Herbs, Spices and Tradition: June 2017

BEETROOT BALLS IN CREAMY SAUCE/BEETROOT KOFTA CURRY

When I visited the USA, the first time in 2009, I stayed with my daughter for one month, she told me to cook “Dum Aallo”, which is her favorite Indian curry in which baby potatoes are cooked in a creamy sauce. That time my daughter introduced me to a new ingredient called “half and half”, which is half cream and half milk and easily available in North America. I really liked it because this “half and half” is not so rich like full/whipped cream but still gives a creaminess and flavour to recipes like this one. So I used “half and half” in that baby potato curry, and everybody in the family enjoyed the curry. I was glad that I got the new ingredient which I can use in my cooking adventure.

The 2nd time I visited her again in 2010 when my second grandson was born. Before he was born, we were both shopping in a grocery store, and I thought of that ingredient (‘half and half’), which I had used a year before, but couldn’t recall its name and told my daughter to buy 50-50 milk. She asked with curiosity, “What is it, what do mean?” Then I reminded her, that in my last visit I used it when I made that baby potato curry. She laughed a lot and said, “Mom, that is called “half and half”. You see, at every new place, we learn so many new things and new names. I told myself, that I will try and remember all those new names in the future. Thank God, I didn’t use the name 50-50 milk in front of anybody. Now whenever I need some creaminess, aroma of the cream and that beautiful light creamy colour in curries or even in any other recipe, I use this fabulous ingredient called half and half.

Beetroot balls/kofta curry is my original recipe. Here, I would like to share with my readers, how I got the idea of this recipe. Last year in 2016, February, when I made cocktail kebabs for Darpan magazine's baisakhi issue, that magazine later published my recipe in their April issue. For those cocktail kebabs, I used spinach and beetroot to make the kebabs. I thought I can even make curry with these beetroot balls as I had already posted spinach balls with tomato sauce in 2015 on my blog which is one of my popular recipes on my blog. So that day I made some extra beetroot kebabs and made curry with the rest of them.

When I was planning to prepare this curry, I realised, I cannot use tomatoes because their red color will not match with the beetroot color, so I used half and half to give richness, taste and nice creamy color which can complement the beetroot colour. That curry was a total hit, I was happy because I made something, which is my own creation plus healthy, elegant and colourful for the family, as beetroot is considered to be a very healthy vegetable. I am always looking forward to learning new recipes which can use fresh and healthy vegetables like spinach and beetroot.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

2 big beetroots (400grams)
4 heaped tbs chickpeas flour
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tsp dhaniya powder(coriander powder)
1 tbs oil for glazing and more oil for frying.

FOR CURRY

Two tbs oil
One onion finely chopped
One tsp ginger paste
One tsp cumin seeds
One tsp coriander powder
Salt and red chili powder to taste
Half litre Cream and milk mixture (1 cup cream and 1 cup milk) (Half and half)
One cup water

METHOD FOR BALLS/KOFTAS

Wash and cook beetroot in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes or boil in water till they are soft and cooked well
When cold, peel and mash further with a potato masher or in a food processor.
Dry roast chickpeas flour on a medium heat in a frying pan, till it is light brown; when cold, mix with mashed beetroot.
Add salt and pepper, mix well and make small balls with a little oil for glazing your palms.
Fry on a medium heat till it changes colour to a few shades darker.

METHOD FOR CURRY

Heat oil in a saucepan and add cumin seeds, when it changes the color to a few shades darker, add onion, ginger paste and roast till golden brown.
Add water and a half and half which is half cream and the half milk and let it boil.
Add beetroot balls and boil again, garnish with green coriander. Make sure that the beetroot balls should not release their red colour in the creamy curry, or balls can be added at the time of the serving.
Serve hot with naan, flat bread, dinner buns or rice,