Palak Kofta (Shaam Savera)

Palak Kofta, also known as Shaam Savera, is a North Indian curry with paneer-stuffed spinach koftas served in a smooth onion-tomato gravy. The koftas have a crisp spinach and gram flour covering with a soft paneer center. When sliced, the dark green and white layers create the contrast associated with the name Shaam Savera. Made without butter or cream, my homestyle version gets its creamy texture from cashews and pairs well with roti, naan or rice.

Homemade Palak Kofta Recipe

This Palak Kofta has several flavors and textures in one dish. The earthy taste of spinach and mild paneer pair well with the smooth onion-tomato-cashew gravy, which is lightly sweet, tangy and gently spiced.

I first came across Shaam Savera when I was in my teens. Later, during my Home Science course, our team prepared it for a luncheon menu for a college guest.

What the name means: Shaam Savera is a signature creation of Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Shaam means evening or dusk in Hindi, while savera means morning or dawn. The dark spinach cover represents shaam, and the pale paneer center represents savera.

I see Shaam Savera as a dish that brings together elements of a few North Indian favorites. It combines spinach and paneer like Palak Paneer, while the fried koftas served in a smooth tomato gravy are similar to Malai Kofta. The tomato-cashew gravy is also somewhat like the gravy used for Paneer Butter Masala, although this version does not contain butter or cream.

How my version differs: My Palak Kofta recipe is roughly adapted from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s version, but I have made it more suitable for home cooking. I use less oil and make the gravy without butter or cream. Cashews give it enough body and a smooth consistency.

Make-ahead option: This is not a quick recipe, but you can divide the preparation over two days. Make the gravy a day earlier, or prepare and refrigerate the spinach mixture and paneer balls. This makes the final cooking much easier.

The palak koftas are quite large, so one to two are usually enough for a person with a medium appetite. You can also serve the freshly fried koftas as a snack without the gravy.

You can watch Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s newer version of the recipe on the FoodFood YouTube channel. For the older version, which aired many years ago on Zee TV’s Khana Khazana, watch this Zee TV YouTube video.

If you enjoy kofta curries, you may also like my Lauki Kofta, Vegetable Kofta and Aloo Kofta.

Serve Palak Kofta for a weekend meal or special occasion with chapati, naan, tandoori roti, rumali roti, steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or peas pulao.

How to make Palak Kofta (Stepwise)

Make Spinach Puree

1. Using a colander, rinse 200 grams spinach leaves very well in water. Drain the water completely and roughly chop the leaves. You will need about 4½ to 5 cups of chopped spinach.

Add the chopped spinach to a grinder or blender with 1 chopped green chili, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon chopped ginger.

2. Blend to a smooth puree without adding any water. If water is added, the spinach and gram flour mixture may become too loose for shaping.

Make Spinach Covering

3. Heat a pan over low heat. Add ½ cup besan (gram flour).

Roast the besan over low heat, stirring often for about 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes aromatic and its color changes slightly.

4. Do not brown or over-roast the besan. It only needs to lose its raw aroma.

5. Add the prepared spinach puree to the roasted besan.

6. Mix thoroughly so that no dry besan remains. The mixture should be thick enough to shape once it has cooled. If it appears loose, mix in a little more roasted besan.

Cook this mixture stirring often on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala and salt as needed.

8. Mix well and switch off the heat. Let the spinach mixture cool to room temperature.

Cover and refrigerate it for 30 to 40 minutes so that it firms up and becomes easier to shape.

Make Paneer Stuffing

9. Grate 100 grams paneer into a plate or bowl. This will give you about ½ cup of grated paneer.

Add the following ingredients:

• 1½ tablespoons rice flour
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pinch grated nutmeg
• 7 to 8 saffron strands
• salt as needed

Note: The saffron is optional. You can replace the rice flour with cornstarch.

10. Mix well. Take small portions of the paneer mixture and shape them into smooth balls. Cover and refrigerate the paneer balls for 30 minutes.

Shape Palak Kofta

11. Remove the spinach mixture from the refrigerator.

12. Divide the spinach mixture into the same number of portions as the paneer balls. The spinach portions should be slightly larger than the paneer balls so that they can cover the paneer filling completely.

Roll each spinach portion into a ball and flatten it slightly.

13. Flatten one spinach round a little more and place a paneer ball in the center.

14. Bring the edges of the spinach mixture over the paneer ball.

15. Join and seal the edges. Gently roll between your palms to make a smooth ball. Make sure the paneer filling is fully enclosed and there are no cracks in the covering.

16. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons rice flour on a plate or board. Coat each kofta evenly with the rice flour and dust off any excess. Cornstarch can be used instead of rice flour.

Cover and refrigerate the shaped koftas for 20 to 30 minutes. Chilling helps them firm up before frying.

Fry Spinach Koftas

17. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. The oil should be moderately hot before you add the koftas. If it is not hot enough, the koftas may absorb more oil or break apart.

Gently place one kofta in the oil first to check whether it holds its shape. Once it begins frying without breaking, add more koftas according to the size of your kadai. Do not overcrowd the oil.

I used less oil and shallow-fried the koftas. While frying, I spooned some of the hot oil over their tops so that they cooked evenly.

18. When the base becomes light golden and crisp, gently turn each kofta over.

19. Continue frying over medium heat until the outer covering looks crisp and golden.

Turn the koftas a few times for even frying, handling them gently so that they do not break. Each batch will take about 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the fried koftas with a slotted spoon. Fry the remaining koftas in batches.

20. Place the koftas on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. At this stage, you can also serve them as a snack.

Sauté Spices, Onions and Tomatoes

21. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai. Add 1 tej patta, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera.

Fry the whole spices over low heat until they splutter and become aromatic.

22. Add ¾ cup chopped onions. Mix and sauté until the onions become translucent and are softened.

23. Add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic. Continue to sauté until the onions turn light golden.

24. Add 1½ cups chopped tomatoes. Mix and sauté for about 1 minute.

25. Add 12 large cashews, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder.

26. Mix thoroughly so that the spices are evenly combined.

27. Pour in 1 cup water. Mix and simmer uncovered, over medium-low heat until the tomatoes soften completely.

28. The tomatoes should be fully cooked and easy to mash. Switch off the heat and let the mixture cool.

Blend Gravy Base

29. Remove and discard the tej patta. Transfer the cooled onion-tomato mixture to a grinder or blender jar.

30. Blend to a fine and smooth paste without adding water.

Finish Gravy

31. Transfer the ground paste to a pan.

32. Add about ¼ cup water, or as needed, to adjust the consistency. Add ½ teaspoon sugar and salt according to taste.

Tip: For a richer gravy, you can also add 1 tablespoon butter.

33. Mix well and heat the gravy over low heat. Let it come to a gentle boil, stirring at intervals so that it does not stick to the pan.

34. Crush ½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) between your palms and add it to the gravy. Mix well and switch off the heat.

Assemble & Serve Shaam Savera

35. Slice each fried kofta into two equal halves using a sharp knife.

36. Pour the hot gravy into a serving bowl.

Gently arrange the kofta halves in the hot gravy with the paneer centers facing upward. Add them shortly before serving so that their outer covering remains firm.

37. Garnish with ginger juliennes and thin strips of green chili. You can also add chopped coriander leaves or drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons cream on top.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Palak Kofta with Roti, Paratha, Butter Naan or Tandoori Roti. It also pairs well with Jeera Rice, Peas Pulao or a mildly seasoned Ghee Rice.

The koftas are large and filling, so one to two koftas are usually sufficient for each person. Add the sliced palak koftas to the hot gravy only when you are ready to serve.

You can also serve the freshly fried koftas separately as a snack with a chutney or dipping sauce.

Storage

For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate the gravy and the palak koftas separately. The gravy can be made a day in advance and reheated gently before serving.

You can prepare the spinach mixture, paneer balls or fully shaped uncooked koftas a day earlier. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and coat the shaped koftas with rice flour just before frying if the coating has become moist.

Store leftover fried koftas and gravy separately in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to one day. Reheat the koftas in an oven or air-fryer until crisp and warm the gravy separately. Slice and assemble them just before serving.

Avoid storing the palak koftas immersed in the gravy, as the spinach covering will absorb the gravy and become soft.

Helpful Tips

1. Drain the spinach well: Excess water in the leaves can make the spinach and besan mixture loose and difficult to shape.
2. Do not over-roast the besan: Roast it only until it becomes aromatic and changes color slightly. Browning it too much can affect the taste.
3. Adjust the spinach mixture: If the mixture remains loose after mixing, add a little more roasted besan. Do not add raw besan directly.
4. Make larger spinach portions: Each spinach ball should be slightly bigger than the paneer ball. This gives you enough mixture to cover and seal the paneer completely.
5. Blend only after cooling: Let the onion-tomato mixture cool before blending, and always remove the tej patta.
6. Adjust the gravy carefully: Add water gradually because the gravy should be smooth and medium-thick, not watery.
7. Add koftas at serving time: Keep the gravy and fried palak koftas separate until you are ready to serve. This prevents the koftas from becoming soggy.

Frying Tips

1. Chill before shaping and frying: Refrigerating the mixtures and shaped koftas helps them firm up and reduces the chance of breaking.
2. Seal any cracks: Check each shaped palak kofta carefully. Paneer may come out during frying if there are cracks or thin areas in the spinach covering.
3. Test one kofta first: Fry one shaped kofta before frying the remaining batch. If it breaks, refrigerate the remaining koftas for another 20 to 30 minutes. You can also coat them again with a little rice flour or cornstarch before frying.
4. Keep the oil moderately hot: Oil that is not hot enough may cause the koftas to absorb oil or break. Oil that is too hot will brown the outside before the kofta heats through.
5. Handle gently while frying: Let the base become firm and crisp before turning the kofta. Turning it too soon may damage the covering.
6. Air-fry if preferred: Lightly brush or spray the palak koftas with oil and air-fry until crisp, turning them as needed for even cooking.