"Baked Cheese & Spinach Kofta in Rich Tomato Sauce = ALL THE COSY VIBES. It has been pouring with rain here ALL WEEK, guys! ☔️ When will it stop? I’m ready for some sunshine ☀️.
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Slow-baked creamy kofta pair in a smoky, spiced tomato sauce. Serve them with spaghetti or toasted baguette for a weeknight comfort dish using mostly store-cupboard ingredients and fridge scraps.
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Tomato sauce and noodles/pasta of any kind is always a hit with Bodhi. These cheesy spinach kofta pack plenty of protein and green goodness. I made him his own separate dish without added salt and chilli. He’s now an expert at slurping spaghetti, btw."
Baked Cheese and Spinach Kofta
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Recipe Intro From sanjana.feasts
Slow-baked creamy kofta in a smoky, spiced tomato sauce. Serve them with spaghetti or toasted baguette for a delicious vegetarian main course.
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- Recipe Card
Prep time 30mins
Cook time 35mins
Recipe Card
For the Kofta
ingredients
- baby spinach, washed
- 1 cup paneer
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons flour
For the Tomato Sauce
ingredients
- 3 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 black whole cardamom
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons half and half, for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese, grated, optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Spaghetti, cooked according to package directions, to serve
Method
Step 1
Make the kofta: Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches unless you have a big colander). When cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with the cheeses, garlic, breadcrumbs and flour. Mix well. The kofta mixture should be thick and able to hold its shape when you form a ball. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Make the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a large, ovenproof pan or casserole dish. Add the garlic, bay leaves, black cardamom and tomato purée. Sauté for a 30 seconds and then add the tinned tomatoes, garam masala, smoked paprika, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes. Stir well and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Roll the spinach and cheese mixture into small balls. Arrange on top of the tomato sauce. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Step 4
Drizzle with the half and half, grate over some mature Cheddar, if desired. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve hot with cooked spaghetti.