A classic north Indian dish, often served in restaurants; is made with deep fried vegetable dumplings{koftas} that are tossed in a creamy tomato based sauce.
Set Instant Pot on Saute(More) mode and heat ghee. Add onions and salt. Cook until onions are soft and translucent for 2 minutes (with a glass lid on to speed this process)
Add ginger, garlic, turmeric and red chili powder. Mix well. Separate the coconut cream and water. Keep the coconut cream aside. Add only the watery portion of coconut milk and pureed tomatoes mixing with spices.
Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing position. Cook on Manual / Pressure Cook (Hi) for 4 minutes followed by quick release.
Open the Instant Pot, allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a hand blender, carefully blend the sauce until smooth. Stir in tomato paste, garam masala, fenugreek leaves and sugar.
Add frozen veggie balls and cook them on saute mode for 5 minutes or until the veggie balls are heated through.
Add the coconut cream and gently stir everything together. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with steamed rice, parathas or as a sauce and topping on homemade pizzas.
Video
Notes
Do not add the meatballs during pressure cooking. Add them after the pressure cooking cycle completes and then cook on saute mode until heated through.
You can use 1 cup of store-bought tomato puree instead of homemade fresh tomato puree
In addition to IKEA meatballs, I have also tried and liked Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Wegman's meatless meatball options
You can make this recipe with heavy cream or cashew cream instead of coconut cream. Simply replace the coconut milk water with half a cup of plain water and stir in half a cup of heavy cream or cashew cream after pressure cooking
Stove Top Recipe
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan. Add onions and salt. Cook until onions are soft and translucent for about 6 to 8 minutes on medium-high heat. Cover with a lid to speed up the process but remember to stir a few times. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, and red chili powder. Mix well. Separate the coconut cream and water. Keep the coconut cream aside. Add only the watery portion of coconut milk and pureed tomatoes mixing with spices. Cook covered for 10 to 12 mins on medium heat. Blend the sauce until smooth using a hand blender or put the sauce in a blender jar and puree until creamy. Return the puree to the pan if using a blender jar. Stir in tomato paste, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and sugar. Add frozen veggie balls and mix well. Cook covered on medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until heated the veggie balls are heated through. Add the coconut cream and gently stir everything together. Garnish with cilantro.