Palak Kofta (Shaam Savera)

Palak kofta in orange gravy or shaam savera.

5 from 9 votes

Palak Kofta, also called Shaam Savera, is a North Indian curry made with paneer-stuffed spinach koftas in an onion-tomato-cashew gravy. The fried koftas have a crisp spinach and besan covering with a soft paneer center. Slicing them reveals the contrasting green and white layers associated with the name Shaam Savera. This homestyle version is made without cream or butter, though either can be added for a richer gravy.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 291kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

Outer Spinach Cover

200 grams or 4½ to 5 cups spinach – chopped
1 green chili
1 teaspoon or 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves – chopped
1 teaspoon or 1 inch ginger – chopped
½ cup besan (gram flour)
¼ teaspoon garam masala
salt as per taste

Paneer Stuffing

100 grams paneer – finely grated
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1 pinch grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
7 to 8 saffron strands - optional
1½ tablespoons Rice Flour or cornflour (cornstarch)
salt as required

More Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons Rice Flour or cornstarch for coating
oil – for deep frying or shallow frying, as required

For Palak Kofta Gravy

2 tablespoons oil
1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
1 inch cinnamon
2 green cardamoms
2 cloves
1 black cardamom
¼ teaspoon shahi jeera
¾ cup or (1 large or 100 grams) onion – chopped
1 teaspoon or 1 inch ginger – chopped
1 teaspoon or 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves – chopped
1½ cups or (3 medium to large or 250 grams) tomato – chopped
12 cashews – large, whole or roughly chopped (use 15 to 17 cashews if they are small)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or deghi mirch
1 cup water – for cooking tomatoes
¼ cup water – or as required, added later
1 tablespoon butter – optional
½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
½ teaspoon kasuri methi – crushed
salt – add according to taste

Garnishes

1 inch ginger – julienned
1 green chili – cut in thin sticks or strips, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons cream – optional

Instructions

Making The Spinach Covering

Rinse the spinach leaves thoroughly, drain well and roughly chop them. Blend the spinach with green chili, ginger and garlic to a smooth puree without adding water.
Roast the besan over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes aromatic and lightly changed in color. Do not brown it.
Add the spinach puree and mix thoroughly. Sauté this mixture stirring often on a low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes.
If the mixture appears too loose, add a little more roasted besan. Season with garam masala and salt.
Switch off the heat and cool the mixture to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes or until it becomes firm enough to shape.

Making The Paneer Stuffing

Combine the grated paneer with rice flour, garam masala, nutmeg, saffron and salt.
Divide the mixture into equal portions and shape them into small, smooth balls. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Shaping Spinach Kofta

Divide the chilled spinach mixture into the same number of portions as the paneer balls. Keep each spinach portion slightly larger than its paneer ball.
Flatten one spinach portion, place a paneer ball in the center and bring the edges over it. Seal well and roll gently to make a smooth kofta without cracks.
Shape all the koftas in the same way. Coat them lightly with rice flour and dust off the excess.
Cover and refrigerate the shaped koftas for 20 to 30 minutes before frying.

Frying Palak Kofta

Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan until moderately hot. Test one kofta first to make sure it holds its shape.
Fry the koftas in batches without overcrowding the pan. Turn them gently once the base becomes crisp and light golden.
Continue frying until the covering is evenly golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels.

Making The Gravy

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan.
Add the whole spices – tej patta, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cloves, black cardamom and shahi jeera. Fry until they splutter.
Add the onions and cook until they are softened.
Add the ginger and garlic, then continue sautéing until the onions become light golden.
Add the tomatoes, cashews, turmeric and Kashmiri red chili powder. Mix well.
Pour in 1 cup water and simmer without a lid until the tomatoes become completely soft. Switch off the heat and let the mixture cool.
Remove the tej patta and blend the mixture to a fine, smooth paste without adding water.
Transfer the paste to a pan. Add water as needed to obtain a medium-thick consistency.
Add sugar and salt. Add butter at this stage if using.
Heat the gravy over low heat until it comes to a gentle boil, stirring at intervals. Add crushed kasuri methi, mix and switch off the heat.

Assembling & Serving Shaam Savera

Slice each fried kofta into two halves.
Pour the hot gravy into a serving bowl.
Arrange the halved palak koftas over the gravy with the paneer centers facing upward.
Garnish with ginger juliennes and green chili strips. Add coriander leaves or drizzle with cream if preferred. Serve Shaam Savera immediately.
Palak Kofta can be served with roti, paratha, naan, steamed rice or jeera rice.

Notes

Do not over-roast the gram flour. Roast it over low heat only until fragrant and its color changes slightly.
If the spinach and gram flour mixture is too loose for shaping, mix in a little more roasted besan.
You can replace the rice flour in the paneer stuffing with cornstarch (cornflour). The saffron is optional and can be skipped.
Cornstarch can also be used instead of rice flour for coating the kofta balls.
Make sure the oil is moderately hot before frying. If the oil is not hot enough, the koftas may break.
The freshly fried koftas can also be served separately as a snack.
Remove the tej patta before blending the onion-tomato mixture. Do not add water while blending.
Adjust the amount of water according to your preferred gravy consistency.
This recipe is made without butter or cream. For a richer gravy, you can add either or both.

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