Nargisi Kofta (dry)

Nargisi Kofta finds its counterpart in the western Scotch Egg; which is not only a milder version of our Nargisi but also doesn't get into a gravy! I wanted to have Nargisi Kofta and I wanted it dry with a few veggies tossed on the side, so I tweaked it a bit using breadcrumbs and corn starch, which I wouldn't if I were making the usual Nargisi Kofta with its thick gravy. It's simple, it's easy, it's divine. Need I say more?



Ingredients:

Eggs...............................4, hard boiled and shelled
Mince............................250 gms. I used chicken mince
Green chilli...................1 or according to heat factor of the chilli
Onion............................3 tbsps, coarsely chopped
Ginger..........................1/2 inch coarsely chopped
Garlic...........................2 flakes (big variety)
Green coriander(cilantro)......2-3 sprigs
Bread crumbs...............4-5 tbsps fresh crumbs for the mince. More for the coating
Garam masala.............1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Besan (chickpea flour)..1 tbsp, dry roasted
Corn starch..................3-4 tsps
Oil for frying

Abbr: Tbsp= tablespoon, tsp= teaspoon


Make fresh breadcrumbs with two or three slices of bread in a mixer (the number of slices depends on the size of bread used) You can use dry crumbs however I prefer to use fresh crumbs for this.

Give the onions, coriander, garlic, ginger a quick turn in the mixer so it is chopped fine and not ground into a paste. That wouldn't do you know.


Dry roast the besan (chickpea flour) to a light brown hue. Pass it through a sieve to remove lumps.



Mix the wet mixture, besan and breadcrumbs to the mince. Add salt and garam masala. Check the seasoning. If you are queasy about raw stuff, fry a tiny ball of mince and taste it.
Now make palm sized balls of the mince. Hollow out the centre, place an egg in it and wrap the mince around it. Roll the kofta gently in your palms. Do this to all four eggs. Make sure that the mince coating is smooth, no cracks, and thick.



This is how they look. The shape of these will change when they go through the next step.



Add some water to the corn starch (it's also called corn flour in India) Spread about 2 tbsps of breadcrumbs in a plate.




Dip a kofta in the corn starch dip and roll in the breadcrumbs. Keep adding more breadcrumbs after each one is done. Now as you roll the kofta in your palms shape it to the shape of the egg. Gently does it. You don't want to break the mince cover anywhere and expose the egg.


When all four are done, heat the oil, then lower to medium heat and fry the koftas one at a time, turning them constantly to fry evenly.


Remove, cool a bit then using a sharp knife, slice down the centre lengthwise.


Didn't I tell you it's sheer drool!!


_________________________________________________________________

Comments