The Kofta Curry Saga

For some days now I had been craving for meatballs…why you may ask? Well being a very selective eater or rather a ‘ nothing eater’ as my husband calls it, it becomes very difficult to choose and eat which has variety.

Being raised in a Brahmin family my choices of proteins were always limited. It was either egg / chicken / fish /mutton. Now you may think it’s a very decent choice list but when you are someone like me who hates eating and then irrespective of the list you are still stuck with hardly any options.

For I cannot eat or rather choose not to eat mutton. Call me ‘nyaka’ but the truth is ever since I had once accompanied my father to the slaughterhouse to see how we get mutton I lost all appetite for it. I could never digest eggs as eggs always caused my stomach massive problems of the wrong kind. Fish I could never love as the smell irked me. So the only choice was Chicken.

Though my choices were limited regarding non-vegetarian food, it didn’t actually bother me a lot for two reasons. Firstly my mother happens to be an excellent cook. Secondly I grew up in the city of Kolkata, which is a foodie’s paradise. Hence you have such a wide array of veg food available that you rarely do stream towards meat.

Hence I had managed to survive 28 years of my life with a limited selection of food and it had never merely raised any havoc in my life. That was until I got married and came to Singapore.

Here the one protein easily available is the one I rarely eat – PORK. Now I know that many pork lovers would right now curl up their lips and say that I am being choosy and pork is divine but you see, dear Porkinions my problems has nothing to do with the meat and everything to do with the animal.

While growing up I had seen the movie ‘ Babe: Pig in the city’ and unfortunately that had undone whatever gastronomical ideas I had nurtured for the snout. For every time I tried to eat pork, it was babe I could think about and hence after sometime I gave up on the idea of pork.

So here I was in my kitchen in Singapore facing the dilemma most cooks do,’ what to cook?’ or rather ‘how to cook chicken in a new way?’ because I had exhausted my ability to reinvent the fowl.

Happily on a trip to Fair price in Singapore which is similar to Spencer’s in India only a lot bigger and a lot more in variety, I came across Minced Chicken and instantly I was transported to my home where sitting before the TV I was seeing Nigella Lawson make meatballs.

Now see I would like to point out I am a lot like Sherlock (Benny please) because I have a lot of information stored inside my ‘Mind Palace’ and I can go to them anytime I want the only difference being it’s solely about food.

So there I was remembering that episode where Ms. Lawson had created Lamb Koftas and I was inspired to give them a try. Needless to say I bought all the stuff and promised my hubby a great lunch the next day.

And so here it is.

My Chicken Kofta Curry. Now usually I don’t write any recipes as there are plenty out there but because every friend of mine has asked for it and asked me to inbox it to them, so for the very first time I am giving the recipe as well.

Hope you guys enjoy making and eating it as much as me.

Bon Appetit

                                                  The Chicken Kofta Curry Recipe .

    For the Chicken Ball/Meat Ball (List A)

• 350gm Minced Chicken (Keema)
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves)
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Cilantro (Coriander) leaves chopped
• 5 Tablespoons Onion Chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 2 Tablespoon Maida (All Purpose Flour)
• Salt (as per taste)

For The Gravy (List B)

• 6 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 3 Whole Dry Red Chili
• 3 -4 Pieces of Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Pieces of Cloves
• 4 Pieces of Cardamoms
• 3 Tablespoons Fried Onion Paste (See Notes)
• 2 Tablespoons Onion Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Green Chili Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1 Medium Size Tomato
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Purée
• 2 Tablespoons Yogurt/Curd
• ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves)
• ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
• Salt (as needed)
• Sugar (as per taste)

    INSTRUCTIONS

1.Put minced chicken (keema) in a bowl and add all the spices listed in List A.

2.Mix them well and make medium sized ball with the chicken and keep them aside.

3.Now take water in a bowl and heat in medium to high flame. Once the water starts boiling, drop the Chicken balls one by one. Let the chicken ball be cooked until they start floating on the water.

4.Heat a skillet/cooking pan in a medium flame and put 3 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil and shallow fry all the chicken balls.

5.Take 6 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil in a skillet and heat in medium flame.

6.Once the oil is hot, add Bay Leaves, whole Dry Red Chili, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves (whole).

7.When the aroma of the spices starts to come out, add fried Onion paste, chopped Onion, Green Chili Paste, Ginger & Garlic Paste. Sauté them for 3-5 mins.

8.Add the Red Chili PowDer, Turmeric Powder, Cumin Powder & Coriander Powder. Sauté them for 2-3 mins.

9.Then add the chopped Tomato, Tomato puree, Salt & Sugar. Stir them until the chopped tomato has been cooked.

10.Next, add the Yogurt and stir until the gravy starts extracting oil.

11.Now finally add the Chicken Balls and mix them well for few mins.

12. Add half Cup of warm water, reduce the flame to low-medium and cover the skillet with a lid for 2-3 mins.

13.Now your Chicken Kofta Curry is almost ready.

14.Add ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice & ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder before serving.