Lasagna with paneer kofta

Ingredients

• Lasagna Pasta – 12 pieces
• For Kofta
• 1/2 cup Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese)
• ½ cup boiled-drained-mashed potatoes (with no trace of water)
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ajwain
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely crushed cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt or adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

For sauce:

• 2 ½ cup cubed tomatoes (about ½ inch diagonally)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon coarsely crushed ajwain
• ½ teaspoon coarsely crushed cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coarsely crushed fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon coarsely crushed coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• For Cheese
• 1 cup well kneaded-shredded Paneer stirred quickly in ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup shredded Pizza cheese mix
• For filling
• ½ teaspoon kasuri methi
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped mint leaves
• ½ cup pineapple cubes – about 1/2 inch diagonally

You may like

Ricotta and spinach lasagna, the best comfort food

Preparation

• Kofta preparation:
  1.Mix all the ingredients of Kofta except the oil- rub the oil on your palms and make kofta balls – about 8 to 10.
  
  Sauce preparation:
  
  1.Heat oil in a pan. When hot enough add the ginger paste (optionally add onion-garlic paste prior to adding ginger paste and cook for 2-3 minutes). Stir well in oil and cook for a minute. Add the dry spices and cook for 30 seconds stirring well. Add the tomato puree- mix well, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes on medium heat- stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  
  Lasagna preparation:
  
  1. Preheat oven at 350 F. then set on broiler.
  
  2. Cook the pasta in flat bottomed pan per instructions on package. When cooked, drain the pasta and quickly brush each pasta piece with olive oil/butter on both sides and keep covered-aside to retain moisture.
  
  3. Apply non-stick cooking spray in baking dish and arrange the kofta balls on it – place under broiler for 8 – 10 minutes turning sides half-way. Remove and keep aside
  
  4. Spread ½ cup sauce at the bottom of the baking pan (I used bread-loaf pan which is exact size for the lasagna). Place 3 pieces of lasagna pasta over it. Cover with another layer of sauce, paneer cheese, pineapple cubes and chopped mint leaves. Place 4 pieces of pasta topped with sauce, Paneer cheese and kofta balls, another layer of 4 pasta pieces topped with sauce, pineapple cubes and kofta with kasuri methi. Final layer of the remaining pasta pieces topped with sauce, shred pizza cheese and any remaining kofta and pineapple. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Check every 5 minutes after 45 min.