Palak Kofta

This dish is very special because the palak I used is organic and what more, it is from my own terrace garden :)

For the kofta:
Palak leaves - chopped and blanched in hot water
Boiled and mashed potatoes - 1 big
Grated ginger and garlic - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder and salt as per taste
Gram flour (besan) - 2 tbsp

Squeeze out water from palak. Mix with other ingredients and make a firm dough. If too dry, add a little water while kneading. If the dough is too watery, add more gram flour.


Make small balls and deep fry in oil until golden brown. Set aside.

For the gravy:
Onions - 1 big
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves
Tomato puree - 2 cups
Curd - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt - as per taste
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - finely chopped
Oil for frying

Coarsely grind the onion and garlic. Heat oil in a pan and fry the coarse paste on a high flame till all the water evaporates.
Continue to fry on medium high heat until it turns golden brown.
Add coriander, red chilli and turmeric powder and mix well
Add tomato puree and curd. Stir and fry till oil separates from the gravy.
Once the gravy thickens, add water as required. Cover with a lid and cook for few minutes.
Add garam masala powder and mix well.
Add milk and stir continuously to blend all the masala.
Once the gravy reaches the required consistency, add the deep fried koftas.
Turn of the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

We had this with mooli (radish) paratha - the radish was a product of my OTG.

The little presents from my OTG

It has been 5 months since the idea of an organic terrace garden sprouted in the depths of my mind. The feelings I have right now as I write this post are so varied. The apprehensions and longing hopes when I sow a seed soon begin to fade away upon the first sighting of a green head poking out against a stark dark brown background.From that moment, the feeling of love and care that I feel towards my plant grows with the seedling. I am not ashamed to admit that I have come to see my plants as my babies. What is more, my son has begun to address them as "Your babies".

The joys of finding that a veggie is ready to be harvested or that fruit ready to be plucked off of the plant is second only to the joys of motherhood. In fact, I am increasingly inclined to think that gardening is another kind of motherhood!!

Watermelon in the making :)

Every time I go up to the terrace to tend to my plants I have a treasure waiting for me. I return home with the same joy as a child carrying a favorite toy would return from the toy store!! Beyond this, I am constantly learning by doing. Be it having more than two plants of a particular veggie or sieving the compost at the right time or figuring out ways to support climbing plants - it is enriching to learn from mistakes.

Freshly harvested carrot

Long sisters