Monday, 5 March 2007

Baked Acorn Squash Koftas in a Tomato Garlic Cream Sauce

Koftas rank high in my list of loved foods...be it Malai Kofta, Veggie Kofta, Doodhi Kofta, Hara Chana Kofta etc....these melt in the mouth delights please each and every time. This time, I went a different route and made koftas with acorn squash, potatoes and peas. I also baked them..a healthy alternative to deep frying them.
Acorn squash is fairly new to me...but I have seen so many recipes made with squash by fellow blogger buddies, I couldn't help but put it on my grocery list for the next time. Oh, and look what info. I found on Koftas....

Here is my easy recipe:
  • 1 cup- Acorn Squash- grated
  • 1 cup-cooked, mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup- peas,thawed,- you can use a lesser amount, if you prefer
  • 1 large jalapeno, 1 small piece ginger- chopped,2 cloves garlic- chopped,
  • A handful of coriander leaves-chopped finely, 1 small red onion-chopped finely
  • salt, pinch of sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of garam masala(see recipe to make GM below) to taste.
Mix all the above ingredients together and form small Koftas. Set Aside. These can be baked in the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, spray with non fat cooking spray, and bake them at 350F until browned and crisp.

Meanwhile, to make the gravy, blend:

  • 1 large red onion, 5-7 large juicy tomatoes, 1 large piece of ginger, 5 cloves garlic, 1 large jalapeno,and make a paste. Set aside. you can lessen the amount of garlic if you would like.

In addition, you will need:
  • 1 can - low fat evaporated milk, 1tbsp- Olive oil,
  • 1 tbsp- Garam Masala - I make my own for such special dishes: roast equal amounts of cloves, peppercorns, badi elaichi, cinnamon, cumin and coriander seeds.Add a pinch of Nutmeg towards the end. Grind finely and store for later use.
  • A handful coriander leaves, salt, turmeric powder,and a pinch of sugar to balance the tartness of the tomatoes, Jeera seeds.
  • 2 cloves-shredded garlic,
  • 2 tbsp-Paprika for a nice taste and color, much healthier than artificial food colors.
In a deep saucepan, heat some oil, add jeera till it sizzles. Add the paste made from the onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Cook for around 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the evaporated milk and the spices. Check for seasonings and add the shredded garlic towards the end for maximum flavor.

To serve, place the koftas in the bowl and pour the sauce on top.Serve hot with some parathas.

I changed the way I normally make parathas this time. I mixed half all purpose flour with half of wheat flour and added some yeast to it. I let the dough rise for a few hours and then made the parathas the usual way. This way, the parathas turned out very soft and tasted just right with these koftas. I also made "Matar Paneer" with this to make a complete meal.

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23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good info on Koftas - I love them but they never turn out perfect, they split when I deep fry, but will try your baking option - sounds healthy too :-)

And the gravy looks mouthwatering ! Will have to try it soon :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Trupti,
Real healthy koftas.I had stopped making koftas becoz of deep frying.Now I can make them with your recipe . I have never seen Acorn squash , how does it look?
The koftas are looking so tempting that I would have eaten them just like that without the gravy :)
That's a good idea of adding yeast in parathas . Must try them :)
Trupti I really appreciate your love and dedication for cooking. You even made Matar Paneer along with this . You are really full of energy girl :)
Waiting for your Matar Paneer recipe :)

Viji said...

Baked koftas are really nice trupti. Nice idea for parathas. It looks so soft. I posted the Paneer mutter. just have a look when you have time. Viji

musical said...

Trupti, great blog.

i am perpetual lurker, especially because of the Gujrati khana. i am Punjabi, but i love Gujrati khana.

I love your choice of art and music too. Where di you get these tracks from-i am hooked. Please let me know the name of the album/artist.

Regards,
musical.

musical said...

Got it Trupti-its Rahul Sharma :). I didn't have this album of his. I loved Time Traveller.....

Saju said...

baking them is a great idea, I will be trying this.
I love the sauce too

Sia said...

what a lovely red colour trupti... just beautiful.......

FH said...

I agree with Sia.Beautiful bright color and Koftas look wonderful.I like the Garam masala recipe too,thaks T!:))

USHA said...

Hi Trupti,

Kofta looks yummy!!A nice idea of modification for paratha...

marriedtoadesi.com said...

Trupti,

I have a butternut squash in the fridge waiting for me to make something with. I am going to try these baked koftas with that. Awesome idea. Thanks!

Kanchana

Mishmash ! said...

I liked the idea of baking it . Feel guilty when i resort to too much of deep frying.Thanks for sharing the recipe and suggesting the idea of baking too :)

Shn

Richa said...

wow the koftas look so inviting and the gravy has a beautiful appetising color! The way any subji looks is as important as it tastes, methinks and you hv definitely accomplished it.

TNL said...

Thanks all for your comments!

Supriya: the color is from the best Hungarian Paprika out there..and of course, I used Roma tomatoes....for the best flavor!

try it sometime!

Deepa Hari said...

Hi Trupti,

Ur Koftas luk colourful with the sauce...very tempting...

Can koftas be made with all varieties of squash?

swapna susarla said...

very interesting trupti
u are coming with great dishes!!

bee said...

nice recipe for jai to make for me. :-))

musical said...

Trupti, the paratha recipe is yum! reminds me kulchas, except that the latter are mostly maida and the dough is prepared in sour yogurt.

i have tried koftas with zucchini and lauki in the past, will try your recipe soon-baking is anyday better than frying :).

Sig said...

Hey Trupti,
Great blog you have here. I love the soothing music. haven't tried many Gujrati recipes, next time I know where to find some good ones :).

Too bad I can't participate in your Little Chefs event, don't have kids, though I do have a very kiddish hubby, does he count?

Menu Today said...

Hi Trupti,
Both Kofta and Paratha looks nice. Healthy way of preparing koftas. Thanks

ServesYouRight said...

Trupti,

ooh - I have a weakness for doodhi koftas but baked squash koftas sound like healthy temptation :-)

Btw, found some pretty decent chundo in the grocery store the other day. Gujju food rocks!

Smita

Bong Mom said...

This is a very good recipe with acorn squash. You know I have seen this cute veggie but never bought it, didn't know what exactly I could do
Thanks to you now

Vini K said...

Hi trupti,kofta looks sooo good.Will try this one next time.
Will try baking the koftas too next time.

Dilip said...

trupti, what a nice idea to integrate acorn squash into koftas! I am glad that you found my blog so I could find yours - nice photography! (You may enjoy my food photography at photos.dilip.info .) --Dilip

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