 4 Green Chilies
1 inch Ginger piece of
8 cloves Garlic
7 - 8 Cashew nuts
2 Tomatoes medium sized , roughly chopped
150 g Spinach
1 inch Cinnamon piece
3 Cloves
3 Cardamom pods
1 Bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
Salt to taste
Water
Ice Cubes

Method

* Mix together all the ingredients mentioned under koftas except oil really well. The mixture should almost become smooth. Form the mixture into small balls. You should get 13-15 balls.

* Heat the paniyaram or appe pan and brush it with oil. Place kofta balls in the pan and cook them on all sides till golden brown. This should take 2-3 minutes on each side.

* For the curry, start by adding onions, bayleaf, green chilies, ginger, garlic and cashews along with a cup and a half of water to a pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for ten minutes till the onions are cooked.

* Once cool, strain the water but don't throw it away. Remove the bayleaf and grind the mixture to a paste with a tablespoon or so of reserved water.

* In another pot, bring water to a boil and add the spinach. Immediately switch off the flame, and cover the pot. Let this sit for 2 minutes. In the meanwhile, prepare a pot with water and ice cubes in it.

* Strain the spinach leaves and dump them in the ice water. The leaves will immediately get a bright green color. Let them sit for half a minute, strain, and grind the spinach to a fine paste.

* In a pan, heat oil and add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Add the onion paste and cook for 3-4 minutes. Please note that we don't want to brown the paste.

* Add tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes almost start breaking down. Stir in garam masala, salt, spinach paste and some of the reserved water.

* Bring this to a boil and then let it simmer for 5 minutes. You can add more water depending on how thick or thin you like your gravy.

* Add the kofta balls right towards the end and switch off the flame. Boiling the koftas may result in them breaking down.

* To temper the curry, heat ghee or butter in a small pan and add cumin seeds.

* Once the seeds start to splutter, add asafoetida, smashed garlic and whole red chilies. Switch off the flame and pour this on top of the curry.

* Serve hot with parathas or rice.