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Mozzarella and Zucchini Koftas in Makhni Sauce

Koftas are a delight and often part of many North Indian menus. They are a bit naughty and decadent as they are deep-fried and smothered in delicious, buttery sauce. Of course, you can make them healthier by air-frying or baking the Koftas. I do think the buttery sauce is essential though. I remember my first tryst with making Koftas was after my lovely neighbour in India gifted me a book by the legendary Tarla Dalal after I passed my 12th class exams (I did rather well in those). I loved Tarla’s way of explaining a recipe and what I enjoyed even more was the fact that my father loved the Koftas. Of course, things evolved since then and I’ve experimented a lot with different types of Koftas. This recipe has a few European ingredients but is essentially a good North Indian dish. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
  

For the Kofta:

  • Ghiya Courgette, Zucchini, Grated: 3 large cups
  • Red onion Grated or chopped very fine: 1 cup
  • Coriander leaves chopped fine: 2 Tbsp
  • Green chilly and ginger paste: 1 Tbsp
  • Cooked grated potato: 2 medium sized potatoes
  • Mozzarella cut into small cubes: 1 cup
  • Paprika: 1 Tsp
  • Coriander powder: 1 Tsp
  • Tapioca flour or rice flour: 2 Tbsp
  • Semolina or Polenta: 1 tea cup – spread on a little dish
  • Salt: To taste
  • Sunflower oil to deep fry the Kofta

For the sauce:

  • Red onions grated or ground in a mixie: 1 cup
  • Tomato puree or passatta: 1.5 cups
  • Coriander powder: 1 Tbsp
  • Turmeric powder: 1 Tsp
  • Red chilli powder: 1 Tsp
  • Salt: To taste
  • Butter: 1 Tbsp
  • Ghee: 1 Tbsp
  • Cumin seeds: 1 Tsp
  • Double cream: 1 tea cup
  • Almond milk: 1 tea cup
  • Fresh coriander leaves garnish (optional): 1 Tbsp

Instructions
 

For the Koftas:

  • Squeeze all the water from the grated courgettes and onion (conserve the water for the sauce)
  • Add all the other ingredients except the oil, mozzarella and semolina, mix well. Take a mozzarella cube and some of the mix and form a little ball with the cheese in the centre
  • Roll the balls in the semolina so they have a light coating
  • Fry these in hot oil at medium heat, making sure they don’t over cook
  • They should be golden brown all over when you remove them from the oil and drain them in a kitchen paper.
  • An alternate option is to use the air-fryer, which is healthier but will take a bit longer. To do this:
  • Heat the air-fryer at 360 degrees Fahrenheit and line with parchment paper
  • Place the balls, making sure they are not touching each other. Spray or brush with some oil (I used sun-flower oil) and then cook them for 8-9 minutes
  • Flip the balls carefully with tongs (or if you have asbestos fingers, go ahead, use your hands but be careful) and cook again for another 8 minutes
  • They should be uniformly golden brown all around and they’re done, ready to be smothered in the sauce!

For the sauce:

  • Heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds
  • When they splutter, add the grated or ground onion and fry until it turns brownish
  • Add the tomato puree or passatta, ground spices and salt
  • Cook for at least 5 minutes on low heat. Ideally, you should cook this until the ghee starts separating from the tomato sauce
  • Add the butter and cream. You can also add the water squeezed from the courgettes if you’ve saved it. If not, add the almond milk
  • Simmer for 5 minutes

To serve:

  • If you have made the Koftas and sauce ahead of time, you can assemble them just before you’re ready to eat
  • Warm the Koftas in a hot grill so that they are crisp and fresh (or just air-fry them just in time)
  • Arrange in a bowl
  • Heat the sauce in a microwave or saucepan separately
  • Pour the sauce on the koftas, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately
  • Tastes delicious with Indian bread or rice