Malai Kofta

My first attempt at making this dish, and only because it's the only thing P will order at Indian restaurants. Improvements have been incorporated into the recipe below.

Makes 24 koftas
To make koftas, mix the following ingredients into a sticky ball:
2 cups boiled potatoes, peeled and grated
1 cup raw carrot, peeled and grated
1 cup grated paneer
5-6 tbsps cornstarch/rava/breadcrumbs/wheat flour
2 tbsps cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsps crushed cashews
1 tbsps chopped raisins (optional)
1 tbsp green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Garam masala, to taste (optional)
Salt, to taste
Oil, for frying

Divide dough into 24 parts and roll each portion into a ball (round) or kofta (ellipsoid). Lightly dust with corn starch or flour. (Note: Kofta will be small but will expand in the gravy).
Traditionally, the koftas are deep fried but I used my handy-dandy aebleskiver/unniappam pan to cook all my koftas to a beautiful, even golden brown with just 4 tbsps of oil. Hehe.

Set koftas aside to cool while you make the gravy.


Gravy:
Blend together,
2 large red onions
5-6 garlic cloves
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
4 whole cloves
1 inch whole cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric

Heat 4 tbsps oil in a wide saute pan. Add 1 tsp shahjeera. When the seeds sputter, add the onion paste. On medium heat, fry the paste until the onions caramelize and smell sweet, approximately 15 minutes.

Incorporate into the cooked paste,
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp kasuri methi
1 tsp garam masala, more to taste
1 tsp Deggi or Kashmiri chilli powder, more to taste
Salt, to taste
Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in,
1 cup half and half, more for a milder flavor
Water, to achieve desired consistency of gravy (remember the koftas will absorb water as they sit in the gravy)
Bring to a gentle boil and cook covered for an additional 5 minutes to allow the flavor to meld.

Add koftas to the hot gravy only if serving immediately. Else, add the koftas after the gravy has cooled to room temperature. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot, buttered naans. (I personally do not think this dish pairs very well with rice but you may disagree.)

Pear-strawberry milkshake

This is a fairly thick milkshake because I use unpeeled fruits and use less milk. Pear and strawberries are my new favorite fruit combo. I like to throw in a pinch of saffron to brighten the flavors on occasion.

Just blend together 4 ripe, hulled strawberries, 1 ripe bartlett pear (any pear will do), 1 pinch saffron, 1/2 cup milk and 1 pinch salt.  Add sweetener if desired. Pour into a tall glass and decorate with strawberry slices (optional). Happy holidays!

Rustic Home-made Cheesesticks!

This recipe took all of 20 minutes from start to finish. I used my handy-dandy toaster oven which heats up in no time so expect a range oven to take a few minutes longer. Use whatever herbs you have on hand and feel free to add/remove toppings. We enjoyed this with our evening Chai.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 roll of ready-to-bake pizza dough (Pillsbury or other brand)

1 tsp good quality olive oil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Red chili flakes or Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2-3 oz. chilled goat cheese

Handul fresh, torn basil leaves

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 C.
2. Line the bottom and sides of an ovenproof 9"x9" dish with aluminum foil. Spray a light coat of cooking oil over the foil.
3. Unroll pizza dough and press into the baking dish. Work quickly, don't fuss with the dough for more than two minutes. You don't need dusting flour or a rolling pin here. 
4. Spread olive oil over the dough with the back of a spoon.
5. Next, sprinkle oregano and pepper all over.
6. Crumble goat cheese over the dough. Fresh goat cheese has a creamy texture at room temperature, making it difficult to work with. I leave it in the fridge until I absolutely need it.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes until the crust is browned all over (think dulce de leche) and the cheese has brown specks.
8. Allow the bread to rest for a minute.
9. Top with basil, cut into 1.5 inch wide strips and serve warm. No dipping sauce needed!