I had been halfheartedly wondering how my favorite Indian restaurant made their vegetarian kofta masala, but I didn't bother figuring it out. I mean seriously, "veggie balls in sauce" is a pretty nondescript thing to look up on the internet. But when I was looking for inspiration during the snow storm this past weekend, I decided that I would give Bon Appetit's masala sauce recipe a try.
I am glad I did because the masala sauce was pretty spot on. The kofta balls are not too similar to the restaurant version but they taste good. Plus they are probably healthier because they include veggies and they are baked instead of fried. My only complaint is that the whole meal is a little time intensive, but I am sure it can work as a prepare-the-night-before kind of thing.
Kofta Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes
3 carrots
1 c. peas
1/4 c. paneer or ricotta
1/4 c. chopped cashews
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. ground corriander
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. cardamom powder
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
Masala Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 t. ginger, finely grated
2 t. turmeric powder
2 t. garam masala
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. salt
vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 8-oz. can of tomato paste
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. water
Served on basmati rice and top with cilantro.
Preheat oven to 450. Roughly chop the potatoes and carrots. Boil until tender. Drain. Mix together all of the kofta ingredients and mash. Form balls and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Place on the top rack and back for 10 minutes. Flip the balls and bake another 8-10 minutes.
Mix the garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and salt. Cook the onion, tomato paste, cardamom pods, and red pepper flakes. with vegetable oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the prepared spice mixture and cook for another 5 minutes. Pull out the cardamom pods. Add the can of whole peeled tomatoes. Be sure to crush the whole tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream and water. Simmer another 10 minutes.
This is definitely the kind of thing I want to eat more at home! I bet it would work well to make a giant batch of the kofta and then freeze them for future application. And the sauce would probably freeze well too if you just left out the cream and added it on the reheat...
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