Shaam Savera | Palak Paneer Kofta (No Onion Garlic)
on Sep 28, 2022, Updated Oct 18, 2022
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Shaam Savera or Palak Paneer Kofta Curry is a delicious no onion garlic recipe that also really stands out at the table. Perfect for the sattvic lifestyle or when you want something special for Navratri!
Love Paneer? Also try my Shahi Paneer, Easy Palak Paneer – Restaurant Style and Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala
Shaam Savera, a recipe from the 80s and 90s is basically an alleviated version of the good ol’ palak paneer.
We make deep fried koftas with a creamy paneer stuffing and a coating of palak coated. When you cut into these, you get the impression of evening (shaam) and morning (savera). It’s the whole contrast between dark and night.
This is a slightly longer recipe, but one that is SO worth it! This dish looks beautiful and tastes even better. Perfect for guests or Navratri gatherings!
Jump to section: Shaam Savera
Palak Paneer Kofta Ingredients
This recipe calls for simple, pantry staple ingredients. The two main ingredients are spinach and paneer. Since it’s a no onion garlic recipe, it calls for a variety of spices + ketchup and butter and cream to to add flavor and aroma to the dish.
How to Make Shaam Savera
This is a long recipe with many steps, but a lot of these can be done ahead. For eg, the tomato gravy can be prepared ahead and refrigerated. The ingredients for the kofta layers can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. On the day you’d like to serve this, you can just form the koftas, deep fry them and serve them in heated up gravy.
Make the Tomato Gravy
1. Add tomatoes, cashew, almond, ginger and 1 cup water to a pressure cooker. Cover the lid and pressure cook on high for the first whistle. Then reduce the flame to low and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
2. Once cooked, allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and allow the mix to cool down completely.
3. Transfer to a mixer or food processor and grind into a smooth paste.
4. Ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.
5. Add butter, blended gravy paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, no onion garlic ketchup and salt to a saucepan or kadai. Mix to combine and cook over a low flame for 10-15 minutes or until the gravy thickens to the desired consistency.
6. Add garam masala and crushed Kasuri methi. Mix to combine. Add cream and mix well, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. At this point, you can smoke the gravy if you like. Carefully heat a piece of lump coal using tongs till red hot. Place the coal in a steel bowl and place this bowl in the pan in a way that it doesn’t submerge (watch video). Pour a teaspoon of oil on top and as soon as it starts smoking, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and let it smoke for 2 minutes. Remove the steel bowl with the coal.
8. Turn off the heat. Set aside and reheat before serving.
Make the Shaam Savera Koftas
9. Blanch 400 grams of cleaned and washed spinach leaves and drain all the water. Use a sieve to ensure the water drains out as much as possible. Allow it to cool completely. Squeeze out the excess water using your hands. Ensure you squeeze out all of the remaining water.
10. Transfer this to the small jar (chutney jar) of a mixer grinder. Add 2 teaspoons of water and blend into a coarse paste. Set aside.
11. Heat oil in a Kadhai. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies and saute for 30 seconds.
12. Add blended spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add cardamom powder and salt and mix well
13. Add gram flour and corn flour and mix well.
14. Cook for a minute. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
15. To make the paneer filling, combine grated paneer, salt, pepper, cardamom powder and fresh cream in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
16. To make the koftas, divide the paneer mix into four and shape into balls. Divide the spinach mix into four and set aside.
17. Take one part of the spinach mixture and flatten it on your palm.
18. Place one paneer ball in the middle and enclose it with the spinach mix. Roll it between your palms to form a smooth round ball. Ensure there are no gaps or holes as this will cause it to break or will make the oil to seep in.
19. Repeat with the remaining spinach and paneer mix till you have four kofta balls.
20. Coat the koftas in cornflour. Dust off any extras and set aside.
Fry and Serve
21. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying to medium high.
22. Carefully drop the koftas into the kadai and cook on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
23. Remove from the oil and transfer to a tissue paper lined plate. Cut each kofta in half and you’ll see how they look like shaam savera 🙂
24. Reheat the gravy if necessary and transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Place the halved koftas on top of the prepared gravy. Serve hot along with some rice or roti!
Frequently Asked Questions
The gravy of this recipe can easily be made ahead and frozen in ziplock bags or freezer-friendly containers. However, I wouldn’t recommend freezing the koftas as they tend to become watery when thawed, which may crumble and change the texture of the entire dish.
Not only does this recipe look beautiful on the table, but it is also a great way to sneak in palak into your child’s diet. We often make this on fasting days or during festivals like Navratri or Dussehra, but it tastes just as delicious all-year round. I would really recommend making extras though as this one disappears really quickly!
Serve Shaam Savera With
Side Dishes
Lachha Paratha | Flaky Layered Flatbread
Vegetarian Recipes
Perfect Pooris – Fluffy and Light as air!
Indian Recipes
Soft Rotis – How to make them at home
Side Dishes
Coconut Rice Stir Fry (Ready in 15 minutes)
Watch Shaam Savera Video
No Onion Garlic Shaam Savera Kofta
Ingredients
For Pressure Cooking
- 6 Medium Tomatoes , Roughly Chopped
- 5 Cashew Nuts
- 3 Almonds
- ¾ Inch Ginger
- 1 cup Water
For The Gravy
- 2 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 Teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 pinch Turmeric
- ½ Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon No Onion Garlic Ketchup
- ½ Teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 Teaspoons Kasuri Methi
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Cream
For The Paneer Filling
- 120 Grams Paneer, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cream
- ¼ Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
For the Spinach Filling
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1-2 Teaspoons Green Chillies Paste
- 400 Grams Spinach, Leaves Only, Blanched (weight is before blanching)
- 2-3 Teaspoons Water
- ¼ Teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Gram Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Corn Flour, Plus Extra For Coating
Instructions
For Pressure Cooking
- Add tomatoes, cashew, almond, ginger and 1 cup water to a pressure cooker. Cover the lid and pressure cook on high for the first whistle. Then reduce the flame to low and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
- Once cooked, allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the lid and allow the mix to cool down completely.
- Transfer to a mixer or food processor and grind into a smooth paste. Ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.
For the Gravy
- Add butter, blended gravy paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, no onion garlic ketchup and salt to a saucepan or kadai. Mix to combine and cook over a low flame for 10-15 minutes or until the gravy thickens to the desired consistency.
- Add garam masala and crushed Kasuri methi. Mix to combine. Add cream and mix well, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- At this point, you can smoke the gravy if you like. Carefully heat a piece of lump coal using tongs till red hot. Place the coal in a steel bowl and place this bowl in the pan in a way that it doesn’t submerge (watch video). Pour a teaspoon of oil on top and as soon as it starts smoking, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and let it smoke for 2 minutes. Remove the steel bowl with the coal.
- Turn off the heat. Set aside and reheat before serving.
For the Kofta
- Blanch 400 grams of cleaned and washed spinach leaves and drain all the water. Use a sieve to ensure the water drains out as much as possible. Allow it to cool completely. Squeeze out the excess water using your hands. Ensure you squeeze out all of the remaining water.
- Transfer this to the small jar (chutney jar) of a mixer grinder. Add 2 teaspoons of water and blend into a coarse paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a Kadai. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add blended spinach and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add cardamom powder and salt and mix well
- Add gram flour and corn flour and mix well. Cook for a minute. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
- To make the paneer filling, combine grated paneer, salt, pepper, cardamom powder and fresh cream in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- To make the koftas, divide the paneer mix into four and shape them into balls. Divide the spinach mix into four and set aside. Take one part of the spinach mixture and flatten it on your palm.
- Place one paneer ball in the middle and enclose it with the spinach mix. Roll it between your palms to form a smooth round ball. Ensure there are no gaps or holes as this will cause it to break or make the oil seep in.
- Repeat with the remaining spinach and paneer mix till you have four big kofta balls.
- Coat the koftas in cornflour. Dust off any extras and set them aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying to medium-high. Carefully drop the koftas into the kadai and cook on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from the oil and transfer to a tissue paper-lined plate. Cut each kofta in half and you’ll see how they look like shaam savera.
- Reheat the gravy if necessary and transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Place the halved koftas on top of the prepared gravy. Serve immediately!
Hey Richa, looks yum. Can I try this with onion and garlic and if so when would be the best time to add them? In the gravy or whilst pressure cooking?
Thanks!
Hey Rajani, I have this recipe on my blog which has onions & garlic… if you wish to try Healthy Palak Paneer Kofta Curry. thanks for leaving a comment.
Can we fry the Kofta in the paddu maker instead of deep frying it??
Sure thing, but these may be too big to fit into a paddu maker
Healthy and easy recipe , Thank you for sharing
Richa you are awesome! To a precision of 1/8th of a teaspoon (thank for I have one) this recipe turns out just lip smacking. No onion no garlic and it’s even better! Simple to make but so impressive to look at with a killer taste. This is going to be made again and again and again. Thanks for getting this childhood fancy dish back into our kitchens!