Kutt Kofte
Kutt Kofte is a Dakhni Muslim preparation associated particularly with Bengaluru, built around kutt, a dark, tangy broth extracted from horse gram, or kulthi. The process begins well before the actual curry: horse gram is soaked, sprouted, slowly cooked, then strained. Interestingly, it is the cooking liquid rather than the horse gram itself that is used for the dish. That liquid is reduced before being transformed into a gravy with coconut, tomato, tamarind and spices.
Mutton koftas are then simmered directly in the kutt, followed by boiled eggs and, finally, a ghee tempering of browned onions and curry leaves. Traditionally associated with Ramzan and particularly prized as a warming winter dish, it is the kind of recipe where a seemingly humble pulse quietly requires two days of advance planning.
Ingredients
For the Kutt
500 g horse gram, or kulthi
Water, as needed
For the Mutton Koftas
500 g mutton mince
100 g roasted chana dal
¼ cup freshly grated coconut
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 cloves
1-inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
For the Gravy
Reduced horse gram water
1 cup freshly grated coconut
5 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 whole bulb garlic, peeled
1 cup coriander leaves
2 tsp roasted cumin seeds
3 tbsp thick tamarind pulp
3 tsp red chilli powder, or to taste
Salt, to taste
To Finish
4–5 eggs, boiled and peeled
For the Tadka
1 onion, thinly sliced
Curry leaves, a generous handful
Ghee, as needed
Method
Soak and sprout the horse gram
Wash the horse gram thoroughly and soak it in plenty of water for 12 hours.
Drain completely, cover and leave in a warm place for another 18–24 hours, or until the horse gram begins to sprout.
Make the kutt
Transfer the sprouted horse gram to a large pot and add enough fresh water to come approximately 2.5 cm above the grains.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently until the horse gram is completely tender. By this stage, the cooking liquid should have become noticeably dark.
Strain the horse gram, collecting all of the cooking liquid in a separate pot. The cooked horse gram itself isn't required for Kutt Kofte and can be reserved for another preparation.
Bring the strained liquid back to a boil and cook uncovered until reduced by approximately half.
This concentrated horse gram broth is the kutt.
Prepare the koftas
Add the roasted chana dal, coconut, onion, ginger-garlic paste, cloves, cinnamon, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt to a food processor.
Process until you have a relatively smooth mixture.
Add the mutton mince in batches and pulse briefly to combine. Avoid processing it excessively.
Transfer to a bowl and mix through the finely chopped coriander leaves.
With slightly damp hands, shape the mixture into walnut-sized koftas. Set aside.
Make the gravy paste
Combine the coconut, tomatoes, coriander leaves, onion, garlic, roasted cumin seeds, tamarind pulp, red chilli powder and salt.
Grind everything together into a coarse paste, adding a little water only if required to get the grinder moving.
Build the Kutt Kofte
Place the reduced kutt over high heat.
Add the ground gravy paste and mix thoroughly. Bring everything to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat.
Carefully lower the raw koftas into the simmering gravy one at a time. Once added, avoid vigorous stirring initially, as the koftas will be delicate until the meat begins to set.
Partially cover and simmer gently until the koftas are completely cooked through, carefully turning them halfway through.
Add the eggs
Once the koftas are cooked, add the boiled and peeled eggs.
Continue simmering uncovered for another 5–10 minutes, allowing the eggs to absorb some of the flavour of the gravy.
Taste and adjust the salt, chilli or tamarind if necessary.
The finished Kutt Kofte should have a generous amount of dark, tangy gravy rather than being reduced completely dry.
Make the tadka
Heat a generous spoonful of ghee in a small pan.
Add the sliced onion and curry leaves and fry until the onions are evenly golden and the curry leaves are aromatic.
Pour the hot tadka, ghee and all, over the finished Kutt Kofte.
Serve hot.