Ingredients:

• For koftas:
• 4 nos. Green plantains
• 1/2 cup – Besan (basically enough to bind the green Plantain together when frying the koftas)
• 2 slices – Bread
• 1 tbsp – Cumin seeds
• Red Chilli powder to taste
• Salt to taste
• For gravy:
• 4 tbsp – Oil
• 2 inches long piece – Ginger
• 4-5 Cloves – Garlic
• 1.5 cups – Onion, finely chopped
• 1.5 cups – Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp – Cumin seeds
• 1 inch long – Cinnamon
• 3-4 nos. – Cardamom
• 5-6 nos. – Clove
• 2 nos. – Bay Leaves
• 2 tbsp – Cumin powder
• 2 tbsp – Coriander Powder
• 1 tbsp – Garam Masala powder
• 1/2 tbsp – Amchur
• Red Chilli powder & Salt to taste

Method:

1. For koftas:
2. Boil the plantains with in salt water. Peel and mash to fine paste.
3. Add cumin seeds, besan, crumbled bread slices (they add to the crispness of the kofta), salt and chilli powder.
4. The consistency should be such that the mix can retain a firm shape when dropped into the oil to deep fry.
5. Let this mix set for maybe an hour or more.
6. Heat oil (like the way you would do to fry ‘pakodas’). And then with a tbsp, scoop mix into the boiling oil and fry it into koftas.
7. For gravy:
8. Heat oil in deep pan.
9. Mildly fry bay leaves, cumin seeds, and crushed mix of the cinnamon, cloves & cardamom.
10. Add finely chopped ginger & garlic (or ginger garlic paste, which you can prepare in blender) to the oil.
11. Once this turns brown, add chopped onions and cook till they turn transparent or brown.
12. Then add the tomatoes, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, amchur, chilli powder and salt.
13. And let cook till the tomatoes are tender.
14. Add 2 cups of water to this mix and let it cook for a while till everything blends well together.
15. Adjust the spices at this time if you feel something is less or more.
16. Once the gravy is cooked, drop the koftas into it, and let them soak it in for atleast 2 hours.
17. Garnish with cilantro & serve hot.
18. You can make koftas substituting the plantain with grated ‘lauki’ or assorted vegetables (like boiled potatoes & peas), etc.
19. Serve hot with ‘rotis’ or rice.

Recipe courtesy of Salila