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White plate with cauliflower kofta and tomato sauce

Cauliflower Kofta with Tomato Sauce

Cauliflower kofta are delicious and flavorful with the use of Indian spices. Serve with creamy tomato sauce as an appetizer or snack.
Author: Pavani
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, north indian
Servings: 20 Kofta

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Kofta:

  • 2 cups Grated Cauliflower (from about ½ of a small head)*
  • 2 Medium Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger+garlic paste
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
  • ¾ teaspoon Red Chili powder (adjust as per taste preference)
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • 2~3 tablespoons Chickpea flour (besan) or All purpose flour
  • To taste Salt
  • 2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • As needed Oil, for deep frying

For the Creamy Tomato Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons Oil
  • 1 Small Onion, very finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Ginger+garlic paste
  • 3~4 Medium Tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
  • ¼ teaspoon Red Chili powder (adjust as per taste preference)
  • teaspoon Turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • To taste Salt
  • ¼ tablespoons Coconut Milk

Instructions

Make Cauliflower Kofta:

  • Combine grated cauliflower, mashed potato, ginger+garlic paste, turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, chickpea flour, salt and cilantro. Mix well to combine all the ingredients and form a stiff dough.
    Scoop about 1 tablespoon of cauliflower mixture and roll into balls. Place them on a plate.
    2 cups Grated Cauliflower (from about ½ of a small head)*, 2 Medium Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed, 1 teaspoon Ginger+garlic paste, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric, ¾ teaspoon Red Chili powder (adjust as per taste preference), ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin, ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander, 2~3 tablespoons Chickpea flour (besan) or All purpose flour, To taste Salt, 2 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped (optional)
  • You can either deep fry, use a aebleskiver (appe) pan or bake these balls.

To Deep Fry:

  • Heat oil for deep frying in a small wok or pan on medium heat. Gently slide in 5~6 balls, depending on the size of the pan and fry until they are evenly golden on all sides.
    Remove using a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the rest of the balls.
    As needed Oil, for deep frying

Using aebleskiver (appe) pan:

  • Add 1 teaspoon oil in each cavity of the pan. Add the kofta balls and fry till golden on all sides. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the rest.

To Bake:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F oven. Place the cauliflower kofta balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly spray the kofta with cooking spray and bake for 20~25 minutes, rotating them half way through.
  • Serve kofta warm with creamy tomato sauce on the side for dipping.

Make Creamy Tomato Sauce:

  • Heat oil in a small saucepan on medium heat, add onion, ginger+garlic paste and cook for 3~4 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook for 3~4 minutes or until they are mushy.
    2 teaspoons Oil, 1 Small Onion, very finely chopped, ½ teaspoon Ginger+garlic paste, 3~4 Medium Tomatoes, chopped
  • Add garam masala, turmeric, red chili powder, turmeric, ground cumin, coriander and salt. Cook for 1~2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and let the sauce heat through, about 1~2 minutes. Set the sauce aside until ready to serve.
    ½ teaspoon Garam Masala, ¼ teaspoon Red Chili powder (adjust as per taste preference), ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric, ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin, ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander, To taste Salt, ¼ tablespoons Coconut Milk

Notes

  • I use the big holes on the box grater to grate cauliflower. But feel free to use the food processor to do the work for you.
  • You can use store bought cauliflower rice, either fresh or frozen instead of grating it yourself. If using frozen, then thaw it according to the package instructions.
  • Make sure to mash the potato properly, big chunks might cause the kofta from breaking in the oil while frying.
  • If you do not have chickpea flour, then use all purpose flour instead.
  • You can use canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh to make the tomato sauce.
  • Substitute coconut cream in the tomato sauce for a creamier texture. You can also use heavy cream for a non-vegan version.
  • If you want to make a smooth tomato sauce, then cool the mixture and grind it to a fine consistency.
  • To serve this recipe as cauliflower kofta curry, make a double batch of the tomato sauce. Top with the gobi kofta just before serving.
  • The same procedure can be used to make veg balls with other veggies. You can use grated carrot, finely chopped green beans, cabbage, green peas, broccoli and so on.
  • If you are feeling adventurous, make mixed veggie balls by using more than 1 vegetable.
  • How to prevent kofta balls from falling apart while deep frying:
    • Sometimes excess moisture in the potatoes makes the kofta fall apart while frying. To avoid that, do a test frying with 1 kofta.
    • If that falls apart, then add some more chickpea flour to the dough. Adding some breadcrumbs will also help.
    • If for some reason, none of the above work, then I recommend either baking them or making them in an appe pan.
  • How to make veg kofta ahead of time:
    • The cauliflower balls can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
    • You can deep fry them on the day you want to serve, up to 2 hours in advance.
    • Either microwave or reheat in a 200°F oven for 8~10 minutes until heated through.
  • Store leftover gobi kofta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. They won't be crispy but they will still taste good. Make sure to reheat them until thoroughly heated through.
  • Leftover tomato sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Kofta | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 277mg | Potassium: 491mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
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