Vegetable Malai Kofta
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and
height, my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight…”
– Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese – 1850
Can you say it to your partner any better than that? I don’t think so, since Ms. Browning pretty much covered every possible angle. I mean breadth, depth, height, soul, all pretty heady stuff. However, loving a person is one thing. Showing them how much you love them is another.
To express your love, you might: hold hands, take them to Taco Bell, send flowers, buy a Members Only Jacket, make breakfast in bed, purchase sparkly jewelry, secure front row tickets to a Bon Jovi concert, or just save them the last beer in your sixer. It is entirely up to you. But, spring is the season of love and promise, and unless you are still hibernating in your man cave, the buds of May are in full bloom. You have got to get your romantic expressing on.
The Grassfed Carnivore is here to help. No, I don’t have concert tickets, chocolates, or jewelry, and I just drank my last beer writing this post. No worries, for here is an amazing dish to help woo your companion. As discussed in my Mushroom Risotto post, the quickest route to the heart is the stomach. My version of VEGETABLE MALAI KOFTA accomplishes this feat.
The dish is a bit labor intensive, but so is love sometimes. Most importantly, it is a bit exotic, full of flavor, and made without all the butter and cream normally found in this dish. Consequently, you can use this recipe to express your affection and not worry about expanding your own depth and breadth. So, head to the kitchen and fire up this dish. Save the Bon Jovi tickets for Christmas
Ingredients
- 1 Lrg Potato (peeled)
- 1 Lrg Carrot (peeled)
- 1 Lrg Zucchini (grated)
- 2 Tbs Fresh Cilantro (minced)
- ½ Lbs Extra Firm Tofu (crumbled)
- ½ Cup Bread Crumbs
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper to your taste
- ½ Cinnamon Stick (optional)
- 3 Bay Leaves (optional)
- 3 Whole Cloves (optional)
- ½ Cup Vegetable Broth (optional)
- 1 Lrg Sweet Onion
- 1 Tsp Fresh Ginger (grated)
- 4-6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 ½ Lbs of Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Cashews (soaked overnight)
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tbs Ground Coriander
- 1 Tbs Chili Powder
- 2 Tsp Garam Masala
- ½ Tsp Ground Cumin
- Salt & Pepper to your taste
Instructions
Again, let me reiterate that this recipe has numerous steps and is a bit time consuming, but believe me it is so worth it. So first, put the whole potato and carrot in a sauce pan covered with water. Bring this to a boil and cook until the vegetables are fork tender (about 8 minutes). Drain the veggies and when cool enough to handle grate them into a mixing bowl. Add in your zucchini, cilantro, tofu, bread crumbs, and spices. Using your immaculately clean hands, mix everything together. Then form the mix into golf ball sized rounds. (you should get about 15-18 kofta) Place these on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray and bake in a preheated 375 degree for 15 minutes. Flip them and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.
While the kofta balls bake, you can perform this next step if you wish. I think it adds a depth of flavor to the gravy. And since there is no depth to your love, I would suggest doing it. But place the cinnamon, bay, cloves, cardamom, and broth in a large sauce pan. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the spices become fragrant and about half of the liquid has evaporated. Then remove all the spices, leaving the flavored liquid in the pan. As this liquid simmers, put your onion, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Puree the mix and add this into the reserved liquid. Over medium high heat, bring the tomato gravy to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add in your turmeric, coriander, chili powder, garam masala, and cumin. Stir to combine and simmer the sauce for 5-7 minutes.
Remove the kofta from the oven and set aside. In your blender or food processor, puree the soaked cashews until you get a sour cream like consistency. Whisk this cashew cream into your tomato gravy and continue to cook the sauce until it is nice and thick. Pour a generous amount of the gravy into a bowl, add 4-5 kofta balls, drizzle a bit more gravy on top, garnish with cilantro, and serve with naan bread or rice.
Notes
Long prep time is required to soak cashews overnight.
Golden Brown & Delicious
Now, call your partner to dinner, and begin the romance. The scent of exotic spices in the air combined with your love will set the perfect mood. Of course, you can always throw in some candle light and a little “Open Arms” by Journey…but that’s how I roll. Either way, you can’t miss with this dish. And as you eat, go ahead and count the ways of your love. Passion and desire are just another malai kofta ball away. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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