Malai Kofta Recipe

Malai kofta is a famous, north Indian, dumplings in gravy recipe. The koftas are made with mainly paneer and potatoes and then dunked in a creamy cashew based gravy. The malai kofta served in restaurants is mildly sweet but you don’t have to add that much sugar in the recipe if you do not like sweetness in your gravies. The addition of dry fruits adds a little crunch and texture to the otherwise plain koftas. You serve the malai kofta with chapatti, naan or rice for the main course. So without wasting any time further let’s get started with the recipe.

Also Read: How to Make: Paneer Kofta for Breakfast

Ingredients:

For the kofta:

• Paneer- 200 gm (grated)
• Potato- 3, medium sized (boiled and grated)
• Milk powder- 1 tbsp.
• Black pepper powder- ½ tsp.
• Red chilli powder- ½ tsp.
• Garam masala- ½ tsp.
• Fresh coriander leaves- 1 tbsp. (chopped)
• Cornflour- 2 tbsp.
• Mixed dry fruit- 3 tbsp. (chopped cashews, almonds, raisins and pistachios)
• Salt- as per taste
• Oil- for frying

For the gravy:

• Onion- 2, large (pureed)
• Tomato- 2, large (pureed)
• Cashew paste- ¼ cup
• Turmeric/haldi powder- ¼ tsp.
• Red chilli powder- ¾ tsp.
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 ½ tsp.
• Bay leaf/tej patta- 1
• Cinnamon/dal cheeni- 1-inch stick
• Black cardamom/badi elaichi- 1-2
• Green cardamom/choti elaichi- 2-3
• Mace/javatri- a pinch
• Cloves/laung- 2-3
• Garam masala- ¼ tsp.
• Dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi- 1 tsp.
• Fresh cream- 2-3 tbsp. (for garnishing)
• Salt- as per taste
• Sugar- if required (to tone down the tartness of the tomatoes)

Procedure:

1.  In a bowl add the mashed potatoes, grated paneer, milk powder, black pepper powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander leaves, cornflour and the salt. Mix all the ingredients together really well to form a uniform dough.
2.  Check the seasoning and adjust it accordingly.
3.  Heat oil in a pan and put a little bit of the paneer mixture in the oil to check if the oil is hot enough. The oil should neither too hot nor too cold. Also, check if the kofta is holding its shape or not. If the kofta is breaking, then add some cornflour to the mixture and then prepare the koftas.
4.  Now take some dough (medium sized ball) and flatten it on your palm. Place the dry fruit mixture in the centre of the flattened dough and bring the edges to the centre and seal the kofta.
5.  Prepare all the koftas in the same manner.
6.  Once all the koftas are ready shallow fry them in the oil. Cook the kofta from one side and cook until crispy and golden from one side and then gently flip over. Cook the kofta from the other side in a similar manner.
7.  When the koftas are cooked remove them from the oil and place them on a kitchen paper towel to drain the excess oil.
8.  Remove the excess oil from the pan and add the whole spices to the oil. Cook till they become fragrant.
9.  Add the onion paste. cook it until it is brown in colour. Now add the ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw aroma fades away.
10.  Add the tomato puree and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add the turmeric powder, garam masala, red chili powder and the cashew paste. Cook until the masala starts to leave the oil.
11.  Add water and stir well. Let the gravy cook on a low flame for 10-12 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
12.  Now add the salt and kasuri methi to the gravy. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning. If you think that the gravy is too tart add some sugar to it.
13.  Place the prepared koftas in the gravy and the simmer for a minute.
14.  Garnish the malai kofta with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream.
15.  Serve the malai kofta hot with butter naan, roti or jeera rice.

Image Source: archanaskitchen