Palak Chicken Malai Kofta

Name: Palak Chicken Malai Kofta
Total time: 2700 s
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: For kofta :; 500 gms boneless chicken ground; 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste; As needed salt; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 3 green chillies minced finely; 1 small onion chopped finely; 1/2 tsp coriander powder; 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder; 1/4 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder; 1/2 tsp black pepper powder; 2 fresh bread crumbs; 2 tbsp gram flour (besan); 1 tbsp coriander chopped finely; 1 tbsp malai or fresh cream; 1 tbsp thick yogurt; 1/2 cup oil for frying; For gravy or curry :; 500 gms fresh spinach chopped; 1/4 cup fresh coriander chopped roughly with stems; 1/4 cup milk; 2-4 green chillies; 2 tbsp thick curd whisked; 2 tbsp fresh cream; 2 tbsp oil; 2 medium onions sliced finely; 2 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp ginger paste; 1 tsp garlic paste

Kumkum Chatterjee @cook_12055532

#CAS
#week3
Palak Chicken Malai Kofta is a delicious North Indian dish that combines palak( spinach) and chicken kofta ( meatballs) in a spicy gravy.Flavorful, aromatic and packed with nutrients, this Spinach( Palak) Chicken Kofta, is perfect for a hearty winter special dinner when spinach is available in plenty and tastes great. Key steps include making seasoned chicken koftas by binding them with gram flour or fresh breadcrumbs and other ingredients like chopped onion, ginger garlic and other spices and frying or steaming. Later blending blanched spinach with aromatics and slow cooking the gravy with spices before adding the koftas.A rich tempering of minced garlic, ginger julienne and Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder in ghee and fresh cream makes this recipe unique achieving a rustic dhaba flavor. Serve it to your loved ones and see them relish the flavours of soft and savory chicken meatballs cooked in a spicy spinach gravy. This recipe is best served with roti, paratha,naan or jeera rice in lunch or dinner.

Kumkum Chatterjee @cook_12055532

Saved

Ingredients

45 minutes

6 servings

For kofta :
500 gmsboneless chicken ground
1 tbspginger garlic paste
As neededsalt
1 tspchilli flakes
3green chillies minced finely
1small onion chopped finely
1/2 tspcoriander powder
1/2 tsproasted cumin powder
1/4 tspturmeric
1/2 tspKashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tspblack pepper powder
2fresh bread crumbs
2 tbspgram flour (besan)
1 tbspcoriander chopped finely
1 tbspmalai or fresh cream
1 tbspthick yogurt
1/2 cupoil for frying
For gravy or curry :
500 gmsfresh spinach chopped
1/4 cupfresh coriander chopped roughly with stems
1/4 cupmilk
2-4green chillies
2 tbspthick curd whisked
2 tbspfresh cream
2 tbspoil
2medium onions sliced finely
2 tbsptomato puree
1 tspginger paste
1 tspgarlic paste
1 tbspkasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tspred chilli powder
1/2 tspturmeric powder
1 tspKorma Masala
3cardamoms
1 inchcinnamon
4cloves
5-6black peppercorns
1/2 tspcumin seeds
1/2 tspgaram masala
1/2 tspsalt or as needed
1/2 tspsugar (optional)
Added tempering:
5-6 clovesgarlic minced
1 inchginger julienne
1/2 tspKashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tspasafoetida (hing)
1 tbspghee

Saved

Steps

45 minutes

1

Grind 2 bread slices in a mixer jar.Set aside and mince boneless chicken cubes. Remove ground chicken to a bowl.Mix in ginger garlic paste,salt to taste, roasted gram flour and bread crumbs, chilli flakes, minced green chillies,chopped coriander,cumin, coriander powder, chopped onion, black pepper powder, fresh cream and yogurt.Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2

Meanwhile boil 2 cups water with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.When the water starts boiling, blanch spinach for 2-3 minutes. Strain water. Dip the blanched spinach in ice cold water to retain its colour and stop further cooking.Sqeeze out excess water.Add milk and 1 tsp fresh cream to the blender jar and blend spinach along with coriander to a paste.
3

Set the spinach paste aside.Now take the chicken mix out of fridge.Smear oil on both palms and make lemon sized meat balls.
4

In a wok add enough oil for deep frying and heat it on medium flame. Add the meat balls in batches and fry them on medium heat for 5 minutes till cooked through and golden brown. Take out and set aside.Remove excess oil.In 2 tbsp oil sprinkle cumin seeds, half crushed whole garam masala.When they crackle, add the finely chopped onions and fry till crispy and golden brown. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds till there is no raw smell.
5

Now add red chilli powder, turmeric, korma masala, salt and sugar to taste, kasuri methi and whisked yogurt.Add spinach coriander paste.Cook and stir well.
6

When oil releases from sides of gravy, add 1/2 cup of the boiled spinach water and slow-cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala. Add kasoori methi,fresh cream, slit green chillies and mix well.Now place the koftas over gravy gently and cook for 2 minutes in low flame.
7

In a separate pan, add ghee.Heat on medium flame and add minced garlic.Fry till aromatic. Add ginger julienne, Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder and asafoetida. Immediately pour the sizzling tempering over the gravy and lightly toss.
8

This tempering in ghee enhances the taste of palak chicken kofta. Serve this dish hot with naan, roti or paratha and relish an unique flavourful curry in lunch or dinner.

Tips

For a perfect Palak Chicken Malai Kofta, mix minced chicken with ginger garlic paste, yogurt, cream and binders like breadcrumbs or gramflour to achieve tender, flavourful meatballs.For the gravy, blanch and puree fresh spinach quickly to retain its green colour and simmer it with malai or fresh cream , onion and yogurt for a silky finish.Adding the koftas just before serving ensures they stay succulent and do not become mushy.