Paneer Kofta Curry

          This is the first time I am making Paneer Koftas at home, I have made cabbage koftas and lauki koftas ( I have not blogged them yet, will do it soon ), but never this. I think it's because, whenever I bought paneer, Palak Paneer ( my daughter's favorite ) was the first thing that I made with it and then the Paneer Butter Masala. Also, since koftas need a little more work, time and deep frying, I always find an excuse to avoid it. But this time, I had decided to make the koftas and I realized that actually it's not really too much work. I had checked a couple of recipes from my cookbooks and online and this is a combination of couple of them. The koftas turned out really soft and the curry turned out absolutely delicious, a good side dish to go with naans, pilafs and rotis..

Need To Have
For Koftas

• Grated Paneer - 100 gms
• Potato - 1 medium, boiled, peeled and grated
• Corn Flour - 1 + 1/2 tablespoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
• Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

For The Gravy

• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Almonds - 10
• Cashews - 5
• Melon Seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Golden Raisins - 6
• Green Cardamom - 2
• Cloves - 2
• Garlic - 5 cloves
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Green Chillies - 2
• Cinnamon - 1" stick
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Kasuri Methi - 1 tablespoon
• Fenugreek Seed Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Yogurt/Curd - 2 tablespoons
• Fresh Cream - 2 teaspoons
• Salt to taste

Method
Gravy : 

          Boil the onion, almonds, cashews, melon seeds and raisins along with some water till the onions become softer. Remove, cool and grind with the cardamom and cloves into a smooth paste and keep. Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies into a paste.

          Heat some oil, add the cinnamon, when it sizzles, add the ginger-garlic-green chilly paste and saute for a couple of minutes till the raw smell of garlic disappears, then add the onion-almond paste and mix.

          Then add the turmeric powder, salt, coriander and cumin powders, mix, then add the curd and mix in well.

          Add about 1 cup water, mix and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Then add the kasuri methi and fenugreek powder and mix, then finally mix in the fresh cream and remove.

Koftas : 

          Mix in the grated paneer, potato, corn flour, turmeric and chilly powders, garam masala, ginger and salt, make small lemon sized balls and keep.

          Heat the oil, deep fry the koftas till golden, remove and drain the excess oil. Add the koftas to the gravy just before serving, in fact you can place the koftas on the plate, pour the gravy on top and serve.

Note
If the paneer potato mixture is very sticky, add a little more corn flour.
If you leave the koftas soaked in the gravy for a long time, it might soak in the gravy and might become mushy.
The quantity that I have given will be enough for 3 to 4 servings.