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The legendary Wazwan cuisine of Kashmir is difficult to create in its authentic form. It needs discipline, it takes time to prepare and it needs a chef who is well-versed in the Art of Wazwan. However, across generations numerous variations of Wazwan recipes have been handed down from mother-to-daughter and father-to-son; some of these variations look at simplifying the recipes without sacrificing the authentic flavour. In today’s post, we present one such recipe: the Kashmiri Kofta.
Ingredients for Kashmiri Kofta:
Mutton: 750 gram, minced
Onions: 2 large, grated
P Mark Mustard Oil: 3 tablespoon
Yogurt: 500 gram
Chicken broth: 400 ml
Red Chilli Powder: Half a teaspoon
Fennel (Saunf) seeds: 2 tablespoon, ground
Ginger, ground: 2 tablespoon
Garam Masala: 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida (Heeng) Powder: Half a teaspoon
Cloves (Laung): 5
Cinnamon (Dalchini): One stick (1-inch)
Cinnamon (Dalchini) Powder: 1 teaspoon
Black Cardamoms (Ilaichi): 2 (with seeds taken out and crushed)
Coriander (Dhania) Leaves, chopped: 3 tablespoon
Salt: 3 teaspoon
Preparation for Kashmiri Kofta
Take the minced meat and put it in a bowl. Add the fennel, ginger, yogurt, Garam Masala and 2 tablespoon of the chopped coriander. Add 2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of Mustard Oil. Mix thoroughly and let the meat marinate for at least two hours. In Kashmir, they let it marinate overnight.
Take around 200 ml of water in a small cup. Add the asafoetida, mix and keep aside.
Method for Kashmiri Kofta
Once the meat has been marinated, use your hands to shape the minced meat into palm-sized meatballs (a meatball is called “Kofta”, hence the name Kashmiri Kofta). Dip each meatball in the water-asafoetida mixture. When you are done, pour or sprinkle the remaining water-asafoetida mixture over the meatballs. Keep aside.
Heat the remaining Mustard Oil in a pan with the flame set on Low. Add the cloves and the cinnamon stick and sauté quickly for a minute or less. Add the onions, increase the heat to High and continue to sauté for around 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir vigorously to mix well. Reduce the flame to Low heat and add the yogurt. This is a tricky bit. Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature; pour it slowly, whisking to ensure that the gravy doesn’t curdle. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat. Add the meatballs one by one. Add the remaining salt along with the red chilli powder. Let the mixture simmer for around 20 minutes.
Place the mixture in a serving dish, sprinkle the cinnamon powder and the black cardamoms, and garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.
Your homemade version of the famous Kashmiri Kofta is now ready to be served. This delectable dish can be eaten with roti or with steaming hot rice.
