Angoori Kofte Recipe / Shahjahani Angoori Kofte Recipe / Angoori Kofta Curry Recipe ~ Bygone Era Indian Cuisine

Starting the Bygone Era Indian Cuisine Series with this post. I am curating 10 recipes from an era of India when every dish cooked was a labour of love, was literally considered an artist's masterpiece and the chef was no less than an artist. Indian cuisine was richly influenced by the invaders from the Mughals to the Portuguese to the British who came to this country, bringing in their entourage of cooks with them, who then interwove themselves with the already existing rich culinary heritage of India and created dishes which were not only a visual delight but took the taste buds on a ride to flavour Utopia. In this post I share with you a dish which was cooked in the Royal kitchens of Emperor Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Rular, whose reign spanned from 1628 ~ 1658. Dear Readers presenting the Shahjahani Angoori Kofte or simply Angoori Kofte to you.

When I tasted these dishes I instantly knew that I had laid my hands on a treasure trove. I am fortunate these almost lost recipes and will share the same with you in my subsequent posts in the 10 post series on the Bygone Era Indian Cuisine. Dear readers no matter in which part of the world you are you can cook these dishes and traverse through bits of Indian History through it's exceptional cuisine. So let's get the ball rolling with a Regal looking, colourful vegetarian dish called Angoori Kofte. Angoori Kofte is a unique mix of vegetabkes, herbs, milk products, exotic spices etc. which are combined and shaped like a grape or Kofta which is served on a bed of a Supremely creamy, rich, royal gravy. Angoori means like a grape as these Koftas are shaped almost to resemble a grape or angoor and had the similar green colour as that of grapes hence the name.

The Angoori Kofte is nothing like any of the Kofta curries that you have tasted till date. If you don't believe me then please try this recipe and you will be happy that I told you about this dish. I have followed the original recipe without making any change. The only change I made was to replace the poppy seeds paste with melon seeds & cashewnut paste as poppy seeds are banned here.

Angoori Kofte Recipe / Angoori Kofta Curry Recipe ~

Author ~ Piyali Sekhar Mutha

Serves ~ 4 (Makes around 16 ~ 18 Angoori Kofte)

Cuisine ~ Indian, Mughlai, Mughal

Type ~ Curry, Vegetable Ball Curry, Main Course

Time ~ 30 minutes preparation + 30 minutes cooking

Ingredients ~

For the Angoori Kofte 

1 Cup Grated Bottle Gourd / Louki, blanched & water squeezed out totally

1/ 4 th Cup Milk Solids / Khoya, crumbled

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese / Paneer, crumbled

1 Tsp Green Chilies, finely chopped

1 Tsp Ginger, finely chopped

1/2 Tsp Green Cardamom Powder, Choti Elaichi Powder

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/4 th Tsp Yellow Chilli Powder

3 Tbsp Rosted Husked Split Chick Peas Powder / Bhuna Hua Chana Powder

2 Tbsp Thick Spinach Puree / Palak Paste ( Blanche the spinach, drain out all the water and make a thick paste)

Salt to taste

16 ~ 18 Whole Pistachios for stuffing the Angoori Kofte

Silver Foil / Chandi ka wraq to wrap half the Koftas in 

Oil to Deep fry the Angoori Kofte

For the Shahi / Royal Gravy ~

3 ~ 4 Tbsp Oil

1 Large Pinch Fenugreek Seeds / Methi Dana

1/ 2 Cup Boiled Onion Paste, ( made from Boiling 1 large roughly sliced Onion, boilimg it covered with water till soft, then making into a paste. Do not discard the water, use it in the cooking.)

1 Tsp Coriander Powder

1/4 th Tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/4 th Tsp Yellow Chilli Powder

1/4 th Cup Tomato Puree

1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds Paste / Khus Khus Paste ( I replaced it with 2 Tbsp Melon Seeds (Magaj Manji) and Chashew nut paste)

4 Tbsp Almond Paste / Badam Paste

1/ 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/4 th Tsp Green Cardamom Powder

3 ~ 4 Tbsp Fresh Cream

Salt to taste

Almond Slivers for garnishing

Let's Make Angoori Kofte Recipe / Shahjahani Angoori Kofte Recipe / Angoori Kofta Curry Recipe In Easy Steps

Angoori Kofte Making Procedure ~

1) Take a large mixing bowl. Add the first 11 ingredients that is upto Salt to taste from "For The Angoori Kofte" list of ingredients above.

2) Mix everything nicely to form a soft dough.

3) Divide the dough into equal parts. Take one piece of the dough, shape it like a ball, flatten itlike a disc and place a pistachio in it's center, just like the image below.

4)  Now bring all the sides of the disc together, roll it between your palms and shape it like a cylinder or green long grape. Please note the length of these Angoori Kofte should not be more than 2 inch.

5) This is how your Angoori Kofte should look just before frying.

6) Take a wok, fill it with oil. Deep fry the Kofte in it.

7) Special care should be taken to regulate the temperature of the oil. The oil should be neither very hot nor just warm. The idea is not to change the colour of the Angoori Kofte to brown but to fry it well with a light golden brown tinge. Drain the Angoori kofte and place it on a kitchen napkin to remove any excess oil. Wrap some of the Angoori kofte in silver foil.

Gravy Making Procedure ~

1) In a wok take oil. Add fenugreek seeds. Let it crackle.

2) Add boiled oinion paste. Cook for a couple of minutes.

3) Add turmeric powder, yellow chilli powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.

4) Add tomato puree, mix and cook for a couple of minutes.

5) Add Poppy seeds paste ( I added melon seeds and cashew nut paste) followed by the almond paste, mix and cook for a few minutes.

6) Add garam masala, green cardamom powder, salt, mix and simmer till oil leaves the sides of the gravy.

7) Add little water now and simmer for a coup,e of minutes. 

8) Finish off with a dollop of fresh cream. Mix and your gravy is ready.

9) Add the koftas and serve.

Recipe And Trivia Referance ~ Epic TV Channel (India's No. 1 Infotainment