Summer Squash Koftas

Yellow summer squash and patty pan (aka scallop) squash have been yielding fairly regularly in the garden this year.

Finding interesting ways to use them in recipes this summer is one of the enjoyable aspects of cooking with what I plant - especially, what survives my care and yields generously.

Summer squash is quite bland and watery and lends itself well to pairing with other stronger bolder flavors. This time, grated summer squash and beet greens are paired together to make the vegetarian kofta balls, which are served soaking in a bath of curry sauce.

Ingredients
For the kofta balls:
½ cup chopped beet greens
1½ cups grated, squeezed dry summer squash (save the squeezed out liquid)
½ Tbsp chili powder or cayenne pepper powder
½ cup chickpea flour
¼ cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)


For the Kofta Curry Sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped

1 Tablespoon garam masala
¼ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 cup water

1/2 to 2/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut oil

Preparation

1. Summer Squash and Beet Greens Kofta balls: Combine the ingredients, make a dough that can be shaped into balls; divide into 12 even-sized balls and deep fry in oil over medium heat so the insides are cooked through and the outsides are not charred
2. Spicy Kofta Curry sauce: Combine the chopped tomatoes and onions and grind to a fine paste; heat 1 Tbsp oil, add the ground paste with a sprinkling of salt and saute over medium heat till aromatic; add water and simmer till the sauce thickens and changes to a deeper richer color and is cooked through; add the rest of the curry sauce ingredients and simmer gently for 5 minutes till well-incorporated, adjust salt to taste
3. To Serve: Drop the kofta balls in the curry sauce and allow to soak up the flavors for a few minutes and serve warm with naan or rice.

Japanese Yam, Green Papaya, Cauliflower Spicy Coconut Flour Kofta Balls

Unlike the supersweet sweet potatoes with orangish insides sold as "yams" in some grocery stores, the Japanese yam is mildly sweet with whitish insides, and has a flaky texture that somehow embodies both delicate and wholesome.

Kofta balls floating in spicy korma curries are quite a treat, especially with rice or naan. But, this time, I served these balls as an appetizer/snack with tomato chutney and cilantro-mint chutney.

Also, typically koftas are fried, but, these delicious goodies are baked.

One of my favorites to incorporate these days is the coconut flour, so, sure enough these kofta balls have coconut flour as well.

Ingredients
1½ cups combined, of grated Japanese yam, green papaya, cauliflower
2 chipote in adobo sauce chopped finely
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ cup chickpea flour
salt to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
vegetable oil for spraying

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 430 ° F
2. Combine the grated Japanese yams, green papaya, and cauliflower, and all the other ingredients and knead to a moist dough that can be shaped into balls. (Since grated veggies have enough water, I don't usually add water unless the dough gets too stiff)
3. Spray a roasting pan with oil, arrange the balls, spray oil on top as well and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes till outsides are crispy and insides are moist and well done, not too raw and doughy
4. Serve with dips and chutneys. Or, throw it in simmering pot of curry and serve immediately.

Kohlrabi Beet Spicy Chickpea Balls (Koftas) with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Koftas are a favorite at home - can be made with anything essentially. Am partial to vegetable koftas. Typically koftas are fried balls and are served with spicy sauce, as a side for rice or roti or naan.

This time, I decided to bake the kohlrabi-beet koftas and serve them with cooling creamy yogurt sauce, garnished with fresh crisp veggies.

I was glad to incorporate chickpea flour, rice flour and oat bran into this recipe. These can be deep fried, if preferred.

Since kohlrabi and beets are full of water, I retain their juices and adjust the flours accordingly to get the dough into shape-able consistency.

These kohlrabi kofta balls make a good substitute for meatballs as they are fairly sturdy can can soak up the sauce without falling apart easily. So I throw them in marinara sauce and serve them with spaghetti sometimes. The cooked Kofta balls can be cooled a bit and then stored in the freezer. I've usually used the frozen koftas within a week.

When the ingredients list looks long and some of the items therein seem non-mainstream in some recipes, rather than walk away from the dish or possibly reject it for future attempts, I try to make an educated guess about substitutions and follow the recipe in spirit and see what turns up. Not that this is a complicated recipe or anything...


Ingredients

For the Kohlrabi Kofta Balls:
1 cup finely grated kohlrabi
½ cup finely grated beets
2 Tablespoon finely grated red onions
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 Tablespoon cumin powder
2 Tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper powder
1 teaspoon celery seeds
⅓ cup fine oat bran⅓ cup rice flour
½ cup chickpea flour
salt to taste
2 tablespoons sunflower or avocado oil for the dough
plus oil for spraying or drizzling before baking

For the Creamy Yogurt Sauce:
½ cup plain thick Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon Tahini
½ teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and crushed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dry dill weed
1 to 2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste

For Garnish:
baby English hothouse cucumbers, sliced
sweet cherry or grape tomatoes halved
small red radish, sliced
cilantro, chopped
spring onions and chives finely chopped


Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 420°F
2. Kohlrabi Kofta: Combine all the ingredients to form a dough that can be shaped into balls 
3. Arrange the 1.5 inch diameter balls in a roasting pan, drizzle or spray some oil
4. Bake in the 420°F oven for about 25 to 35 minutes till cooked through; turn the balls halfway through to brown all sides
5. Creamy Yogurt Sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender and whip to a smooth creamy consistency
6. Serve the Kohlrabi Beet Koftas with Creamy Yogurt Sauce topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, radish, cilantro, and spring onions

Opo Squash + Kale Koftas & Patties

Call it Bottle gourd, Calabash, or Opo Squash, this fairly bland but versatile vegetable lends itself well to cooking many interesting dishes.

Koftas is a favorite in my kitchen, served with some flavorful sauces. Typically koftas are balls, but, sometimes I make them into small flat patties.

In this recipe, grated opo squash and kale with some onions and garlic forms the core of the koftas and patties. A bit of rice flour and chickpea flour with seasoning is used to bind the vegetables so they can be shaped into balls and patties.

Rather than baking, I fried the kofta balls in a pancake puffs maker a.k.a Appa Karal as I was making just a small batch of koftas. The patties were cooked in a cast iron skillet of medium low heat till cooked through on the inside.

Ingredients
1 medium opo squash
½ cup finely chopped kale leaves
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 tsp finely minced garlic (optional)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
salt to taste
¼ cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup rice flour

2 to 3 Tbsp oil for cooking patties and  kofta balls


Preparation

1. Peel the opo squash, remove the spongy core and seeds, and grate it. Squeeze to press out as much water as possible from the grated opo squash.
2. Combine the kofta ingredients to make a thick yet loose/pliable dough. Add a little flour at a time till desired consistency. Add more flour as needed, in case the grated opo squash has retained too much water even after being squeezed out
3. Shape the dough into even-sized balls that would fit in the Appa Karal or Pancake Puffs Maker
4. For Kofta Balls: Heat a small amount of oil in the Pancake Puffs Maker or Appa Karal, drop the shaped balls of dough and cook over medium heat till done on the inside and crisp on the outside; alternately deep fry if preferred
5. For Patties: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet, flatten the balls into patties and cook over medium heat, flipping as needed to brown both sides and cook the insides
6. Sauce: The sauce this time is a simple tomato-based one. But, either Jalapeno-Cilantro Sauce or Spicy Beet Sauce or Creamy Chard Sauce would be wonderful with these Opo squash & Kale koftas

Zucchini Eggplant Kofta in Spicy Beet Sauce

Koftas are fried (or baked) vegetable balls that are usually served in a rich curry. Fusion cuisine being my signature, I love to pair a variety of koftas with non-traditional curries, with flavors borrowed from ingredients around the world - or, at least the ones I can find in my local markets.

Rather than the traditional balls, I went with patties this time, and rather than frying, just baked the 'koftas' before dunking them in a pot of gently simmering beet sauce. The cooked patties (not dunked in sauce) can be saved in the fridge for a couple of days or can be frozen for up to a week.

Zucchini is full of water, as is eggplant, so, I try to squeeze hard to get as much liquid out of grated vegetables before adding in the flours and other ingredients, which gives better control over the dough for shaping.

Any of the other sauces from the kofta collection here would be fine with these, especially the creamy chard sauce. The koftas do tend to get soggy and disintegrate if left for too long in the sauce.


Zucchini Eggplant Koftas

Ingredients
For the Koftas:
½ cup finely grated zucchini, squeezed dry
½ cup finely chopped eggplant
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chickpea flour
⅓ cup rice flour
1 Tbsp flax meal
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
1 tsp salt (less if preferred, adjust to taste)

1 to 2 Tbsp oil for greasing the pan

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 420° F
2. Squeeze out as much of the water from the vegetables as possible, and combine them with the rest of the ingredients to make a reasonably cohesive dough that can be shaped into small 2 inch diameter patties not more than half an inch thick; add a few drops of water at a time if needed
3. Place the patties in a greased roasting pan and drizzle some oil on top
4. Bake in the 420°F oven for about 20-25 minutes till the patties seem firm and done, meanwhile mak the sauce
5. Remove from oven, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes; slide them into the simmering sauce just before serving

Spicy Beet Sauce
The beet sauce can be mild or spicy - adjust the amount of sambal used. Also, can be made creamy by stirring in some evaporated milk at the end; or even creamier if sour cream is stirred in, off heat, just before serving.

If not using evaporated milk or sour cream (I usually don't), the sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for a couple of days. Bring to a gentle simmer for the koftas. I've used this sauce to smother the turkey meatballs, or even served it as a dipping sauce for turkey croquettes.


Ingredients:
For the Spicy Beet Sauce:
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cups shredded raw beets, peeled
¼ medium yellow onion, finely diced
½ cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
½ cup vegetable or chicken stock
½ tsp brown sugar

Combine the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend to a fine sauce consistency. Pour it into a sauce pan and bring it to a gentle simmer, adding water if needed for the desired sauce thickness.

Soy Bean Kofta Curry

Not another kofta recipe again... I was telling myself when I thought of posting this, but the dish was quite tasty as usual that it would be a nice addition to this Kofta collection.

Soak soy beans overnight. I like how the round dry pearl-like beans soak and get into the oval-ish bean shape. Pressure cook them with some salt and spices. At this point the beans can be cooled and frozen for another day.

When ready to use, mush them in a blender and add some flour to make a dough that can be shaped into firm balls. Either bake or deep fry the balls. Sometimes, I coat the balls in batter made from chickpea flour before deep frying.

For the curry, blend some garlic, ginger, tomatoes, mint, coriander, cumin; heat oil in a pan, saute some onions along with the curry paste, add some water as needed and simmer.

Slide in the fried or baked kofta before serving; garnish with cilantro, spring onions and serve warm with naan or basmati rice.

Leeks and Red Cabbage Kofta in Red Pepper, Beets, Chipotle Sauce

The title says it all. This is another kofta recipe, this time, in keeping with my signature fusion cuisine, the sauce is made with Chipotle in Adobo Sauce, Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Beets, along with a few staples for Indian curries. I love the rich, deep red color that these ingredients lend to the sauce, not to mention the unique taste and the antioxidants.

The koftas were made a bit differently this time, from my other kofta recipes. No special reason for making it this way, other than to experiment and bring together ingredients from other cuisines and how they work together. If deep-frying is not an option, then, the koftas can be baked in a 450°F oven (I use the smaller toaster oven for this) till done.

Of course, I don't always include every detail, but, when using leeks, it is preferable to wash it a few times and make sure all the grit in between the layers are gone. Also, I don't measure exactly - I keep adding a little of this and a little of that till it feels right, so, for the koftas below, the measurements are approximate at best.

Ingredients
For the Kofta:
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
¼ cup finely chopped leeks
2 Tbsp chickpea flour
2 Tbsp rice flour
2 Tbsp dry fine-grain cous-cous
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp salt
water as needed

oil for deep frying

For the Beets, Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Chipotle sauce:
2 Tbsp Chipotle in Adobo sauce
about 12 oz of roasted red bell peppers
¼ cup of diced or grated beets
1 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp Garam Masala powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar (more or less)
salt to taste
water as needed
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt, beaten to be smooth

Preparation

1. Combine the dry ingredients for kofta, adding a little water at a time to form a thick dough that can be shaped into balls; set aside for 5 to 10 minutes while getting the sauce ingredients ready; meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan for deep frying
2. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce, except yogurt and water, and blend into a smooth paste
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the sauce paste, saute a bit, then add about a cup of water, turn heat to medium low and allow to simmer for a while
4. While sauce is simmering, fry the shaped kofta balls a few at a time over medium heat so as not to brown the outsides too fast with the insides still uncooked; I usually test the oil temperature by frying one kofta first as I don't really measure the oil temperature, and figure out how long it takes for it to be cooked through
5. When the sauce has thickened and reduced a bit, taste and adjust flavors, turn off heat, allow to cool for about 5 minutes before adding the beaten yogurt
6. Add the beaten yogurt, toss in the koftas and let them sit and absorb the flavors of the sauce for another 5 to 10 minutes; the longer the koftas soak the softer and tastier they get, but too long and they will fall apart easily
7. Garnish with cilantro, spring onions, and a sprinkling of dry dill weed
8. Serve warm with brown basmati rice or naan or rotis

Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chard Sauce

Koftas are fried balls, usually made with minced meat, but can be made with just about any vegetable as well. They are typically served in a rich creamy sauce.

I prefer vegetable or paneer koftas. And the sauce can be tomato-based, cream-based or even made with favorite greens or other vegetables. I like the cilantro-jalapeño sauce as much as this silverbeet/chards sauce.

Koftas usually don't involve bread slices - just flour like chickpea, rice, all-purpose, corn. I had some heels of bread slices to use up so they came in handy here. As I often mention, à la Owl in Tearwater Tea, the heels - the end-slices of sliced bread loaves - ignored and discarded usually, have my sympathies. Which is precisely why I like to use them for binding, even for making breadcrumbs and croutons.



Spinach would be a good alternative, but, I had harvested the rainbow chards from my home garden and wanted to use it up. This Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Chard Sauce can be served with plain hot basmati rice, or with roti or naan or bathura or even pooris.



Ingredients
For the Kofta:
1 cup packed finely chopped cabbage
2 or 3 bread slices
seasoning salt/spices/salt to taste
water as needed
oil for frying

For the Sauce:
As much chards as in picture, chopped finely (more if preferred)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 small onion, diced finely
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger
4-6 pickled jalapeno rings (or green chilies, to taste)
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder (optional, to taste)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
optional: Half-and-half -OR- Evaporated milk for a creamier texture

Preparation

1. Cabbage Kofta: Combine the kofta ingredients with just enough water to make a dough that can be shaped into balls; deep fry till cooked through on the inside, drain and keep warm
2. Sauce: Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic; toss in the chopped chards, some salt, spices, and a few tablespoons of water, cover and allow to simmer and wilt till mushy
3. Combine the cooked chards with the chilies or jalapeno rings in a blender and grind to a smooth sauce, return to pan and simmer some more, adjusting flavors with lemon juice and brown sugar; stir in evaporated milk or half-and-half for creamier texture at the end
4. Toss in the koftas with the sauce before serving

Paneer Kofta Curry

This Paneer Kofta in spicy gravy is my mom's recipe and is slightly different from my brocolli kofta.

Paneer is home-made cheese, usually no salt added, made from curdling milk with lemon juice.

Koftas are sort of like croquettes, usually shaped into small balls, deep fried and served in rich sauce. Koftas can be made with any favorite vegetable or minced meat.

Basically, chop or grate the veggie or paneer and squeeze out excess water, if any. Add some all-purpose flour or corn flour (I add chickpea flour sometimes which makes it a bit dense, like pakkoda) as a binding agent, so as to make a simple dough that can be shaped into balls. Deep fry in oil. Make a rich sauce or gravy and drop these koftas in, simmer gently and turn off heat. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving to make sure the koftas absorb some of the richness of the gravy.

p.s: Koftas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days before if not making the sauce right away to serve; or can be frozen for a few weeks before use. Just thaw lightly before adding to the sauce.

Ingredients:
For Paneer Kofta:
1 cup crumbled paneer
¼ cup flour, more or less
salt to taste
1 tsp chilli powder

For the sauce/gravy:
dry toasting:
1 Tbsp white poppy seeds
1 star anise
2 cardomom pods
2 cloves
2 Tbsp fennel seeds
1-2 indian bay leaves
2 2" piece of chinese/indian cinnamon bark
Plus:
1/4 cup dry or fresh grated coconut
1-2 jalapenos or serrano
1" piece ginger, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup coconut milk (optional, use water if preferred)
2 Tbsp oil
Garnish: Spring onions, cilantro chopped

Preparation

1. For Kofta: Combine the paneer kofta ingredients and knead to a simple dough, and shape small balls roughly 1-2" diameter
2. Deep fry in oil, drain excess oil, set aside
3. For Curry/Sauce/Gravy:Dry toast the sauce/gravy spices, then grind them to fine powder, set aside
4. Combine the rest of the sauce ingredients (except coconut milk), grind to a fine paste
5. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the ground paste, add the water or coconut milk, some salt, and the powdered spices, simmer over medium-low heat
6. When sauce is simmered to desired consistency, adjust flavors and drop in the paneer koftas
7. Simmer for a few minutes more and turn off heat, garnish as desired, cover and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving with rice or naan

Broccoli Kofta in Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce

Vegetable koftas can be served up as croquettes for a snack or can be served up in a favorite sauce, to accompany rotis or rice.

Procedure is fairly simple: par-cook and chop the vegetable finely; add some spices, some chickpea flour as binder, shape into balls, and deep fry.

for the jalapeño-cilantro sauce:
2 jalapeños, chopped
2 cups chopped cilantro
2 cups water
1 Tbsp chickpea flour
salt to taste

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli florets, no stalk/stem*
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
½ cup chickpea flour (more or less)
canola oil for frying
*save the stem/stalk for making miso pickle

Preparation

par-cook the broccoli florets in microwave;i don't usually add extra water, just the dampness from washing the florets seems enough to cook the florets

drain the florets, chop finely, mix in the spices and knead in the chickpea flour a little at a time to form a dough that can be shaped easily (not too brittle, not too soft either); shape into balls about the size of golf balls, or smaller

heat oil in a pan for frying, add the shaped broccoli balls and deep fry till brown and crisp on the outside and cooked through on the inside; drain on a paper towel lined plate, keep handy

combine the jalapeño and cilantro in a blender or food processor to make a fine smooth paste; heat a sauce pan, add the chickpea flour and toast it till it gets aromatic, (just a minute or two), then add the jalapeño-cilantro paste, some water, some salt to taste, and let it simmer gently till thickened; chickpea flour acts as a thickener in this sauce; add more water if the sauce consistency is too thick for your liking; simmer till flavors meld, till jalapeño and cilantro lose their rawness

off heat, drop the koftas in the sauce and serve immediately; kofta begins to disintegrate if it sits in the sauce for too long :-)

Serve warm with roti or peas & cumin rice.