Ingredients:

For kofta:

Spinach: 600 gms

Green chillies: 3-4

Garlic: 6-8 cloves

Cornflour: 3 tbsps

Salt: to taste

Cottage cheese (paneer): 125 gms

Oil: to deep fry

For tomato gravy:

Butter: 3 tbsps

Green cardamoms: 5

Black cardamoms: 2

Cloves:3

Cinnamon: 1"

Bay leaf: 1

Peppercorns: 5

Ginger paste: 1 tbsp

Garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Tomato puree: 2 cups

Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp

Salt: to taste

Sugar/honey: 3 tbsps

Kasoori methi (crushed): 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream: 1 cup

Method of preparation:

1. Wash spinach in plenty of running water. Blanch in boiling hot water and refresh in cold water. Squeeze out watter and chop finely.

2. Remove stem, wash and chop green chillies. Peel and chop garlic. Add half of the chopped green chillies, salt, chopped garlic and cornflour to the blanched chopped spinach. Mix well and divide into 12 equal portions.

3. Grate paneer. Add salt and mash well. Divide into 12 equal balls.

4. Take spinach portions, flatten  it on your palm and stuff pannner balls in it. Shape into a ball. Deep fry in moderately hot oil for 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

5. Heat butter in a pan, add green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and peppercorns. When it crackles, add ginger and garlic pastes and remaining chopped green chillies. Cook for 2 minutes.

6. Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and one cup of water. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar or honey and kasoori methi. Stir in fresh cream.

7. Serve koftas cut into halves on top of tomato gravy. Do not boil koftas in the gravy as they may break.

TIP: Before proceeding with all the koftas, deep fry one and check if they are breaking. If yes, add some more cornflour in spinach mixture and then deep fry in hot oil.