Sour Cream Kofta
Kofta is a popular dish in many cultures. Wherever the Persian and Ottoman empires had influence, as well as in old Arabian cooking texts, there are Kofta recipes. This recipe is a nod to the dishes I learned in India that used yogurt as the sauce. In this case, I use Only Plant Based! Sour Cream.
Sour Cream Kofta
Makes 14-2.5 ounce patties
Kofta:
3 cups cauliflower,grated
2 cups sweet potato (yam) grated with peel
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 cups chickpea flour
½ teaspoon hing powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon sambhar masala (see recipe below)
½ teaspoon molasses
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup vegetable oil
Sour cream sauce:
2 cups Only Plant Based! Sour Cream
½ teaspoon hing powder
½ teaspoon sambhar masala
3/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup water
Salt to taste
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Kofta:
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large mixing bowl, mix cauliflower, sweet potato and spices by hand (best to use a glove). Add chickpea flour a little at a time, starting with about 1 1/4 cups. Knead until the mixture holds together when formed into a patty. Make patties about as big as the palm of your hand (3 ounces), approximately about ⅝” thick. Arrange evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes.
Sauce:
In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, hing, sambhar and parsley. Add the water and then the salt. taking into consideration that the kofta will soak up most of the water. Place the kofta patties on a serving plate and pour the sauce over them. Allow several minutes for the kofta to soak up the sauce before serving. Garnish with cilantro.
Sambhar Masala
Sambhar masala is readily available online and in Indian groceries. Each brand has a slightly different mixture of flavors. A fresh-ground masala can take a dish to another level, so I prefer to make my own. This is an easy version.
Lightly dry toast and grind:
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
½ teaspoon black peppercorn
2 whole cloves
Mix with
¼ cup dried neem leaves, ground
1 teaspoons cayenne
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Store extra masala in an airtight container and in the fridge or freezer if storing it for prolonged periods.
Recipe by Chef George Vutetakis