Kanchkolar Kofta Curry is a traditional Bengali recipe. This recipe is about green (unripe) bananas, boiled, mashed and given a shape of flat disc which are fried and dipped in a creamy curry. Unripe banana in Bengali language "Kanchkola" is good for stomach and contains iron in it which is again good for all. "Kanchkola" is cooked almost in every Bengali household and Kofta Curry made with this makes a very delicious recipe. This goes well with hot chapattis or plain hot rice. Koftas in general are like many other introductions to Bengali cuisine due to the influence of Mughals in the region.
Ingredients for Koftas:
•Green Bananas - 4 to 5
•Potatoes - 2, medium size
•Gram Flour - 3 to 4 tbsp
•Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
•Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
•Salt as per taste
•Oil -1/2 cup
Ingredients for Gravy:
•Onions - 2, medium size
•Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves
•Ginger - 1 inch
•Tomato - 1, medium size
•Water - 2 to 3 tbsp
•Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp
•Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
•Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
•Coriander Seeds - 3 to4 tbsp
•Dry Red Chilli - 3 to 4, whole
•Cumin Seeds - 2 tbsp
•Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp
•Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
•Green Cardamom - 2 to 3
•Black Cardamom - 2
•Cinnamon - 2 to 3 sticks
•Salt as per taste
Ingredients for Tempering:
•Tej Patta - 2 to 3
•Cloves - 3 to 4
•Green Cardamom - 1 crushed
•Sugar - 1 tsp
•Mustard Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Method
•Roast above whole seeds for couple of mints and then dry grind them very finely.
•Roast some cumin seeds separately and then grind them finely. Reserve this to be used in fried vegetable balls.
•Wash green bananas. Put to pressure cook them along with potatoes.
•Once cooled, take off the skin and add roasted cumin powder and 2-3 tsp of roasted masala powder.
•Add in gram flour and mash the boiled green bananas and potatoes well with the seasonings. Divide this into small portions of round balls.
•Now heat up a fry pan, add in mustard oil. Add in 2-3 small balls at a time and deep fry them and keep aside.
•Now add in tej patta and sugar. Let the sugar melt and caramelize.
•Add in cloves and crushed cardamom.
•Add in the wet masala paste and stir fry it.
•Add in red chilli powder, turmeric powder, roasted masala powder and salt.
•Add chopped tomato and splash bit of water and fry for 4-5 minutes at med-high flame.
•When oil oozes out from the sides and then add in 3-4 cups of water. Cover and let it simmer for 8-10 mints.
•At the last phase, add in the fried balls and cover. Let it cook for a minute or two.
•Add 1tsp of ghee and 1/2 tsp of garam masala at the end. Take off and let it rest.
•Garnish with cream, ginger julienne and coriander leaves. Serve hot with plain Rice or Rotis.
Notes
Koftas tends to soak up gravy way too fast, so add ample water at the time of making the gravy. Do not over cook them they will tend to break and go soggy.
