A vegan version of malai kofta; this recipe is an excellent way to use up two of the zucchini you grew too many of this year.
This recipe also comes with a little story! Hooray for you. But if you’d rather skip it…
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Not too long before I went vegan, I regularly worked a Saturday evening shift in retail. And as a reward for dealing with customers, on my way home from work, I would stop at this restaurant that no longer exists called Saffron Mantra. Unfortunately, French-Indian fusion doesn’t exactly do well in the heart of blue-collar Thorncliff, and they closed after about 6 months, which is a shame because they had truly lovely and delicious food.
This was my weekly order:
It was my Saturday ritual – grab an order of takeout kofta, and then head home to watch re-runs of Prince$$, a financial show hosted by Gail Vaz Oxlade. TO THIS DAY, whenever I’m budgeting or working with money, I crave the taste of this kofta. It’s been on my list of to-do’s for a long time, and when I spotted a box of kofta spice mix at Freestone, I knew it was time. Mix in hand, I completely disregarded most of the directions, and set about making my vegan version. And it’s PERFECT.
Tender little dumplings of zucchini and tofu are fried and then simmered in a tomato gravy, finished with a cashew cream and a dusting of fresh cilantro. It’s everything I wanted, and it’s fully vegan. I’m so happy to be able to share it with you!
I don’t recommend this as a weeknight dinner meal; it’s a little daunting after a long day of work to have to fry up the kofta and make the gravy, so I recommend saving it for a weekend. That said, you can prep the dumplings up to two days in advance of making the gravy. This meal also freezes wonderfully, and packaged into individual portions makes an excellent re-heatable lunch-or-dinner option. As this recipe makes 4 generous servings, it’s an excellent meal prep recipe for 1 person.
(The photos are about 1.5 servings, for context.)
Tofu & Zucchini Kofta
Tender tofu and zucchini dumplings simmered in a curried tomato gravy.
Ingredients
For the Dumplings
- 4 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium sized ones)
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu (drained and squeezed to remove excess water)
- ¼-½ cup chickpea flour for dumplings, plus ⅓ cup more to roll them in
- 2 tbsp from 1 pkg of kofta spice mix, reserving the rest for the gravy (I used National brand)
- oil for frying
For the Tomato Gravy
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small onion, minced
- remaining packaged spice mix
- 1 can tomato paste
- 2 cups chickenless broth (I like McCormick's Chicken Flavoured Vegetable Bouillon)
For the Cashew Cream
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- cold water to cover
- fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Toss shredded zucchini with 2 tsp salt, combining well. Let it sit 1-2 hrs in a colander with a bowl underneath to catch any liquid. After it sits, rinse well, and transfer to a mixing bowl one handful at a time, squeezing well to remove any remaining liquid as much as possible.
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Preheat your oil to 375℉
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To the zucchini in the mixing bowl, crumble in the tofu, and add 1/4 cup of chickpea flour and 2 tbsp of kofta spice mix. Mix well with your hands to form a pasty dough that should stick together well enough that little balls or logs easily hold their shape. If the mixture feels too wet, add more chickpea flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Once the balls are formed, roll the outside in additional chickpea flour and set aside on a plate.
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Fry the dumplings in batches for about 4 minutes each batch, taking care not to crowd them. Set finished dumplings to the side while you make the tomato gravy; you can store the dumplings up to 2 days in a paper bag in the fridge if you want to make them in advance.
For the Creamy Tomato Gravy
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Combine cooking oil, minced garlic, ginger, and onion in a frying pan, and saute over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add remainder of packaged Kofta spice mix and stir well to combine.
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Add contents of 1 can tomato paste, and stir well to combine.
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Slowly stir in the chick'n broth, maybe quarter cup at a time, and ensure broth is well incorporated before adding more.
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Add dumplings, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, turning dumplings occasionally in the sauce.
Prepare Cashew Cream
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In a high speed blender, combine cashews, lemon juice, salt, and cold water. Blend until smooth.
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Add cashew cream to tomato gravy and stir well to combine. Serve with rice and roti or vegan naans and (optional) topped with plenty of fresh chopped cilantro.
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Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze within a day in individual portions for up to 6 months. Reheat frozen portions in the microwave for 5 minutes covered on high, stirring halfway through.
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