Vegan zucchini kofta is a comforting way to turn grated zucchini, chickpea flour, and tofu into flavorful little koftas.
The zucchini is grated and mixed with salt to draw out the excess water. The water is then squeezed from the zucchini and saved for the sauce.
The kofta mixture is made with finely diced ginger, besan, or chickpea flour, and tofu. The mixture is shaped into small koftas and fried until browned.
The sauce starts with olive oil, ginger, green chili, turmeric, dried chilies, fennel seeds, asafoetida, and tomato paste. Cumin powder and vegan yogurt are then added before the zucchini water and more water are added to make the sauce.
The fried koftas simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes, allowing them to absorb the flavors while keeping their texture.
Ingredients
For the Zucchini Kofta
- 2 zucchini
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon finely diced ginger
- 1/4 cup besan, or chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup tofu
- More besan, if needed
- Oil, for frying
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons diced ginger
- 1 diced green chili
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 dried chilies
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, roughly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 3 tablespoons vegan yogurt
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder, optional
- 2 cups water
- The water squeezed from the grated zucchini
- Chopped coriander or parsley, for serving
Prepare the Zucchini
Start with 2 zucchini.
Grate the zucchini and place it in a bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix everything together.
Let the salted zucchini sit for a while. The salt helps draw out the excess water from the zucchini.
Once the zucchini has released its water, squeeze it well.
Make sure you remove as much excess water as possible. This helps keep the kofta mixture from becoming too wet.
Do not throw away the water.
Save the squeezed zucchini water because you will use it later when making the sauce.
Prepare the Kofta Mixture
Place the squeezed zucchini in a bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of finely diced ginger.
Next, add 1/4 cup of besan, also known as chickpea flour.
Add 1/2 cup of tofu.
Mix everything together well.
The besan helps bind the mixture, while the tofu adds protein and gives the kofta a soft texture.
If the mixture feels too wet to shape, add a little more besan.
Continue mixing until the mixture is firm enough to hold its shape.
Shape the Zucchini Kofta
Once the mixture is ready, start shaping the koftas.
Take a small amount of the mixture and roll it between your hands.
The video shapes the koftas to about the size of a cherry tomato.
Continue shaping the mixture until you have used it all.
Try to keep the koftas a similar size so they cook evenly.
Fry the Kofta
Heat oil for frying.
The oil should reach about 300°F before you start frying the koftas.
Carefully place the koftas into the hot oil in batches.
Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry the koftas until they become browned on the outside.
Once they are cooked, carefully remove them from the oil and set them aside.
Continue frying until all of the koftas are ready.
Prepare the Sauce
Now prepare the sauce in a saucepan.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Next, add 2 teaspoons of diced ginger and 1 diced green chili.
Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 2 dried chilies.
Then add 1 teaspoon of roughly ground fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida.
Mix everything together and let the spices cook in the oil.
Add the Tomato Paste and Spices
Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the saucepan.
Mix the tomato paste with the spices and aromatics.
Next, add 1 teaspoon of cumin powder.
Add 3 tablespoons of vegan yogurt and mix everything together.
The yogurt adds a creamy and slightly tangy element to the sauce.
Then add 2 teaspoons of salt, or adjust the amount to taste.
If you like more heat, you can also add 2 teaspoons of chili powder.
Add the Zucchini Water
Now add the water that you saved from the grated zucchini.
This helps use the flavor from the zucchini rather than throwing the liquid away.
Add 2 cups of water as well.
Mix everything together and let the sauce come to a simmer.
Allow the sauce to cook so the spices, tomato paste, yogurt, and zucchini water come together.
Add the Zucchini Kofta
Once the sauce is simmering, add half of the fried koftas to the pan.
Place them gently into the sauce.
Let the koftas simmer in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
During this time, the koftas absorb some of the sauce while the outside softens slightly.
Keep the remaining fried koftas aside if you want to serve some with a little more texture.
How to Serve Vegan Zucchini Kofta
Once the koftas have simmered for about 10 minutes, they are ready to serve.
Spoon the koftas and sauce into a serving dish.
Finish with chopped coriander or parsley.
The finished dish has soft zucchini and tofu koftas, a spiced tomato-based sauce, and the flavors of ginger, green chili, fennel, cumin, and dried chilies.
High-Protein Vegan Zucchini Kofta Recipe
This vegan zucchini kofta recipe uses simple ingredients to create a flavorful and satisfying meal.
The grated zucchini provides the base for the koftas, while besan helps bind the mixture and tofu adds protein.
The first important step is removing the excess water from the zucchini. The squeezed zucchini water is then saved and added to the sauce.
After shaping the mixture into small koftas, fry them until browned. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce with olive oil, ginger, green chili, turmeric, dried chilies, fennel seeds, asafoetida, tomato paste, cumin, and vegan yogurt.
Add the zucchini water and 2 cups of water, then let the sauce simmer.
Finally, add half of the fried koftas and cook them in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Serve the zucchini kofta with chopped coriander or parsley for a flavorful vegan meal.
Watch the Full Recipe Video
Want to see every step of this recipe in action? Watch the complete video tutorial on our YouTube channel, where you’ll see how to grate and prepare the zucchini, make the tofu and besan kofta mixture, shape and fry the koftas, prepare the spiced sauce, and finish the dish.
📺 The full step-by-step video is available below. Simply press play and cook along with us!
👇 Watch the complete recipe here:
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