Nargisi Kofta is a dish that belongs to Mughlai cuisine. North India, particularly Uttar Pradesh, is known for this dish. The Moghul emperors brought kofta from Persia to India, where they served the Nargisi kofta variation. Nargisi kofta is made with ground meat wrapped around a hard-boiled egg and served in spicy gravy. The nargisi kofta is a type of kofta that is inspired by the "nargis" or narcissus flower. A yellow centre (the colour of cooked egg yolk) is encircled by white petals that resemble fried egg white. As a result, when the Nargisi kofta is split in half, it resembles a flower. It is part of the kofta family, which has its origins in the Arab world, but the intriguing aspect is its spread to the West. Though Fortnum & Mason, a London department store, claims to have introduced the scotch egg in 1738 for travellers to carry on long carriage rides, this 'discovery' was likely the result of returning officers from India who may have introduced the dish's generic idea after their time in the country. Scotch eggs, on the other hand, did something interesting: they returned to India, especially Bengal, with the British, and became the Dimer Devil, or what Bengal thought to be an Egg Devil. The Egg Devil was a whole egg that had been crumbed and deep-fried after being coated with minced meat. This is a recipe that is said to have been brought to Kolkata by the British, who served it in their clubs, and it acquired popularity by combining two perennial favourites - meat and egg.
Here is a recipe for this delectable Nargisi Kofta that will become the star of your dinner table
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, hard-boiled
- 500 gms Mutton keema
- 2 tbspn ginger paste
- 2 tbspn garlic paste
- Coriander Powder
- Turmeric
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- Garam masala powder
- 1 tbspn Cornflour
- Mustard oil
- Salt to taste
- Gravy
- 1 cup curd
- 1 Onion chopped
- Turmeric powder
- Green Chilli Paste
- Red Chilli powder
- 1 tspn garlic paste
- 1 tspn ginger paste
- Coriander Powder
- Cumin powder
- Garam masala powder
- Tomato puree
- Kasuri Methi
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Dry Red Chilli
- Salt to taste
- Oil
Directions
- Hard boil the eggs in a saucepan with some water. Remove the outer shell from the egg and keep it aside.
- To make mutton keema soft and tender, blend it thoroughly in a food processor.
- Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, oil, garam masala powder, and cornflour to a mixing bowl. Using your hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients.
- Put some oil in your palm and pat one portion of the keema mixture into a chapati shape.
- Place a hard-boiled egg in the middle of the flattened keema mixture and cover it with the egg. Do the same with all of the eggs. Set aside for now.
- In a pan heat some oil. Add some dry red chilli and bay leaf to a bowl. After a minute of roasting, add the chopped onions. Saute the onions for a while.
- Cook for a few minutes with the ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste. Add tomato puree, coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, and turmeric powder. Saute until the oil separates from the food.
- Whisk the yoghurt and salt, then add it to the masala mixture. Add one cup of warm water and stir well. Allow it to boil.
- When it begins to bubble, slowly add the keema-wrapped egg to the gravy. Allow for 30 to 35 minutes of cooking time.
- Check the gravy after 30-35 minutes and add garam masala powder and kasuri methi.
