Shaam Savera (Spinach Balls in a tomato sauce) | Cooking With Kin #14#

In terms of blogging, she's younger than me! ;-) But what amazes me is that she's already managed to post so many delicacies; supporting them with good looking photographs! It took me 2 months of blogging and a friend's advice to realize that food pics have to be neatly designed too! But this blogger's clean photographs and precise recipe instructions make her blog really beautiful! Here's introducing Rasi, from Vegetarian Food and Me.
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This is my very first guest post for Kavi of Edible Entertainment.. When i first read her message, i was surprised and couldnt really believe it...i had to go read it again just to be sure..Is it really me, she is addressing it too??? :D..

I am thrilled to be a part of this CWK Series, i really enjoy this series and Kavi has managed to bring in all my favorite blogger's in one place!

I decided to choose our family favorite dish 'Shaam Savera'.. This is a signature dish of Sanjeev Kapoor & tastes amazing..Its Palak Kofta with Paneer stuffing in a tangy tomato gravy and hence the name Shaam Savera :).  Trust me, when i say people will rave about this dish, once you make it at home and for all you know, you just might never order kofta's in restaurants anymore..coz you make the best at home ;)

 

another look...

SHAAM SAVERA RECIPE (Spinach balls in tomato sauce)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1. Spinach - 2 bundles

2. Tomatoes - 5

3. Paneer - 3/4 cup (click here to make paneer at home)

4. Garlic paste - 1 tsp

5. Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp

6. Coriander- cumin powder - 1.5 tsp

7. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

8. Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp

9. Kasturi Methi - 1 tbsp

10. Milk - 1/2 cup

11. Corn Flour - 4-5 tsp

12. Saunf - 1tsp

13. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

14. Salt - to taste

15. Butter - 2- 3 tbsp

16. Water - 1/4 cup

17. Oil for deep frying 

Method

In a pan, add 1-1.5tbsp of butter and to this add ginger garlic paste. Then, add finely chopped tomatoes

Cook the tomatoes till mushy ( See 1st pic..Another way, you know you are done when the raw smell of tomatoes goes & you smell butter & garlic). Cool it & blend it to a puree and strain the mixture ( Can you see the seeds, skin are out). Keep aside

Meanwhile, in another pan, add 6 cups of water and bring it to boil. Then, add spinach leaves to the water and let it boil for 3 minutes. Remove, run it through cold water (This is blanching of spinach)

Squeeze the water completely of spinach and then chop it finely. Now in a pan, cook it till moisture disappears ( around 7-8 minutes) and transfer to a bowl

As the spinach is getting cooked, you could make the paneer stuffing. Grate panner. To this add 2-3 tsp of corn flour, pepper powder, salt, saunf & coriander-cumin powder (1/2tsp & optional). Mash completely & make small balls for stuffing & keep aside

To the cooked & cooled spinach, add salt & 2 tsp of cornflour and mix well. Grease hand with cornflour, take a small pinch of spinach, place the paneer ball on top of it & then add more spinach to make a kofta balls

Now that Shaam(Green Kofta's) are ready. Heat the oil for frying & now the Savera (tomato gravy) can be prepared by the side. Prior to this, take a pan, add 1tbsp of Kasturi Methi and roast till it turns brown. Remove & keep aside

To the stained tomato puree, add 2 tsp of butter, 1tsp coriander-cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt,water and let it simmer for 5 minutes

Then, add crushed kasturi methi and mix well. Let it simmer for 1 minute, then slowly add milk & continuously stir, while adding. Let it simmer, till the mixture thickens

The gravy is now ready. The oil would become hot by now, add the kofta balls & fry till it turns brown. Add 1-2 at a time, giving enough room for them to move freely!

Remove & cool it, slit to half and add to gravy.. There is your Shaam Savera.. Enjoy with Roti's or Puri's

 This might seem like a very lengthy process & a very long post..But it really is not,I explained all steps in detail, thats about it.. Make this & let me how it turned out :)

Pointers

1. I wanted to bake the koftas & even tried it..unlike other koftas,as the outer cover is made of spinach, there is a slight bitterness.. So, frying them gives a better taste!

2. Addition of Coriander-cumin powder is optional! You can see when the kofta is cut, the white color is not seen, its bcoz of this. The original recipe doesn't have it..i add it bcoz its gives a little extra taste!

3. 2 bundles of spinach might seem too much, but you need that as spinach shrinks. This made around 6 Kofta balls, but big ones (good enough for 2- 3 people)

(You may also like > Malai Kofta)