Marrow Kofta Curry
Serves: 4
The koftas can be made in advance.
Koftas:
Preparation time: 15 minutes Frying time: about 20 minutes
Tarka:
Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minute.
Total time (for whole dish): 70 minutes though elements of the koftas can be carried out whilst the tarka is being made thus saving on total dish time.
Suitable for: Vegetarians, vegans and those on a gluten free diet
Serve piping hot with any flatbread and plain boiled brown rice
Marrow Kofta Curry
Ingredients:
Tarka
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or ghee
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
4 cloves
1 medium sized onions (c. 150g), halved horizontally and sliced thinly
200g tinned tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes - skinned and chopped roughly
1½ green chillies, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1½ level teaspoons of salt
½ - ¾ level teaspoon of turmeric (use the higher amount if using fresh tomatoes)
¼ - ½ level teaspoon of garam masala
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
800ml water
handful of chopped coriander leaves
Marrow Koftas:
600g marrow (weight after soft centre removed and discarded), peeled and grated coarsely. Can be made with courgettes instead of marrow.
1 chillies (green finger), chopped finely
1 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon haldi (turmeric)
½ teaspoon of garam masala
1 clove garlic, crushed
a handful chopped coriander
150g gram flour, sifted
10 - 20ml water, if needed
Oil (rapeseed/vegetable) for deep fat frying.
Method:
Tarka:
Heat the oil on medium heat until fairly hot. Add the cumin seeds and cloves and stir until they splutter (virtually immediately)
Turn the heat down to low/medium, add the onions and fry gently stirring occasionally until they soften.
Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric, chillies, garlic, ginger stir. Continue to cook gently, ‘mashing’ the tomatoes until a paste like consistency forms. I use a potato masher.
Add the garam masala, stir and cook for a further minute or so or until oil oozes out of the paste when a wooden spoon is dragged along the base of the pan
Koftas:
Quarter marrow, peel and remove the soft centre and discard.
Wash and grate coarsely.
Place the grated marrow in a muslin cloth and squeeze out as much of the water as possible (save this juice to use in juices or to add to broth for risottos and soups)
Place the resulting ‘pulp’ in a bowl, add the spices EXCEPT the salt. Add the garlic and mix together, using your fingers
Add the sifted gram flour and mix it into the spiced marrow pulp. Add the coriander and remix.
Heat the oil in a wok (only use enough oil to cover a third of the wok and use the back burner) on medium to high heat. To test when hot enough, drop a very small amount of the mixture into the hot oil, it should rise within a second or two.
Just before frying add the salt and mix thoroughly. The salt will cause the juices from the grated marrow to ooze out and should be enough to bind the mixture. If not, add a very small amount of water.
Scoop the mixture into a dessertspoon using a teaspoon to make a ‘mound’ in the dessertspoon. Gently drop this ‘mound’ into the hot oil guiding the mixture as you drop it in so it drops as a ‘mound’ rather than spreads out. Depending on the diameter of your wok, drop a number of these mounds into the hot oil ensuring there is sufficient room to turn the fritters over in the oil readily.
Fry on medium to high heat. When the fritters rise in the oil, turn them over. Continue turning them over every so often until they are golden brown in colour on both sides.
Drain, remove from the oil and place on absorbent kitchen paper.
Repeat the process from No. 5 above until all the batter has been used (makes 12 koftas)
Putting it all together:
Add the water to the tarka, stir and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to a gentle boil.
Gently drop the koftas in the koftas one at a time. Stir very gently and lightly lifting each kofta as you do so.
Bring back to simmering point. Place the lid on the pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped coriander. Stir in very gently as above so as not to break up the koftas. Replace lid and simmer for another 5 minute or so.
Take off the heat and serve with rice and a flatbread of choice