100-150g of paneer
1.5-2 cups of cooked rice
A handful of cashew nuts
1 dessertspoon of raisins/sultanas
1 dessertspoon of desiccated coconut
1 small onion
1 or 2 tomatoes
2 cups of yohgurt
2 cups of water
A piece of root ginger
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
3 cloves
2 cardamoms
A piece of cinnamon bark
1 teaspoon of whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
A third of a teaspoon of chilli powder
Salt
Oil
Method
To make the koftas, first mash the rice using a potato
masher or something similar - even the base of a coffee jar will do. Crumble
the paneer with a fork and mix it with the mashed rice, coconut, raisins, a
little salt and half of the cashew nuts, broken or lightly chopped. Add just a
little yoghurt if the mixture seems too dry and mix everything well. Leave to
one side while you prepare the sauce.
Dry roast the whole spices and grind them with a
pestle and mortar. Add the chopped garlic, ginger and the remaining cashews and
pound to a paste. Chop the onion finely and fry in oil for a few minutes before
adding the spice paste. After another few minutes of frying, add the chopped
tomato then a few minutes later, the yoghurt, water, chilli powder and some
more salt.
When the liquid starts to boil, use your hands to form
the kofta mix into 5 or 6 balls and lay them in the pan. Use a spoon to pour
some of the sauce over the koftas then turn the heat down very low and cover
the pan. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.