Lightly fry the koftas in a little oil, just to seal them up. you just want a light brown colour, but no need to cook them through. set aside.

Place the whole tomatoes in boiling water for about 5 minutes. remove them and set aside.

When the tomatoes are cool, peel them and blend the flesh into a fine puree. set aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai. add cumin seeds.

When the seeds splutter, add the bay leaf.

Next, add the garlic and onion. stir well till just translucent.

Add the cinnamon, red chilly powder and stir. to this add the tomato puree (if required add some water to thin out the gravy).

Add the kasuri methi and ras-el-hanout. stir well.

Check for seasoning and add salt. add a dash of sugar too, just to balance the sour tomato taste.

Add the seared koftas to this, and stir to coat the koftas well with the sauce.

Cook covered on a low heat till the koftas are cooked through.

Take it off the heat, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Serve with saffron rice or vegetable pulav. can even be eaten with fresh khubbus (arabic flat bread).