Easy Vegetarian Kofta Curry Recipes

VEGETARIAN KOFTA CURRY

Steps:

• Put the garlic, ginger and green chiles in a food processor, and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Put half the paste into a large bowl. Set the rest aside.
• Add the beans, spring onions, fresh herbs, bread crumbs, egg, garam masala, chile powder and salt to the large bowl with the paste. Mix well with a fork, mashing up the beans as you go into small pieces.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on the pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, ginger and chile paste, and sauté until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes, purée them until smooth in the food processor. Stir the tomato purée or crushed tomatoes, coriander and cumin into the skillet, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the kofta to the skillet, and turn the heat to low. If necessary, add enough water for the liquid to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meatballs, then simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kofta are warmed through and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a light dust of garam masala and some extra herbs.

EASY VEGETARIAN KOFTA CURRY

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, cardamom pods, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Cook until spices start to sputter, about 1 minute. Stir in onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in diced tomatoes, coriander, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, cayenne, and salt. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer; add yogurt and stir well. Add frozen vegetable balls. Pour in hot water to thin sauce slightly to desired consistency. Bring mixture back to a simmer and cook, covered, until sauce is thickened and vegetable balls are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

VEGAN MALAI KOFTA (INDIAN DUMPLINGS IN TOMATO ONION CURRY SAUCE)

Steps:

• Kofta: Process the hemp seeds or nuts until you have a coarse meal. Add potato and process until coarse. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until most of the chickpeas have broken down but not a paste. (Without processor, use nut or seed flour and grated potato. Then mash chickpeas and mix)
• The potato will leak moisture in the mixture in some seconds making it easy to make smooth balls. Do not let the mixture sit for too long at this point. Add more flour or starch if the mixture is too moist. Add a tbsp nutritional yeast for cheesier flavor profile.
• Take 2 to 3 Tbsp of the mixture and make round or football shaped balls - 1.5 inch size or smaller so they cook through. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 F (218 C). For 20 minutes. Or pan fry in 1/2 inch oil for 5 to 6 minutes until golden on most sides.
• Gravy: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin, coriander, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until slightly golden on some edges, 2 minutes. Add the onion and ginger, and cook until golden, 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala, and mix for a few seconds.
• Add the tomato, cashews, 1/4 cup water and salt and cook until the tomatoes are saucy, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Cool slightly, then transfer to a blender.
• Blend the mixture with 1/4 cup water, half the fenugreek leaves and sugar until smooth. Fold in the remaining fenugreek leaves. (This sauce is incredibly versatile, you can just add some chickpeas, baked tofu, roasted or par-cooked veggies and simmer and use!)
• Bring the blended sauce to a boil, add baked kofta balls and serve. Garnish with some cashew cream or other on dairy cream and cilantro. Serve with Naan or rice. To store: store the balls and sauce Separately until ready to serve.

VEGAN MALAI KOFTA: INDIAN DUMPLINGS IN CURRY TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• First cook the potatoes for the kofta. Peel and cut the potatoes in half, then place them in a pot and cover with water. Place a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium and let boil for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the hot water from the potatoes, mash them until smooth, and set aside.
• While the potatoes are cooking, start the curry tomato cream sauce. In a large heavy bottomed pot add the onion, canned tomatoes and their juices, cashews, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, and salt. If you are using fenugreek seeds instead of kasoori methi, also add the fenugreek seeds at this point. Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer the onion and tomato mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, making sure to vent so hot air doesn't build up in the blender. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender, but the final sauce will not be as silky smooth. Pour the creamy mixture back into the pot and add the coconut milk, reserving ~1/4 cup back to serve and crush the methi in your fingers and add to the pot. Mix together and cover the pot and set aside until the kofta are ready.
• In a large mixing bowl, mash the tofu by squeezing it in your hands until it's creamy and no chunks remain. You want to have the texture of ricotta. Alternatively you can blend it in a small food processor until smooth.
• Add the mashed potatoes to the mashed tofu along with the corn starch, minced cilantro, lemon juice, garam masala, and salt. Mix together and test the consistency by forming some into a ball. It should hold together. It can stick to your hands a little, but if it is very sticky or too wet and falling apart, you can add a bit more corn starch. This can vary depending on what brand and variety of tofu you use, but the recipe is quite flexible. Mix in the frozen peas. Shape the kofta mixture into heaping 1 tablespoon portions and roll into balls or into a football shape (a torpedo).
• To fry the kofta: Heat about 2-inches of high heat safe oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Test the oil either with a thermometer until it is 325-350 ºF or you can test with a small piece of the kofta mixture: the oil should bubble/boil vigorously around it and the kofta should float to the surface fairly quickly after being dropped in. When the oil is heated fry the shaped kofta in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until the kofta is a beautiful dark golden brown color, flipping halfway through for even cooking. This should take 5-10 minutes, depending on the temperature of your oil, how much oil you have heated (more oil means the temperature is more stable when you add the kofta), and how many kofta you add at once. When the kofta are cooked, transfer to a paper towel lined plate with a wire spider strainer. Repeat with remaining batched of kofta until all are cooked.
• To bake the kofta: Preheat the oven to 425 ºF. Line a baking tray with parchement and spray or brush with oil. Arrange the shaped kofta onto the baking tray so there is 1/2-1" between each kofta. Spray or brush the tops with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping after the first 15-20 minutes, until both sides are golden and the edges of the kofta are crispy and chewy. It's normal for the kofta to lose their shape a little and flatten when baked.
• When ready to serve, pour the sauce overtop the kofta (only use what you will eat in one sitting, as the kofta get soggy once in the sauce), then pour the reserved coconut milk over top the kofta. Garnish with cilantro if desired. Enjoy with Indian flatbread and/or basmati rice.