Originally from the Middle Eastern countries and India, kofta which is a meatball dish is now found throughout the world including Southeast Asia. While most koftas are made with meat, vegetarian varieties are found in India where usually one or more types of vegetables are used. As a child, I had always enjoyed Indian dishes as it is one of the staple cuisines in Malaysia. Among the many Indian dishes, I absolutely love the vegetarian koftas. The dish is very easy to prepare without much fuss. If you already have your kitchen equipped with the spices, then this dish should not be missed. I love making koftas and freezing them for later consumption for the next few weeks. It is also very filling even though it is only made up of vegetables. Plus points if you want to go meatless! Did I already mention that this dish is very flavourful too?
Chop ingredients finely
To prepare cabbage kofta or cabbage balls, chop the cabbage finely. Ease the process by roughly blending the cabbage until it is fine enough. It should not be blended until it becomes a puree. A bit of liquid may be extracted from the cabbage but it should not be strained. The liquid is needed when gram flour is added to bind the ingredients together and shaped into balls. If gram flour is not available, substitute with other vegetable flour such as dhal flour or all-purpose wheat flour.
Shape the koftas
Placing the mixed ingredients in the refrigerator for around 10-15 minutes will allow it to set and holds its shape better. Once the cabbage and the ingredients are shaped into balls, they can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Baked cabbage balls
These cabbage koftas may be baked instead of shallow fried. Place the cabbage balls on an oiled tray and bake them in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes or until browned. Halfway through baking, turn them around to allow the other side to cook evenly.
