Palak Paneer Kofta

Recipe for Palak Paneer Kofta

This Palak Paneer  kofta floating in the gravy just made my day. Have you tried this  yet?

This dish has strong similarities to the  cuisine Malai kofta recipe with  almost the same gravy but with different ingredients for kofta balls. Crispy koftas are made with both Palak and paneer  mixture  and are dipped  in a creamy  onion-tomato gravy. It is also called as Shaam Savera, which is signature creation of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.

Why Palak Paneer kofta is also called as Shaam Savera?

Palak's green color is called "Shaam"  since it is dark in color and white paneer is called "Savera". Hence the name Shaam Savera recipe. Shaam Savera loosely translates to Dusk & Dawn in English, signifying the contrast of the light and dark colors of the recipe.

How is this recipe different from Original Shaam Savera dish?

In the original recipe when you cut the koftas you will find white paneer  inside and dark Palak  outside. Whereas here  in my recipe I have done different from the original recipe  by mixing both palak and paneer together  and then forming kofta rather than stuffing the paneer within palak.

How is the gravy made for Palak Paneer kofta?

In my recipe ,onions and tomatoes are sautéed first and then pureed with cashews & water. The gravy is then spiced and simmered well until flavorful, thick and creamy.

Benefits of Palak or Spinach 

1. Spinach is a great source of iron. 
2. Spinach is a true nutritional powerhouse, as it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
3. Due to its high potassium content, spinach is recommended for people with high blood pressure 
4. Spinach is high in  vitamin A which is good for the growth of all bodily tissues, including skin and hair. 

What to serve with  Palak  Paneer Kofta?

You can serve it with steamed rice, jeera rice, roti, naan, parathas, bread. If you plan to serve the curry later, then store the koftas separately and add them to hot curry just before serving. This way kofta will hold its form and taste better. If you add kofta and simmer it longer in the curry then this may result in breaking them.

How to make Palak Paneer Kofta

Ingredients for kofta:

• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 cup grated cottage cheese or crumbled paneer 
• 1/4 cup (besan) gram flour (dry roasted)
•  1/2 tsp red chili powder to taste
• 1 tsp  coriander  powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for gravy:

• 2 onions sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 green chili
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 inch ginger 
• 7-8 cashews 
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Red chili powder
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Cream for garnishing (optional)
• Ghee or oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions

 1 ) Wash the palak (spinach) leaves under running water, put them in boiling water  for 3 to 4 minutes. Then strain the water and let it cool. Once it cools down roughly chop them.

2) Meanwhile roast gram flour (besan) till it changes the color for 2 minutes. Let it not burn.

3) In a bowl, mix spinach, besan, crumbled paneer, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Add 1 tsp oil and  mix them well. Make  small round balls from the mixture  for kofta and keep aside.

4) Fry them in hot oil, or cook them in  paniyaram pan as it requires less oil.

5) Fry them till they have a nice golden color and keep them aside.

6) To make the  gravy now, heat ghee, add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add  chopped onion, ginger and garlic, and tomatoes and cook till it turns soft. 

7) Then add the cashews and cook for another minute and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool. Next blend them in the blender into fine paste without water or add less water only if you need. Heat the pan put ghee or butter when the butter melts transfer the mixture from the blender to pan and cook again  for  5 minutes. Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. add some water according to the thickness and quantity of gravy you want, and bring it to boil.

8)  Toss the koftas in the gravy, add garam masala and simmer for 5 minutes.

9) Garnish with coriander leaves, cream (optional) and serve.

Serving - 3-4

Total time - 45 min