Shaam Savera or palak paneer kofta curry has a rich, creamy tomato gravy base and balls made with spinach and paneer (cottage cheese). These vegetarian mains are awesomely delicious.
Shaam Savera is a creamy Kofta curry, the signature recipe of our Master Chef, Mr Sanjeev Kapoor. The koftas are made from palak and paneer and served with a tomato-based gravy. You can make the kofta balls by deep-frying them or bake in an oven or an air fryer.
Shaam Savera (Palak Paneer Kofta)
It's one of the best restaurant-style rich, creamy curries. The soft, delicious koftas are served with rich, creamy gravy, making this an awesome treat for the taste buds. Making these koftas is a delicate process, as you need to be careful while preparing them.
Palak is one of my favorite leafy vegetables. It's full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Paneer is, again, one of the protein-rich foods. Moreover, it is a healthy food option. To make this even healthier, use less oil and cream. For example, air fry the kofta balls instead of deep-frying them.
You can easily customize this malai kofta into a vegan curry by substituting paneer with tofu and dairy cream with low-fat coconut cream.
Ingredients Needed
For Kofta
- Palak (spinach leaves)
- Paneer (cottage cheese)
- Chickpea flour (besan)
- Fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder)
- Red chili powder
- Cumin powder
- Salt to taste
For Gravy
- Onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic
- Oil - any neutral-tasting oil or vegetable oil
- Whole spices - cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds
- Ground spices - coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cream
- Coriander leaves to garnish
How to make shaam savera?
Blanch the spinach leaves for 2 minutes. Then, immediately transfer them to ice-cold water to stop further cooking. Remove them from the water and squeeze out excess water. Roughly blend them to smooth.
In a pan, heat some oil. Add minced garlic and saute for 10 - 15 seconds. Add chickpea flour or besan to the pan, followed by chili powder, turmeric powder, and a pinch of salt. Saute until the flour is roasted nicely and aromatic. Add spinach paste to it and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat once all liquid has soaked up. Once the mixture is cooled down, make balls out of it.
Grate paneer on a plate. Knead it until smooth. Add a teaspoon of milk powder, a pinch of cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt. Make small roundels of paneer.
Now, take a ball of spinach mix and spread it, making a bowl shape. Place the paneer ball and try to close the spinach from all sides, making a ball again. Repeat for all the balls. Coat them with cornstarch and fry them until golden and crispy. Remove and keep aside.
Add onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and all the spices to a blender and blend to a fine paste.
In another pan, heat some oil. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add chopped garlic and green chilies. Saute for 15 - 30 seconds on low flame. Add red chili powder and mix. This will give the curry a nice red color. Then, add the blended puree and cook for 10 minutes on a low flame, stirring until the masala is cooked and oil is released on the sides.
Similar Recipes
Shaam Savera Curry Recipe
Shaam Savera (Palak Paneer Kofta)
Ingredients
For Kofta Balls
- 2 large bunch Spinach leaves
- 200 gms Paneer
- 4 tbsp Besan
- 10 Garlic pods
- 1 Green Chilli
- 1 + 1 pinch Salt for paneer stuffing and for spinach mixture
- 1 tsp Caraway seeds/ cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
For Gravy
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 4 Cardamom (green)
- 10 Garlic pods
- 1 medium/large Onion
- 3- 4 Large Tomato
- 1 Green Chilli
- 1/2 cup Cream + 2 tsp for garnish
- 1 tsp Red chilli power
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
Instructions
Making Mixture of palak & paneer for Kofta Balls
- Blanch spinach leaves for 2 minutes. Then immediately transfer the leaves to ice cold water to stop further cooking.
- Once cold remove from water and squeeze out to remove excess water as much as possible.
- Chop the leaves.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. add caraway seeds/ cumin seeds. add finely chopped garlic and green chillies. saute till garlic turns light brown and fragrant.
- Add gram flour to the pan and saute till it changes colour.
- Add chopped leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. saute for 2 - 3 minutes till its dry enough.
- Remove from heat and transfer the content to another vessel and cool it completely.
- Add bread crumbs. Mix it completely and divide into equal parts and roll them to a ball.
- Grate the paneer finely. add a pinch of salt and a pinch of cardamom powder. Mix them well.
- Divide the paneer mixture and press tightly making small balls.
- Now paneer balls and spinach balls are ready.
Making Kofta Balls
- Greese your palms. take spinach/ palak roll and flatten it from all end by pressing lightly and making disc.
- Place the paneer ball on the disc and cover it from all ends making a ball. gently roll it on light hand on greesed palms.
- Make sure no crack on the surface.
- Roll the balls on a layer of corn flour. Take out from flour and remove excess flour gently from the kofta balls.
- Deep fry them. Don't over crowd the pan. make it in a batch of 4. But first check with 1 kofta if it perfectly comes out then repeat for rest kofta.
- Else add some more bread crumbs to make it more tight and then repeat the process of making stuffed balls.
- Remove from oil and keep aside for serving.
Making of Gravy
- Blend onion, tomatoes, garlic and green chilli in a mixing jar.
- Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, garlic chopped. Then add red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
- Saute for 10 - 15 seconds. then add onion and tomato paste to the pan. Mix well. Cook for 5 minutes or till onion paste is cooked completely and leaves oil.
- Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Then add cream to the pan. mix well. let it simmer for sometime.
- Add salt and crushed kasurimethi. Mix them well.
- Cook on medium flame till required consistency of gravy. then remove from heat. Serve with fried koftas.
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