Koftas (The East’s equivalent to meatballs or dumplings) are commonly made with minced meat combined with aromatic herbs and spices. In this recipe, the traditional concept takes a twist. The cauliflower takes centre stage, lending its texture to create a sublime kofta that perfectly compliments delicious Elephant Atta chapattis

Method For The Cauliflower Kofta

1. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and coarsely grate the cleaned cauliflower florets and stems using a food processor, or by hand.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the remaining kofta ingredients with the grated cauliflower and with your hands work into a dough-like mixture. The moisture in the cauliflower should be sufficient to bind the mixture together. Add a drop of cold water if necessary or add an extra tablespoon of gram flour* if the dough does not quite bind together

3. Roll the kofta mixture using your hands into 2-3cm diameter balls and fry carefully in hot sunflower oil for 10-12 minutes on a low/medium heat. Remove from the oil onto kitchen paper and set aside whilst you prepare the kofta sauce.

Method For The Kofta Sauce

1. Blend together the onion, garlic and ginger into a smooth paste using an electric blender.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds until they sizzle and become golden brown. Now introduce the onion, garlic and ginger paste and cook until the onions start to turn brown.

3.  Add the chillies and turmeric powder. Stir for 30 seconds before introducing the tomato purée to create a spicy paste. This paste will quickly start sticking to the pan, so add the passata soon afterwards and season with the garam masala and salt. Stir continuously, until the sauce becomes glossy in appearance. At this point add 500ml warm water from the kettle, mix, bring back to the boil, and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. At this point, the curry sauce will become perfectly smooth and will thicken similar to the consistency of a pasta sauce. Slide the cauliflower kofta into the sauce. Gently mix in the chopped fresh herbs and return to boil. Simmer the kofta in the sauce for a further 2 minutes before serving with Elephant Atta chapattis.

* Gram flour is made with ground gram lentils or chickpeas and is widely available at supermarkets. It is rich in protein and gluten free.