Mung Bean and Courgette Usal

Mung Bean Usal is a traditional Maharashtrian curry made with green mung means. These are available at your local Asian grocery store. In order to get the best out of these nutritious beans, you need to soak them overnight in water. Drain the water the next day and put the beans in a wet muslin cloth. This cloth needs to be tied and put away in a dark place such as a turned off oven or microwave overnight. This will result in the beans getting the sprouts which are supposed to enhance the flavour and nutrition of the final dish.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sprouted Mung Beans
1 courgette, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp. minced ginger and chilli paste
2 tbsp. Sunflower oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
Few springs of coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
Spring onion to garnish- optional

METHOD

Cook the mung beans with turmeric and salt till done. This should take about 30 minutes on medium flame.

In a pan, add the oil, when hot enough, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida. Once the seeds starts to pop, quickly add the chopped onions, stir till the onions are translucent. Add the chopped courgette and stir fry for a minute.  Add the chopped tomatoes and ginger chilli paste. Cook till the tomatoes are pulpy and a nice aroma emanates from the masala mixture. Add half a cup of water and let the courgette cook for 10 minutes on low flame.

Add the cooked beans and finish off with the addition of tamarind concentrate, sugar and garam masala. Finally, garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and spring onions. Enjoy with plain boiled rice.

Curry For Change Supperclub

Had a lovely supperclub with 11 attendees to support the humanitarian charity #curryforchange.

On the menu were dishes like sev puri, sandwich dhokla, chicken Bhuna, vegetable korma, khamnag kakadi, Mumbai aloo & Amrakhand...yum!

Here are some pictures...

POTLI REVIEW

I wanted to visit Potli ever since I came across it on TV's Alex Polizzi's: Chefs on Trial. Finally, I visited it today. Here is the review.

Lamb Biryani

Trio of Chicken Tikka

Aloo Tikki with Chana Masala



Indian Art in Toilet!

Food

This is what we ate: Lamb Biryani, Aloo Tikki coated with vermicelli and served with chana masala, Mango and coconut Lassi, Prawn Balchao and Trio of Chicken Tikkas and Mango Kulfi for dessert.
The food was well presented and tasty. The portion sizes were just right. The lamb in biryani was succulent and really well cooked, just as it should be for biryani. The only criticism was that there were far too many cardamom pods in the biryani! If you are on a date, this is a dish to avoid, as it is pretty unsavoury to watch your partner picking out cardamom pods from their mouth as they eat!!
The Trio of chicken Tikka was very good; they were slightly bigger in size than the chicken tikka I have eaten elsewhere. The Cucumber Raita was soothing and an ideal accompaniment to the biryani; Aloo Tikki was good too, the vermicelli coating made them crispy and different than our usual tikkis. There were complimentary condiments served with the meal, such as tamarind chutney, mango chutney, tomato chutney etc, all were packed with flavour.
Prawn Balchao was a extremely hot dish, so stay away from it if you do not like your food hot. It was spicy hot to the extent that it ruined the flavour of this dish and we were unable to eat it properly. However, the prawns in this curry were tasty and of excellent quality.
We finished the meal with Mango Kulfi, which is Indian ice-cream, it had a subtle hint of condensed milk and mango, ideal for summer.

Cost
A meal for two including VAT and a discretionary service charge of £12.5 % will be approximately in the range of £35- £50. The prices were competitive; mid-range.

Ambience
The décor was pleasant, a typical Indian home style cusions, Limca and Thumbs Up bottles, utensils, Indian art and décor made it pleasant and comfortable. There is interesting Indian banners throughout the restaurant, including in the toilet (See picture above)

Service 
The waitress, who served us was friendly, well presented and knowledgeable. The service was fairly quick too.


Overall, it is a lovely little restaurant, ideal for a business lunch, quick family meal or get-together.

Location

POTLI- An Indian Market Kitchen
319-321 King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9NH
020 8741 4328
www.potli.co.uk

Nearest Station: Ravenspark Court (5 minutes walk)



Overview:
Food  4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service  5/5
Value  4/5

Disclosure: I didn't receive any incentive to write this post. I paid for the meal.

SHAHI PANEER KORMA

Shahi (royal) Paneer Korma is a mildly spicy and indulgent paneer curry; fit for a king or a queen! It is a treat for vegetarians or even meat eaters. India being mainly a vegetarian country, paneer is a firm favourite and a meat substitute. It is easy to prepare at home too and if you are watching weight, you can even make it with semi skimmed milk. It is also readily available in most supermarkets.



© The Spice Angel

INGREDIENTS

250g paneer
100g thick yogurt
50g single cream
25g cashewnut paste (Blend soaked cashewnuts in equal amount of water until smooth)
1 tablespoon of green chilli and ginger paste
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 tsp roasted cumin seed powder
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar
2 tablespoon Sunflower oil
Salt as per your taste

METHOD

1. Cut the paneer into 2 inch cubes. Marinate with the mixture of yogurt, cream, ginger and chilli paste and keep aside until you are ready for the next step.

2. In a pan, add the oil, when hot enough, add the whole spices and wait for 20 seconds, until a nice aroma develops.

3. Add the finely chopped onions and keep stirring till the onions are cooked and translucent.

4. Add the marinated paneer and cook till the mixture comes together. Add the sugar, salt, kasuri methi, roasted cumin seed powder, cashewnut puree and mix well. Serve with naan or roti.

Benares Restaurant Review

I was keen to visit Benares restaurant for a long time. Finally, I took the plunge and decided to visit this gorgeous restaurant tucked in the heart of London in cosy Mayfair.

My first impressions of the restaurant was that the décor and ambience were amazing. It had a lovely welcoming reception area and very helpful staffs. There was a selection of books written by Atul Kocchar on display and stairs leading to the restaurant seating area.

I tried their lunch time set 3 course Menu. While I waited for the order to come through, I was given mini poppadum's with three delicious chutneys to munch on, which was complimentary.

For starter, I had Crispy King Edward Potatoes and Baby Corn Chaat, Chickpeas, Date and Tamarind Relish. The presentation and flavours were awesome. I particularly liked the idea of using fried baby corn in this dish, and the fried potatoes tasted just like you would find on the busy streets of India from a renowned chaat vendor.

For the Main course, I had: Curry Leaf and Black Mustard Tempered Plaice,

Sugar Snap Poriyal, Malabar Sauce. Again, the presentation was simply awesome, true to its Michelin standards, and tasted great too. What I particularly liked about the dish was that it wasn't overly spiced, the balance between the spicing and the flavours were just perfect. The fish was skinless that made it extra succulent and tasty to eat. The sauce had a lovely orange colour without too much heat. There was also fluffy naan bread, perfectly cooked Pilau Rice and home style dal with robust flavours.

For the dessert, I went for: Masala Chai Brûlée, which was just the perfect ending to an extra ordinary meal. There was a gorgeous complimentary platter of fresh petit fours provided after the meal which again was delicious.

The staff ensured that I was comfortable and was enjoying the food without being overbearing which was great.

The meal costed £43 with £1 donation to a worthy UK charity 'Find your Feet', which is doing exemplary job of supporting under privileged women in developing countries. And a discretionary service charge of 12.5%.

I would highly recommend Benares. It is a great place to have a fantastic meal out for a special occasion. I will certainly visit again to try more of their wonderful food.

Location:

12a, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BS
020 7629 8886

www.benaresrestaurant.com


Overview:

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Value: 3/5

Disclosure: I haven't received any incentive to write this post. I am a supporter of Find Your Feet and Curry For Change charity. 

Mumbai Street Vegetarian Sandwich

You will find this delicious and nutritious sandwich available on the busy streets of Mumbai all year round. It has a generous lashings of green coriander chutney which adds tremendous flavours. Do try it out, it is simple to prepare and ideal for a quick lunch.

Copyright @ The spice Angel

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Any White Medium sliced bread
2 medium boiled potatoes, lengthways
2 plum tomatoes, sliced lengthways
2 boiled beetroots, sliced lengthways
1/2 cucumber, sliced lengthways
Chaat masala, as required
4 tablespoon salted butter (should be at room temperature and soft enough to spread)
4 teaspoon Green chutney
4 teaspoon tomato ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Green Chutney

1 bunch washed and roughly chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
handful of de-skinned and roasted peanuts
Salt and sugar (1 tsp, or) to taste

METHOD

1) Slice the sided of the bread and keep aside.

2) Season the chopped vegetables with salt and pepper and a dash of chaat masala, which is readily available in any Asian grocery shop.

3) Prepare the green chutney by putting the coriander leaves, lime juice, green chilli, peanuts, salt and sugar; grind to a find paste adding a little water to create a smooth and thick chutney similar to the consistency of a double cream.

4) Spread the chutney on one side of the bread, and the butter on the second bread slice. Add about 2 slices each of boiled potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and beetroot on one bread slice. Sprinkle with chaat masala, put the second bread slice over and cut each sandwich into six slices (as shown in the picture).

5) Spread more green chutney with the help of knife and tomato ketchup on the sliced sandwich and enjoy.

Masala Fried Prawns

If you like prawns, you will love this quick and easy recipe. This recipe originates from Mumbai and was cooked regularly by my parents. They always used raw prawns as cooked prawns are not readily available in Mumbai. Any prawns raw or even cooked ones available in UK will do just well. It is a great appetiser.




©The Spice Angel



Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of ready cooked prawns
2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Chaat masala to sprinkle
2 tablespoon fine semolina
Oil for frying
Salt to taste


METHOD

1) Rinse the prawns under running water. Season with the dry spices: Turmeric  powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garlic powder, lime juice and salt. Keep aside for a few minutes.

2) Heat a wide bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add any oil of your choice. Lay semolina in a plate, season with a little salt.

3) Dip the marinated prawns in semolina and fry in batched until golden brown on both sides. Garnish with chaat masala, and coriander leaves. Serve with coriander chutney, or any dipping sauce of your choice.

Pilau Rice

Pilau rice is a great party dish. Basmati rice is ideal for the recipe; do not substitute it for any other rice. Basmati rice grows on the foothills of Himalayas in Indian. It has a lovely aroma and the grains are elegantly long. Add just over double the amount of water to drained and soaked rice for the perfect results each time.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup washed and drained basmati rice

1 ¼ cups of hot water

1 tsp Lime juice

Butter 1 tbsp

1 ½ cumin seeds

1 cinnamon

2 cardamom pods

2 star anise

Salt to taste

½ tsp saffron dissolved in water

METHOD

1.    Rinse the rice in plenty of cold water for at least 2 times. Keep aside for about 30 minutes.

2.    Heat the butter in a pan; add the cumin seeds, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and salt.

3.    Add hot water, let the mixture come to a boil. When you see little specs bubbling away, reduce the flame to the lowest, cover the pan and cook the rice for about 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the saffron dissolved in water, to create a random colour effect.

4.    Keep the pan covered for 3 more minutes, gently fork though so as not to break the grains before serving.

Cook's Notes:

·        For best results rinse the rice three times in cold running water. Keep the drained rice aside for about 45 minutes for best results.

Chakli

Chakli is traditionally prepared for Diwali. In Maharashtra we prepare chakli by using different pulses known as ‘Bhajani’. As this special Bhajani flour isn’t available here easily, I have prepared this instant chakli, which tastes really good too.  

Chakli © The Spice Angel

 INGREDIENTS

1 cup rice flour

½ cup gram flour

½ cup plain flour

½ flat tsp asafoetida

1 heaped teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

2 teaspoon ajwain

2 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 heaped teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoon warmed Sunflower oil + to deep fry

Lukewarm water as required

Salt to taste

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

Chakli maker (available in Asian supermarkets)

METHOD

In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients and the warmed up oil. Bind the mixture into smooth dough (which should be just like your regular chapati dough) using lukewarm water as required. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Grease the chakli maker with oil. Wet your hands, and stuff the prepared mixture in the chakli maker.

On a baking paper, start making chaklis. Heat sufficient oil for deep frying in a wide pan, add the chaklis one by one in the hot oil, ensuring not to over crowd the pan. Deep fry till golden brown on all sides.

When cool enough fill the chaklis in an airtight plastic container and eat within a month.

Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoo are delicious sweet balls made across India during festivals such as Diwali and special occasions. Chickpea flour is known as besan in India. Besan Ladoo is made from roasted chickpea flour.

Do not worry if your results aren't great the first time. Keep practising and you will get better at it! Getting the ratio right is very important when preparing these, or the recipe won't work!

I find it the easiest to remember the ratio by using the same bowl to measure all the ingredients. Traditionally these sweets are prepared using ghee, but I have experimented using butter instead, and it works just as good. These will keep fresh without refrigeration for as long as 1 month. But, once these are made, they are so moreish that they may not last for that long!

Roasting the flour until you get a pleasant aroma is crucial or the final product will taste raw. I like to add powders of nuts such as cashew nuts and almonds, I feel it improves the texture and the taste of the dish. Here is the recipe:




Besan Ladoo ©The Spice Angel

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chickpea flour (also know as besan)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4th cup icing sugar (Can be used more or less according to your taste)
2 tablespoon roughly chopped de-skinned almonds
1 tsp cardamom powder
Cashewnuts to garnish

METHOD

1. Heat the butter in a heavy based pan. Add the chickpeas flour and keep roasting on a medium heat until golden brown and nice aroma emanates from the mixture.

2. Switch off the gas and add the cardamom powder, chopped almonds and icing sugar. Mix well with a spatula. Wait for 20 minutes or so for the mixture to be cool enough to handle. If you start to form the ladoos when the mixture is still hot, the ladoo will turn out flatter and not round. If this happens, then do not worry, just give them some more time to cool down and try forming ladoos again.

3. You may prepare these sweets as small or as big as you like. As seen in the picture above, that is the sort of shape, colour and size you should ideally aim for. Take a small amount of mixture in your palms and start to press gently to form a round ball.

4. Decorate the rounds with Cashewnuts and serve.

Paneer Tikka

This is a delicious and summery dish with fresh white cheese, the yogurt in the marinade breaks down the paneer and vegetables, allowing them to absorb more flavour. You can even marinate the paneer overnight for extra flavour. Soak the wooden skewers in water for some time, so that they will not burn. Paneer can be easily prepared at home; alternatively, you may use good quality shop bought paneer.

  

Serves 2-3

 INGREDIENTS

1 block of paneer (250 g)

1 pepper (any)

1 red onion

Lime wedges to serve

FOR THE MARINADE

1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste

1 handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 tsp chaat masala

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

1 tbsp Greek yogurt

 Wooden skewers x 4

METHOD

 Cut paneer into bite size pieces, along with the onion and pepper.

Tip into a large bowl, add the other marinade ingredients and mix well.

Heat an oiled griddle pan Thread each of the skewers with 2 pieces of paneer, 1 piece of onion and 1 piece of pepper and cook till golden brown on both sides. Baste with oil if it looks dry.

Serve with the quartered lime wedges to squeeze over the skewers.

NOTES

Soak the wooden skewers in water for about 10 minutes, this way, they skewers won’t burn while cooking.

Keep the paneer cubes a little big, or they will break when putting on the skewers.

Boondi Raita

Boondi Raita is a fantastic addition to any vegetarian or non-vegetarian dish.
It is cooling, fairly easy to prepare and delicious. It is not uncommon to find it at any Indian wedding or special occasion. It is prepared using chickpea flour which is easily available from Asian stores or supermarkets. It is gluten free too. Here is the recipe..

INGREDIENTS

500 g full fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp chaat masala
few springs of washed and chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp. gram flour (also known as chickpea flour)
A pinch of turmeric
Sunflower oil for deep frying
1 tbsp. sugar
Salt to taste


METHOD

• Add the chickpea flour in a bowl. Add the salt and turmeric powder and enough water to make a batter which is similar in consistency to a double cream. Keep aside.
• Season the yogurt with the chaat masala, chopped coriander leaves, salt and sugar. Mix well.
• Heat oil for deep frying the boondi, you will need a stainless steel spatula with small round holes. Take the chickpea flour mixture, pouring it over gradually on the spatula, directly into the hot oil. You will see small balls will forming. Cook evenly and remove on a kitchen paper roll to drain the excess oil.
• Immerse these tiny balls into the seasoned yogurt mixture.

NOTES

Chaat masala is a mixture selected mild spices such as cumin powder, ginger powder and amchur powder which is nothing but dried mango powder. It provides a sour note to the recipe. You may make your own if feeling adventurous, or for convenience purchase it from any Asian supermarket. There are some good brands available which are equally good as the home made version such as Badshaah, Eastend etc.

La Porte Des Indes

I absolutely adore the décor and the food off course of La Porte Des Indes. It is one of the finest Indian restaurants in London and an absolute must for any special occasion.

I had visited it few years ago to sample their extravagant Sunday buffet, and it was the best buffet I had ever tried. You are absolutely spoilt for choice. The food is beautifully spread out over two floors! Last time, I ate there with family, I was so full, I was barely able to walk!!

This time round, I thought of trying their food for lunch. It is a long way from Sutton to travel there, but it is well worth the visit. I ordered their tasting platter. Which came beautifully presented in a tray of starters such as Tandoori Prawn, Paneer Tikka, Lamb chop, three types of stunning chutneys such as Mango, green, red chilli and carrot Raita. For Main, there was this absolutely delicious Dhaba style chicken curry, saffron scented rice, fluffy naan bread with Chana Masala. I had Guava juice with my meal.

You have three choices from a set menu for the tasting platter, and is also available for vegetarians.

I was full after this lavish lunch and did not have place for a dessert. I, however, did glance over their dessert menu, and it looked very tempting. They had traditional Indian desserts such as Gulab Jamun, Rasmalai, Bebinca etc. I will try it out hopefully for my next visit.

As you walk through their corridor, you cannot miss the glimpse of the photographs of your favourite star who had visited La Porte Des Indes in the past.

12.5 % discretionary service charge is added to your bill. I paid £24 in all. I think it is fair price to pay for such a lovely meal in the heart of Central London.

The restaurant is right next to the Marble Arch tube station and is conveniently located for shopping if you wish to burn your calories after the heavy meal, which I did!

Overview:

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Value: 4/5

My MasterChef Experience

It’s been over a year since I was on the MasterChef UK. It was a privilege to be a part of their special 10th edition series. So, I am reflecting back on my experience in the competition.

When I meet people through these days they ask questions about judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace and the programme in general that I wanted to share some of my memories.

I have worked in a busy London college library as a Subject Librarian but cooking was my hobby for as long as I remember. I was made redundant in 2012 and that is when the thought of making my passion of cooking into a possible future career crossed my mind.

I was genuinely complemented for my cooking skills by family and friends over the years, and because of their encouragement, I decided to apply for MasterChef in 2013. I had loved watching the show and thought the format is very interesting.

The application process was really drawn out, and I filled in an online application form without any expectations.

There was a long form to fill in on the MasterChef website which covered all sorts of subjects, including my food heroes and influences.

After that there were a couple of phone interviews, followed by an audition in their London office, I then had 10 minutes to plate up whilst having a camera pointed at me and being flooded in with questions. I was told that the interview will not be filmed and they needed to check that I could talk and carry on doing things at the same time.

All of that took days to complete, and after each stage I was told that I may not hear anything back.

I was warned of what would happen if I told anyone about my participation on the show – instant dismissal. The requirement to keep quiet about being part of MasterChef was almost the toughest part of the whole competition for me finally rang to congratulate me on reaching the last 60 applicants who would take part in the heats, I was absolutely delighted and a little nervous.

Another phone interview before I was told that I am the official contestant on the show. Then I had I signed a confidentiality contract, I was given 3 filming days.

It was worth it in the end, particularly when I got astonished phone calls and emails from friends a few months later saying they had just switched on their favourite cooking show to see me in the daunting MasterChef kitchen!

The first time I laid eyes on John and Gregg was when I walked into the kitchen for the very first test. It was surreal and exciting to be in the MasterChef kitchen too.

On the show, I was fortunate enough to cook some of the family favourites and some dishes that I had created in the spur of the moment such as chicken Biryani, Baida Roti, Goats Cheese Dumplings, Shahi Vegetable Kadhai, Bhaturas, Semolina Halwa, Lamb Chop Curry, Tri-Colour Rice. I was fortunate to receive some high praises and also constructive feedback from the Judges John and Gregg and the guest judges; Jackie Kearney, Peter Bayliss, Andrew Kojima, Tracey Macleod.

People ask what John and Gregg were really like. They were excellent fun to be around, supportive and helpful and constructive in their comments about the food prepared for them. It was honour to be called a spice angel on the show. Apart from the judges, the entire behind the scenes team of MasterChef were extremely encouraging and supportive too.I made some wonderful and talented friends during the show.

For me life after MasterChef was a roller coaster ride; unfortunately, I lost my beloved dad when the show was being broadcasted in May 2014. I wish he would have been alive to see my journey post MasterChef. He was my inspiration and I had learned a wealth of cookery skills through him. So, starting my small business- The Spice Angel is a tribute to him.

The aim of the competition was very much about being encouraging and trying to get the best out of the contestants and the final edit was fair and balanced.



I have learned from the remarks and I try to focus on the positives and the changes in my life through the wonderful opportunity I was given: the experiences I had, new skills I learned and confidence in my own cooking ability that was instilled during the competition was my reward.

Kofta Curry

It was Sankashti Chaturthi today. It is a day to workship the Hindu god- Ganesha. I do not fast on this day unlike mum, but try to stick with eating vegetarian only. So, as soon as I received a phone call from my mum, the Salmon was back into the freezer!!

I had to know change my plan and try and cook something that would be enjoyed by all. I was bored of preparing yet another usual curry today! So, I thought lets cook something that I do not usually cook that often. And, Kofta curry was the first to hit the spot. Yes, it is a curry, but with a difference! It is creamy and has a bite to it in the form of a kofta. There is one thing that never changes here whatever be the situation and that is cooking and eating a lot of yummy food!

Let me quickly tell you what Kofta is, if you are already not familiar with the dish. You can just call Kofta an Indian vegetarian form of meatballs where potato dumplings (kofta) are fried and later cooked with a rich and creamy tomato sauce. You can definitely make it low fat without compromising on taste and that's what I have tried to do here with this recipe. So let's begin with how to make this wholesome Kofta curry.

 

Ingredients:

For the koftas

1 cup grated paneer

1 large boiled potato

1 tbsp corn flour

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp chaat masala

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp grated ginger

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

For the gravy

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp chopped garlic

4 cloves

1 tsp cassia

1 cup semi skimmed milk

2 tbsp melon seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

Method:

For the kofta

Mix the boiled potato, grated paneer, grated ginger, chaat masala, corn flour, red chilli powder & salt. Combine well to make smooth dough.

Divide the mixture equally. Form small and round koftas.

Deep fry in batches. Drain on a tissue paper and keep them aside.

For the gravy

Heat a wide casserole pan. Add the oil. Next, add the cassia, cloves, ginger, garlic, chopped onions and sauté for 2 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Now, add the chopped tomatoes, melon seeds, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Pour the milk over and cook unopened for 10 minutes until the milk evaporates and the mixture is cooked.

Blend the mixture to make a fine puree.

Add it back to the pan. Add the garam masala, stir gently so as to avoid breaking the koftas. At this stage, add the koftas and cook till they are warmed though.

Enjoy with any bread of your choice or plain boiled rice.