Nargisi Kofta by Aparna Bose

Nargisi Kofta is an amazing recipe with hard boiled egg stuffing and deep fried, which could be eaten plain as a snack or can be served with gravy, a very rich cashew and/or almond based gravy that is.

The word “Nargisi” comes from the word Nargis, a winter flower with a yellow centre with white petals around it just like a boiled egg. When you cut the kofta, it resembles the Nargis flower.

Nargisi kofta can be made with mutton keema,chicken keema or beef keema and eggs but it can also be made into a vegetarian recipe by making koftas with vegetables and stuffing egg into it. Frankly, I have never made the vegetarian version so don’t know how it will look or taste. I have tried scrambling eggs with veggies or adding eggs , poached or boiled, into various vegetarian gravy based dishes but have failed to please the fantstic taste buds around me. So, I don’t think I will ever do the vegetarian counterpart.. no.

The kofta is shaped by spreading the spiced minced meat in your palm and using boiled eggs to stuff between them and wrapping the boiled eggs tightly and smoothly with the keema mixture and deep frying these koftas in oil.
The gravy is prepared using the basic OGG paste, powdered or ground masalas, tomato purée OR yoghurt and fried onions which gives an amazing flavour to the koftas.

 

Aparna says, “My research leads me to believe that the famous Scotch Eggs were inspired by this classic dish but their are some who like to insist that it is the other way around…

I am not equipped to challenge the authenticity hence will stick to what I love to do. That is cook and develop various recipes. I have never been a stickler for authenticity as I feel this tendency narrows the scope for experimenting and innovating.”

Aparna Bose is a home cook and also the Proprietor of Gograshe – a food catering organization.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE KOFTAS:

3 to 4 eggs hard boiled and peeled and kept aside

300 gms boneless mutton keema

salt – to taste

red chilli powder- as required

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp roasted cumin powder

1 tsp full garlic paste

½ tsp ginger paste

½ tsp onion paste

½ tsp garam masala powder ( cardamom, cloves, dalchini, javitri)

black pepper powder- as required

½ tsp fresh coriander(chopped)

chillies finely chopped-as required

¼ tsp mint leaves freshly chopped

1 tsp ghee

2 tbsp or more besan, roasted in ghee for binding.(you can use breadcrumbs too as a substitute)

1 egg white.

Fine rice flour for dusting the koftas.

Oil for deep frying

FOR THE GRAVY:

2 tbsp ghee

2 onions finely chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1tbsp onion paste

salt – as required

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Little turmeric powder

¼ tsp garam masala powder

¼ tsp black pepper corn powder

1 large tomato pureed OR 2 tsp yoghurt beaten nicely

6 cashewnuts and 6 almonds made into a paste

2-3 tbsp freshly chopped coriander leaves

Water

 

 

METHOD

 

FOR THE KOFTAS

  • Pressure cook keema with onion, ginger, garlic , salt, black pepper powder, red chilli powder, mint leaves, very little water for upto two whistles on a high flame.
  • Take out the steam immediately and cool the mix.
  • Squeeze out all the moisture and blend the keema with roasted cumin powder, garam masala .
  • To the mixture add chopped coriander, green chillies , 1 tsp oil, bread crumbs or besan , one egg whiteband mix nicely. Taste and check the salt. You may balance the taste by adding a pinch of sugar.
  • Transfer the blended keema mixture into a bowl.
  • Apply ghee all over the palms, place the keema mixture on the palm and pat to spread it like a small chapati with the other hand.
  • Place a boiled egg in the center and cover the egg with the keema shaping it into a ball, round or oval. Use rest of the blended keema mixture and make nargisi koftas by stuffing egg and refrigerate for an hour .
  • For frying, heat oil in a wok, mustard oil preferably. Dust the koftas with rice powder and drop them carefully in hot oil and deep fry them on low flame evenly and nicely.
  • Take out the deep fried koftas on a kitchen paper and once the excess oil is absorbed you can serve them as a snack/ starter.

 

FOR THE GRAVY:

  • Take a pan, smoke mustard oil , add chopped onions and fry them until they turn golden in colour. Cool and make a paste with little water.
  • In another pan or wok, heat some ghee add ginger +garlic+ onion paste and saute till raw smell goes away. Add the fried onion paste as well at this stage.
  • Add salt and powdered spices and mix well and cook for few seconds on low flame. Add the blended purée or yoghurt into it and cook until fat starts oozing on the sides.
  • Add the blended paste of nuts into it, mix it well and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Add water to adjust the consistency.
  • Slide in the deep fried nargisi koftas into it very carefully, cover and cook the koftas for about 10 minutes on a very low flame.
  • Garnish the koftas and the gravy with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately. Or you can assemble the gravy and the koftas just before serving.
  • Goes well with steamed rice/ pulao.
Egg Ecstasy Comments Off on Nargisi Kofta by Aparna Bose