Koftas, a name of Persian origin, are meatballs made from beef, lamb, chicken or pork or a combination of these with spices and onions. These minced meatballs are commonly found in South Asian, Middle Eastern, Balkan and Central Asian cuisines. In India, there are delicious vegetarian specialties that combine vegetables with potatoes.
In India, koftas are served with curry or a spicy sauce, and can even be accompanied with boiled eggs, boiled rice or with a variety of Indian bread, such as chapati. In other Middle Eastern countries, they are served with spicy sauces. In Greece, these meatballs are served with yogurt or Tzatziki.
This recipe is a version of the vegetarian Koftas , so popular in India. They are made from cauliflower, potato, red lentils and are spiced with garam masala. These are juicy meatballs, with a crunchy touch thanks to the cashews and a sweet touch from the dates. They are served with a double sauce made of yogurt and a natural mint and lime syrup.
It is a very versatile recipe because you can enjoy them as a starter or appetizer as a main dish accompanying basmati rice or they are a fantastic filling for pita bread with the same sauce.
Pallarès carbon steel knife , La Croquetera croquette and meatball tongs and Skeppshult cast iron frying pan
Ingredients (for 4 people)
For the meatballs:
- 450gr of old potatoes (or floury)
- 300g cauliflower (only the flowers)
- 75gr of red lentils
- 60gr of rice flour
- 75gr of cashews
- 4 Medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
- 25gr grated ginger
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 4 or 5 tablespoons of water
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- Extra virgin olive oil for frying
For the sauce:
- 1 1/2 lime
- 1 bunch of mint
- 2 tablespoons of agave syrup
- 1 Greek yogurt
Elaboration
- Peel, clean and cut the potatoes and boil them in salted water. Put them through a food mill and set aside. Also boil the red lentils for 10 to 15 minutes, drain and set aside.
- Peel, clean and finely chop the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Grate the ginger . Chop the dates. Chop the cashews coarsely. Put the cauliflower in the food processor until it becomes rice-sized grains.
- In a frying pan (I used a cast iron one, the Skeppshult) with 2 tablespoons of oil, sauté the onion for 5 minutes until it has softened. Add the ginger, garlic and garam masala and let it brown for a couple of minutes. Add the cauliflower and sauté for a further 10 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked.
- Separately, chop the cashews coarsely and sauté with a few drops of oil in the pan.
- In a bowl , mix the potatoes, lentils, cauliflower mixture, along with the cashews and dates. Add salt and pepper. Knead well with rice flour and water. If you notice that they are not consistent, add a little more rice flour. (The consistency will depend on the type of potato used)
- Shape the koftas using 2 spoons or a croquette maker (I found this to be better, so they were all the same size). Coat them in a little rice flour to make them easier to handle. Fry in plenty of hot oil until golden. Drain on absorbent paper.
- Prepare the mint and lime sauce. In a hand blender, blend the chopped mint with the juice of one lime and 2 tablespoons of agave syrup and blend until it forms a fine syrup.
- Serve the meatballs on a bed of Greek yogurt and the mint-lime sauce. Enjoy them in a pita bread or with Indian basmati rice.
Pallarès carbon steel knife , Skeppshult cast iron frying pan and La Croquetera tongs for croquettes and meatballs
