Lychee (Litchi) Kofta Curry

• Servings: 3-4
• Preparation time:  15 minutes.
• Preparing wet masala time: 12-15 minutes.
• Stuffing kofta time: 3-4 minutes.
• Deep frying  kofta time: 3-4 minutes.
• Preparing curry time: 8-10 minutes.
• Cooking time: 5-7 minutes.
• Total time:55 minutes. 

“Litchi Kofta Curry” is an elegant and festive dish that brings together the delicate sweetness of litchis and the richness of a paneer-nuts filling, all enveloped in a creamy, mildly spiced gravy. It’s a fusion of royal flavours and homely warmth, perfect for making any occasion truly special.

I first tasted this dish about a year ago at our guest house, where it was made with canned litchis. Inspired by that experience, I prepared my own version during the summer using fresh litchis, stuffing them with a rich mixture of paneer and nuts.

The real highlight came when three families were invited to our home for lunch. Wanting to serve something special in their honour, I decided to make Litchi Kofta and it turned out to be the star of the meal.

It was especially appreciated by one of our guests, for whom it became a truly memorable dish. They all asked for the recipe and said it was a must-try preparation.

Litchi Kofta is not just a dish, but an experience; one that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who tastes.

Serve it with soft ghee smear Rotis, Parathas, or a simple Jeera Rice, and you’ll have a showstopper on your table.

Ingredient:

• Lychee/ Litchi: 15-16no.

For kofta filling:

• Paneer (cottage cheese) 100 gm( crumbled)
• Cashew nut: 6-7 no.(chopped)
• Almond: 6-7 no.(chopped)
• Raisin: 8-10 no.(chopped)
• Saffron: 1 pinch.
• Corn flour/Maida: 1 table spoon
• Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
• Green coriander leaves: 1 tablespoon
• Cooking oil: for frying

For curry:

• Cumin: 1 teaspoon
• Tomato: 1 no. (Medium)
• Onion: 1 no. (Medium)
• Green chilli: 2 no.
• Ginger: 2” piece
• Cashew nut: 8-10 no.
• Melon Seed: 1 tablespoon.
• Kasmiri Red Chilli: 2 no.
• Whole Garam Masala: Black Cardamom 1no., Green Cardamom 2 no., Clove 2-3 no., Cinnamon 2” piece, Bay Leaf 2 no.Black Pepper 6-7 no.
• Coriander powder: 1  teaspoon
• Turmeric powder: half teaspoon
• Chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt: 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Oil/any cooking oil: 3-4 tablespoon
• Fresh Cream/Malai: 2-3 tablespoon
• Butter: 20 gm optional.

Preparation:

1. Roughly Chop onion, tomato, ginger, keep aside.
2. Chop coriander leaves, keep aside.
3. Peel out Lychee, cut longitudinally one side only, deseed,(so that shape remains intact) keep aside.
4. Take a bowl, put Corn flour/Maida and a pinch of salt, make smooth batter, keep aside.
5. Take a pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil: add cumin and whole garam masala,  sputter for few seconds.
6. Add bay leaf, red chilli, melon seed and cashew nuts, stir fry on lower flame for one minute.
7. Add onion and ginger, continue to fry on high flame for couple of minutes.
8. Add tomato, continue cooking on medium flame for 3-4 minutes or until tomato gets messy appearance, keep aside to bring at room temperature.
9. Remove bay leaves; grind fried onion all together to fine paste, sieve this paste, wet masala is ready. keep aside.

Method for making kofta filling:

1. Take a mixing ball, put  chopped almond, cashew nuts, raisin, salt, paneer, saffron coriander  leaves; mix it well.
2. Divide this stuffing into 15-16 parts (equal to  number of lychee), give them ball shape (to stuff easily).
3. Take deseeded lychee one by one; stuff with prepared stuffing ball, keep aside.

Method:

1. Heat oil till smoke is coming. Deep fry stuffed lychee coated with smooth batter (which is prepared with corn flour), on high flame  for one minute or until it gets light golden colour. Keep aside.
2. For making curry/gravy:
3. Take a pan heat oil, add wet masala; stir fry on low heat for 8-10 minutes with lid on.
4. When oil separates from masala, add coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder and fresh cream, continue to fry for 2-3   minutes.
5. Add one cup of water; let it boil for couple of minutes, add  prepared fried Lychee kofta.
6. Let it boil for couple of minutes; put off  the flame.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream/malai; “Lychee (Litchi) Kofta Curry” is ready to be served.
8. Serve with Tandoori Roti/Nan/Indian Bread/Pulav

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Lychee (Litchi) Kofta Curry by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.