Masiyal Kofta Curry | Fried Vegetable balls in Spinach Curry | Gluten Free and Vegan Recipe | Masterchefmom's Fusion Recipe

Hi Supermoms,

For me, planning weekend lunch menu is always tricky. I am torn between North Indian and South Indian cuisine. As my children grew up in the North, they love North Cuisine equally or more than South Cuisine. A kadhi chawal or chole chawal will any day rank higher in their favourite list than a rasam or kootu. Whereas, it is not the case with us. 

Few days ago, I striked a balance between these two great cuisines and created 'Keerai Masiyal Kofta' or "Masiyal Kofta Curry' and  it worked out brilliantly. 'Masiyal' in Tamil language means 'To mash'. The flavours were on point and liked by every one. The best part were the koftas ( fried vegetable balls ) that were so tasty to eat. Some were gobbled even before I dunked them in the spinach gravy. 

The spinach gravy was also yummy . Interestingly, it can be served as one single curry dish or can be served as Kofta pakoras and spinach chutney . Either way, they are going to be loved. I added tamarind to bring more tanginess to the dish and to pair it with rice. If you are going to serve it along with roti/phulka/chapatis, then you can add an extra tomato and skip the tamarind. 

Also, I have added garlic to the masiyal , which is  optional. You can add or reduce the amount of green chillies according to your spice preference. I loved the texture and taste of the spinach masiyal . I have combined two, not so popular( at home) but very healthy vegetables - spinach and bottle gourd in this recipe . 

When you fry koftas with oil in the right temperature, it does not absorb too much oil. Also, grate the bottle gourd, only when you are ready to fry them. Squeeze the extra water from the bottle gourd and add chick pea flour to make a stiff dough. Alternatively, you can use a Appe pan to shallow fry the kofta. 

The Masiyal Kofta Curry  served with steaming hot and fluffy rice turned out to be a super delicious and satisfying weekend meal. You are sure to love it. I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you.

Masiyal Kofta Curry :

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 50 minutes 

Serves : 4

1 cup = 250 ml cup 

Ingredients :

For the Kofta :

2 cups grated bottle gourd ( peel, de-seed and grate) 

1 small onion ( finely chopped)

1 green chilli ( finely chopped)

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves 

1/4 cup chickpea flour/besan 

1 teaspoon corn starch ( optional)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder ( I used Kashmiri chilli powder)

1/4 teaspoon jeera powder/ roasted cumin powder 

1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

pinch of asafoetida

salt to taste

oil to fry 

For the Keerai Masiyal :

3 cups fresh spinach ( washed and finely chopped)

1 tomato ( finely chopped) 

1 onion 

2 garlic pods 

1/2" ginger 

2-3  green chillies 

1/4 teaspoon thick tamarind paste OR marble size tamarind ( deseeded) 

1/4 cup toor dal/pigeon peas 

salt to taste

For tempering :

1-2 teaspoons oil 

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1-2 dry red chillies ( halved)

2 garlic pods ( finely chopped, optional)

1 sprig curry leaves ( torn roughly)

Method :

1. In a heavy bottom vessel or kadai, add the spinach, tomato, onion, garlic , ginger , green chillies and tamarind.

2. Add salt and  let them cook over low flame for 10 minutes and switch off. 

Chef tip : You can add 1/4 cup of water if required. Spinach leaves water and you can also cover the vessel with a lid . Alternatively, you can also steam the vegetables . 

3. Once the mixture cools, add the cooked dal with the boiled spinach mixture and grind into a creamy masiyal and set it aside.

4. In a wide bowl add all the ingredients given ' For the Kofta' and mix well to form a stiff dough. Roll them into equal size balls.

Chef tip : Squeezing water out of the bottle gourd is an important step. Also add more flour in case the dough is runny. The dough will be a little sticky. 

5. Heat oil in an iron kadai/wok.

6. Drop a small piece of the dough to check the temperature of oil.

7. If it instantly sizzles up, the oil is ready to fry the koftas. 

8. Gently drop the koftas in batches and fry them till they are fully done on all sides.

Chef tip : Once the oil has reached the right temperature, reduce the flame to low/medium to retain the temperature. 

9. Drain the fried koftas on a kitchen towel .

10. Repeat the same process for the remaining batter.

11. In a wide pan or vessel, add the ground masiyal and adjust water quantity.

Chef tip : You can add 1- 1.5 cups of water.

12. Add salt and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.

13. Add the koftas and switch off.

14. Heat a small ladle/pan with oil and temper with all the ingredients given for the same.

15. Pour it into the Masiyal Kofta Curry. 

Serve it along with hot rice. Simply delicious !

If you liked this recipe , you will also love  Kadhi Pakoda Kuzhambu/Kadhi PakoraKuzhambu recipe . 

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom