Raw Cantaloupe Kofta Curry

Me and my daughter are quite fond of Cantaloupe. But it's difficult to figure out how raw or ripe it may be unless u cut it. Sometimes it is over ripe and sometimes it's too raw and tasteless to eat. This time when it turned out to be raw I decided to make a curry our of it rather than tossing it in the garbage bin. And trust me it came out as good as any other variety of kofta curry if not better. Pick a really firm/raw Cantaloupe and try it for yourself.                                                                                                                                                         Ingredients
for koftas

1 Raw Cantaloupe Grated
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1 green chili, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Finely chopped fresh coriander
1 Tbsp Gram Flour/ Besan
salt to taste
oil for frying

for Gravy

1 big sized Onion, sliced
1 inch piece of ginger
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp kashmiri laal mirch
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1-2 Tbsp Oil
salt to taste
2 cups water
chopped fresh coriander for garnishing

Procedure

For koftas

Squeeze water from the grated cantaloupe, as much as you can. Keep oil in a wok ready for frying. Add the remaining ingredients for koftas. Mix well and divide it into 12-14 portions, make koftas of desired shape and size. Fry them immediately . Please see the oil is not burning hot else it will spoil the flavor. Fry till light brown. Take them out in a dish and keep aside.

For Gravy

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, and bay leaf. add ginger garlic, fry a bit, now add chopped onions, fry till golden brown, Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder, chopped tomatoes and salt. Fry till oil separates. Let it cool and make a paste using a blender. Now transfer it back to the pan. Fry a bit, and add water. Bring the curry to boil and add the koftas 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped coriander.