Malai Kofta Curry

One of our favourite curries in all Indian restaurants is the Malai Kofta. In fact, my husband uses this dish as his criterion for judging restaurants:) The place that can dish out a rich, delicious and freshly-spiced Kofta Curry goes on his wishlist. Though I've made similar curries before, I had never really ventured into making the authentic malai kofta, but when we planned a pre-Diwali dinner with family and friends, I knew it's now or never!! So I made the Malai Kofta Curry and am proud to say that it was a hit with everyone and was also complimented as being "restaurant-style"!! This dish does involve some planning and preparation time, but at the end, it is truly worth it.

Ingredients

For Koftas
2 cups Paneer - grated
3 Potatoes - boiled and mashed
1 cup Green Peas
1 small Carrot boiled and grated
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
3-4 tbsp Maida
2 tbsp Cashews slit in halves
3 tbsp Raisins
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice

For Gravy
2 medium Onions - finely chopped
1 can of Tomato Puree
12-15 Cashews
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Kitchen King Masala
2 tsp Jeera
1 tbsp Cumin-Coriander Powder
2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 cup Fresh or Whipping Cream
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
2 Green Cardamon
2 Cloves
1 Bay Leaf
1 big tbsp Tandoori Masala
1 tbsp Oil/Ghee
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method

For Koftas
Mix the boiled and grated carrot, green peas, boiled and mashed potatoes and the grated paneer in a big bowl. Add the garam masala, kitchen king masala, salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder and maida and mix them well using your hands. Do not add water. In fact, remove any water from boiled vegetables to make a thick mixture that can be rolled into tight balls.

Make small egg-shaped balls and deep fry them in batches in hot oil at slow to medium flame till they turn golden brown and crisp from outside. Transfer the fried koftas on paper towel to remove excess oil. If you see that your koftas break while frying, try rolling them in more maida or bread crumbs before frying.

For Gravy
Blend the tomato puree with cashews, kitchen king masala, cunim-coriander powder, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder to smooth paste; add 3 tbsp water to form a liquid paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf and saute it for a few mins, then add the chopped onions to it till they are pinkish golden in color. Add the ginger-garlic paste, and then the tomato-cashew puree. Add 1 1/2 cups water and mix well to form the gravy. When it starts simmering, add the dry spices, salt and whipping cream and cook for further 10-15 minutes over a low flame. If you think it is thick and need to make it liquid, add some whole milk. Finally add the tandoori masala to get the nice yellow color. Remove from heat, mix in finely chopped coriander and keep it aside.

When it's time to serve, arrange the koftas in a serving dish, pour the gravy over them and garnish with fresh cream and chopped coriander. Serve hot with Parathas or Jeera Rice! Hope this delicious Malai Kofta curry finds a place on your dinner table and helps liven your meal, just as it did ours!

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Doodhi/Lauki Kofta Curry
Hariyali Paneer Koftas

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Basbousa - Semolina (Sooji) Cake with Rose Syrup

I have made cakes with all-purpose flour all the time, so this time I decided to try something new. While looking for ethnic cake recipes, I came across this one called "Basbousa", which is a typical middle-eastern dessert (mainly Egyptian) with Semolina as a main ingredient. Also, unlike the traditional way of making cakes, this is unique as it uses a sugar syrup topping for a plain cake, which in fact induces the softness, flavor and sweetness to the cake. Also, almonds and lemon juice are an important part of the traditional recipe. I was excited with the idea of making a cake with semolina, or sooji as it is known in India, as it sounded healthy and different. I have to say this was one of my favorite and satisfying baking escapades!

The concept of using sugar syrup was fascinating, as I've made a Tres Leches Cake before which uses milk syrup in the same way. As I'm not too huge a fan of lemon flavor in my cakes, I cut down on the lemon juice a little and added Rose essence instead as I thought it would give a nice aroma and a mildly sweet taste that would accentuate the recipe. The result, a perfectly moist and healthy cake with a distinct taste, flavor and texture, thanks to the semolina, almonds and rose essence.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter - unsalted
3/4 cup sugar
1 tspn vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups fine semolina (sooji)
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn soda-bicarbonate
3/4 cup plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt
12-15 almonds - blanched and split

For the Syrup Topping
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp rose essence
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method
Take a bowl and mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Sift the semolina, baking powder and soda in another bowl. Add this slowly into the butter mixture alternately with yogurt. Beat well so you can allow semolina to expand once it gets into the oven.

Now grease a cake pan and spread batter into it. Pinch in the almonds on top of the cake at equal distances so that when you cut into pieces later, each piece has an almond topping in the center.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and bake for 30-35 minutes until cake is cooked.

Making the Syrup
To prepare the syrup topping, dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, add the lemon juice and the rose essence and bring to a boil.

Let it boil for 5-7 mins, then allow to cool by placing the container in another larger bowl filled with cold water (indirect cooling).

Assemble the Cake
When the cake is done, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Let the cake soak the syrup and set it aside for 15 mins or so. Once it is completely cooled, cut into diamond or square shapes. Serve each piece topped with whipped cream or desired fruit topping!

Basbousa, or Semolina Cake as I'd call it, is a perfect traditional dessert and we really enjoyed its light and spongy texture. I'll surely be making this again, perhaps with shredded coconut next time!

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Ambala Dhaba Restaurant - Los Angeles, CA

I realized that staying in the Bay Area, I have visited so many nice restaurants that I have neglected writing about the ones I have loved visiting in other places! You do tend to get biased for the place you live in, but then again, its also because in Bay Area I have discovered a culinary heaven like nowhere else. I know I know...some of my friends from the East Coast are going to pounce on me for this, but hey, I believe in what I see:) I spent almost 2 years in Los Angeles, CA, and there are definitely a few restaurants worth mentioning. One such quaint yet appealing place is the Ambala Dhaba, a reasonable restaurant in Westwood Santa Monica that appeals to me not only for their food, but also the ambience!

Located between Santa Monica Blvd and Massachusets Avenue in West LA, this Indian restaurant has a setting of a "dhaba", or a village-like setting that makes you feel like you are sitting in a small cottage with a thatched roof. Dhaba is actually a nick-name for food joints along roads and highways in India so people can stop over for food and some rest on their long drives. This idea might not be so attractive to non-Indians who have never been to a place like this before, but trust me, it's cozy and comfortable. The entire place is decorated in a rustic fashion, with ancient Indian props, and delicate lighting is provided using standard lamps which are covered with dry-grass-like material to give it an old-world look, yet lively, unintruding and pleasant at the same time. The walls have large paintings of Indian village life on one side, while there are LCD TV's playing indian music on the other end for people who are interested in tuning to it.

Next comes the food. I wouldn't say that it is inexpensive, definitely not a place for everyday lunches or dinners, but it is very reasonable. They have vegetarian and non-veg entrees, and other than a few curries and biryani which is a bit on the higher side, the average price ranges from 9 to 12 dollars, which I think is standard for a place like Westwood. The quality of food is excellent. It's not like they reheat food and serve it to you. You can actually feel the authentic north-indian flavor and spices in the curries. the breads are fluffy and tasty, and there is a wide variety to choose from, some unusal ones being Makki Paratha, Amritsari naan, Pudina paratha and the Ambala Kulcha. They also have seafood, lamb and goat for the meat-lovers and the Vegetable Biryani is highly recommended.

Among drinks and desserts, the Almond shake, Pistachio shake, Rasmalai and Malai Kulfi available in several flavors is a must-try! The service is a bit slower compared to some other restaurants I have been to, but the food is worth the wait. Overall, I'd give it 8 on 10 for the cute and homely setting and the tasty food that could make any occassion a special one! So the next time you are in Los Angeles, give Ambala Dhaba a try and come back to share what your experience has been.

Address
1781 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone(310)966-1772
The Menu

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