Name: Beetroot koftas in avocado gravy | Vegan and healthy Kofta curry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 medium sized avocado (peeled and seeded); 2 medium Onions (finely chopped); 1½ tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 1 green chili (chopped); 10-12 Cashew Nuts; 5-7 Almonds; Salt to taste; 1 tbsp + 1 . Oil; 1 inch Cassia Bark or Cinnamon; 2-3 Green Cardamoms; 7-8 Black Peppercorns (Adjust as per taste); 1 small Star Anise (Optional); 1 Bay Leaf (Optional); 1 tsp cumin seeds (Jeera); 1 tsp Fennel Seeds (saunf); ½ tsp red chili powder (laal mirch); ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder (haldi); 1 tsp . Coriander Powder (dhaniya); 1 tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional (but recommended)); ½-1 tsp Garam Masala (Adjust as per taste); 1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder; 1 tbsp . Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Optional (but recommended))

You remember the recipe for healthy Beetroot koftas I posted a few days ago? Well, this one is an extension to that.

I made those yummy koftas and relished them with sour cream and tangy coriander chutney. And then I thought, why not to dunk them in a gravy? What could be better than soft, melt in mouth koftas balls floating in rich tomato gravy? Well, the answer is rich AND healthy avocado gravy!

Yes, I added avocado to this gravy, now that I am on a roll to add this superfood into anything and everything that I make. After learning about the health benefits of avocado, I would be a fool not to. In fact for the next time, I am thinking to make my favourite Malai kofta with the avocado in it. I hope I don’t take the fun out of the restaurant style unhealthy dishes by my experiments. *Sigh*

Adding avocado did not really make a lot of difference to the taste of the curry. But a lot to the texture indeed. It was smoother without much oil, richer without many spices and wayyy healthier without much hassle.

So this curry now has two superfoods in it. Beetroot and avocado. Yes, I agree a lot of oil goes into the frying of the kofta balls. That’s unavoidable in this recipe. But I am working on an even healthier version where I could bake the koftas and then add to the gravy. Sit tight and wait for that post.

More avocado recipes- Mango avocado salad | Avocado mango smoothie | Avocado mozzarella salad | Avocado pesto hummus

A bonus point here is- this curry is vegan. Even the Koftas contain no paneer which is pretty common ingredient for a kofta. Not that I am advocating veganism here (although I am gradually getting inclined towards the concept), but its no secret that plant based dishes are easy on palate. And you do need some room to breathe here, this curry containing all fried stuff and all. Plus if you add dairy in any curry, it goes off very quickly so thats another plus for this one.

Since there is no yogurt or cream to bring in richness, I have used almond-cashew paste as the base for this gravy instead. Medley of exotic whole spices like Fennel Seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf and Star anise also contribute towards that unique flavour which uplifts the curry many folds.

Anyway, so that this post doesn’t go on forever, I am skipping the detailed recipes for the koftas. You can grab the full recipe for beetroot koftas here. And I would only carry on with the recipe of the gravy.

So lets learn how to make this amazing dish- Beetroot koftas in avocado gravy

Recipe adopted from: Monsoon spice
Nutritional info: Rich in good fats, antioxidants, calcium and vitamins. Good source of proteins and fiber. Also high in calories, carbs and fat.
Accompaniments: Lemon rice or laccha paratha + simple potato sabzi as side dish

Beetroot koftas in avocado gravy | Vegan and healthy Kofta curry

Soft, melt in mouth beetroot kofta balls dunked in rich and smooth avocado gravy. Vegan and Gluten free.

Course curry, Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Mughlayi

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 medium sized avocado peeled and seeded
2 medium Onions finely chopped
1½ tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 green chili chopped
10-12 Cashew Nuts
5-7 Almonds
Salt to taste
1 tbsp + 1 . Oil

Whole Spices used for Cashew-Almond Paste:

1 inch Cassia Bark or Cinnamon
2-3 Green Cardamoms
7-8 Black Peppercorns Adjust as per taste
1 small Star Anise Optional
1 Bay Leaf Optional

Spices Used for the Gravy:

1 tsp cumin seeds Jeera
1 tsp Fennel Seeds saunf
½ tsp red chili powder laal mirch
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder haldi
1 tsp . Coriander Powder dhaniya
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional but recommended)
½-1 tsp Garam Masala Adjust as per taste
1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
1 tbsp . Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Optional but recommended)

Instructions

Preparations:

Scoop the flesh out of avocado and roughly chop into pieces. Keep aside.

Prepare the Cashew-Almond Paste:

Soak almonds and cashews in a hot boiled water for at least 15 mins. Keep it aside until needed.
Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan on medium flame and add the whole spices as in cassia stick/cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms, star anise, black peppercorns and bay leaf. Fry these for about a minute.
Next, add finely chopped onions and green chili with a generous pinch of salt and sauté until they turn golden brown, about 2-3 mins, on a medium flame. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears, about 2 mins. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down a little.
Transfer this spiced onion mixture into a blender. Drain the water (and preserve it for later use) from the soaked almond and cashew nuts and add them to the food processor. Also add the chopped avocado bits to the jar.
Grind the mixture to a smooth paste by adding the preserved water little at a time. Keep it aside until needed.

Prepare the Gravy:

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a wide and heavy pan on a medium flame. Add cumin seeds and fennel seeds and fry them until the cumin seeds sizzles and turn light brown, about a minute.
Add the ground avocado-cashew-almond paste and fry it on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes stirring continuously.
Next mix in turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste and sauté for a minute or two.
Add about 1-1½ cups of water (depending how thick you prefer the gravy). Let it cook for 4-5 mins on medium flame, covered with a lid.
Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining spices- red chili powder, kitchen king masala, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi and mix them well. Check for salt and pepper and add a little more water if the gravy is too thick for your preference.
Let it cook for another 5-6 minutes then turn off the gas.

Assemble the curry

When ready to serve and assemble, heat the gravy for few minutes and then transfer it to serving dish. Arrange the koftas in gravy and top it with finely chopped coriander leaves.
** Check the detailed recipe for koftas on the blog under “beetroot kofta”. Recipe link also provdied in the write up above.

Recipe Notes

You can plan this dish ahead of time and split the cooking process. Prepare the gravy on one day and make the koftas on the next day. You can even freeze the koftas for upto a week in an airtight container or plastic bag. When needed, reheat the Koftas in a preheated oven at 180 deg C turning halfway through, for about 8-10 minutes.

More rich Restaurant style recipes that you might like:

Restaurant style Malai kofta