Go bananas over kofta

Banana Kofta

While bananas are typically used in sweet dishes in New Zealand, Preeti Maheshwari has a delicious recipe for people keen to try something new. Raw banana kofta curry is a popular Bengali dish in India. It is an exotic twist on a traditional malai kofta. The sweetness of the raw banana blends with an array of spices to make a flavourful and warming meal.

Ingredients:

For the Koftas

2 Raw bananas

1 onion (finely chopped)

4-5 tbsps Gram flour

¼ tsp Ground cumin

¼ tsp Garam masala

Butter 1 tbsp appromiately

Salt to taste

¼ tsp Red chilli powder

1 tbsp chopped coriader leaves

Oil for deep frying

For the gravy

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 tomatoes (pureed)

8-10 Cashew nuts (blend with water and make fine paste)

¼ tsp Ginger garlic paste

½ tsp Red chilli powder

¼ tsp Ground cumin

¼ tsp Coriander powder

¼ tsp Dry Mango powder (optional)

Sugar ½ tbsp

Green chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Fresh cream

½ cup Milk

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Boil the raw bananas until soft and mushy.

In a bowl add the gram flour, finely chopped onion, coriander leaves, red chilli powder, garam masala, ground cumin and salt.

Mix all the ingredients and knead it well to form a dough. It will be sticky so do not add water.

Add a tablespoon of butter. This will help to enhance the taste and make the koftas soft.

Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and deep fry in medium heat till they turn golden brown and drain it on a paper towel.

Cover and keep it aside.

Preparing the gravy:

In a pan add 2 tbsp of oil. Put in some cumin seeds and when they crackle add onions. Cook the onions till golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute it for a minute or two. Add the tomato puree and salt. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on low-medium heat.

Mix the garam masala, red chilli powder, ground cumin, dry mango powder and coriander powder.

Add cashew paste and cook for 5 minutes stiring the mixture occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the pan and get burnt.

Add milk and a little water to get a gravy consistency.

Let this boil for 2 minutes.

Switch off the heat. Put the koftas in the gravy and gently mix.

Raw banana kofta is ready to serve.with chapati or rice.

Tips:

If you leave the koftas soaked in the gravy for about 30 minutes, they will taste better.

Always deep fry the koftas in medium heat or they will not get cooked properly.