Mum made these koftas often when we were children - it was one of the few ways we ate cabbage 😂 I’ve tweaked her recipe a little. This isn’t a quick weekday meal, great for a leisurely weekend though!

Makes 20 koftas, serves 4-5

What you need

• 3 cans chopped tomatoes in juice

• 2 red onions, sliced

• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• Handful fresh coriander

• 1 small white cabbage

• 1 medium carrot

• 1-2 green chillies

• Gramflour

• Cumin seeds

• Coriander powder

• Garam masala

• Turmeric

• Red chilli powder

• Heeng (asoefetida)

• Salt

• Vegetable oil

What you do

1. If you have a slow cooker, make your sauce in that. If not, in a pan is good too 

Slow cooker - Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 3 cans chopped tomatoes, 2 red onions sliced, 1 heaped tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, salt to taste. Cook on high for 4 hours. 

In a pan:

• Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a deep pan

• Add 2 sliced red onions and sauté until turning colour

• Then add 1 heaped tbsp ginger garlic paste, and sauté for 3-4 mins

• In go 3 cans of chopped tomatoes, give it all a good stir, cover and simmer for about 30 mins. You’ll need to stir occasionally and add water if it starts to stick to the pan

• Then 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, salt to taste

• Mix well, cook for a minute

• Then add a cup of water. You may need a cup and a half, depending on how dry it all is. Stir well, cover and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until the oil has separated (you’ll see it  speckled at the top of the sauce!) 

2. While that’s cooking, make your koftas! 

• Finely grate 1 small head of white cabbage and 1 carrot (once you’ve scraped and taken off the top and tail)

• Add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, salt to taste. Mix it all together

• Now let it sit for 15 mins, so the vegetables release water

• In the meantime, heat vegetable oil in a deep pan - enough to deep fry your koftas

• Start by adding 2 tbsp of gramflour to the vegetable mix and using your hands to mix it in. You don’t want a sloppy mess, you need to be able to bring portions of ‘dough’ together to make lime-sized balls that hold. Add more gramflour if you need any. I didn’t, but it all depends on the size of your veggies! 

• Roll the kofta ‘dough’ into balls and deep fry until brown. You want to get past golden to proper brown!

• Keep aside

3. Final step (you’re almost there!) 

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan

• Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 fresh green chilli sliced, and 1/4 tsp heeng (asoefetida. Optional)

• Then add the blitzed tomato sauce

• Mix through, thin down to a pouring (but not watery) consistency with water, cover and simmer for 10 mins

• Finish off with a handful of fresh finely chopped coriander

Serve the sauce into bowls, top with koftas (you may or may not need to warm these again). Enjoy!