Kancha Kolar Kofta curry/ Plantain Kofta Curry

Kacha Kolar Kofta curry is a traditional bengali niramish/vegetarian dish. It is mostly prepared on days when we have vegetarian meal at home. So, this is a no garlic, no onion recipe. You can prepare this yummy delight when you have puja at home or eating vegetarian. It is prepared with plantain or raw banana. Raw banana and potato are used to prepare koftas which are then put in a curry to prepare this dish.

Course: Main Course                          

Cuisine: Bengali (Indian)

Preparation time: 10 mins             

Cook time: 45 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For Kofta

• 2 Kacha Kola or plantain
• 1 medium potato
• Salt according to taste
• ½ tablespoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
• 2 green chilies                                                                       
• 2 tablespoon besan
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Oil for frying

For Gravy

• 2 tablespoon oil
• 3-4 bayleaf or tejpatta
• 1/4 teaspoon of hing/asafoetida
• Salt to taste
• 1 inch of ginger
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1/4 teaspoon of whole cumin
• 1/4 cup of grated coconut
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of Kasuri methi

Directions

Making the Koftas

1. Chop the kancha kola into smaller pieces and put it pressure cooker. Let it cook for 5-6 whistles or till completely done. Boil the potatoes to 2 whistles on medium flame. (See Note 1)
2. Once done let them cool. Peel the kanch kola and mash the potato and kancha kola together properly. (Note 2)
3. Add all the elements mentioned under ingredients and mix evenly.
4. Now make lemon sized balls of the mixture.
5. In a pan, take the oil and heat it. Once the oil is hot, gently drop the koftas in the kadai.
6. Fry the koftas on medium high flame. As the kofta is already cooked from inside, you need not fry them on low flame.
7. Fry the koftas in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.
8. Once the koftas are done remove some oil from the pan as we will be using the remaining for the gravy.

Making the gravy

1. Make a paste of tomato and ginger. To this paste add little water, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, chilies and salt.
2. Heat the oil in the pan.To the hot oil add tej patta and hing and cumin seeds.
3. Wait till you get the aroma of hing, cumin and tej patta.
4. Now add the tomato and spices paste that you prepared , to the kadai.
5. Let all the water evaporate and you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
6. Now add water to the gravy.
7. Add the grated coconut to the gravy.
8. Also add the kasuri methi to the kadai.
9. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or till you achieve desired consistency.
10. Turn of the flame. Now, add the koftas to the kadai and keep the kadai covered till ready to serve. (Note 3)
11. Serve with warm steamed rice.

Notes

1. Do not overcook the potatoes and kancha kola. If you overcook them they become watery and it becomes difficult to make the koftas.
2. You can use a potato masher or grater for mashing the potatoes and kancha kola to avoid lumps.
3. If you cook the koftas in the gravy, the soft koftas might disintegrate. Since, I had some time in serving, I did not add the koftas to the gravy immediately. I put the koftas in hot gravy, 30 minutes before serving. This time is enough for the koftas to absorb the gravy.

Step by step instructions to prepare kanchkolar kofta

Chop the kacha kola into smaller pieces and put it pressure cooker. Let it cook for 5-6 whistles or till completely done. Boil the potatoes to 2 whistles on medium flame.

Once done let them cool. Mash the potato and kacha kola together properly along with all the ingredients of kofta.

Now make lemon sized balls of the mixture. In a pan, take the oil and heat it. Once the oil is hot, gently drop the koftas in the kadai.

Make a paste of tomato and ginger. To this paste add little water, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, chilies and salt.

Heat the oil in the pan.To the hot oil add tej patta, cumin seeds and hing.

Now add the paste that you prepared. Cook till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.

Now add water to the gravy. Add the grated coconut to the gravy. Also add the kasuri methi to the kadai. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or till you achieve desired consistency.

Turn of the flame. Now, add the koftas to the kadai and keep the kadai covered till ready to serve. Serve with warm steamed rice.

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