Malai kofta is a traditional Indian dish that is easily available in any Indian restaurant. We know Malai means cream and kofta is a kind of fried ball. In this delicious restaurant-style Malai Kofta recipe, kofta is made with cheese, potatoes, onions, and some spices. This kofta just dissolves in the mouth. Along with tomato, a delicious light spicy gravy made with cashew nuts. This unique dish made by Kofta and Gravy is known as Malai Kofta.
If you do a little research you will find that this Mala Kofta recipe has different variations. I used tomato paste, onion paste, cashew nut paste, and fresh cream to make the gravy in this recipe. When making the gravy, add the cream once and at the time of garnishing once more. As a result, the creamy feel of the gravy evokes.
Malai kofta is usually served with bread, paratha, roomali roti or naan. In addition to these, it is also served with Basmati rice, jeera rice, or fried rice. Personally, fried rice with Malai kofta is my favorite.
Related: Paneer Tikka Recipe Video
How To Make Malai Kofta with step by step photos
Prepare Paneer Koftas
In a container, add the rest of the ingredients except oil (1 cup grated cheese, 3 cups mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tbsp chopped raw cilantro, 3 tablespoons cornflower, 1 tablespoon hot spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder, salt, and little sugar to taste).
Now mix well. Combine the potato and paneer in a manner so that both are well combined. Once done, make them into medium-sized balls. You can stuff the cashew nuts and kimchi on the inside while making the ball.
Fry the Kofta
Heat the oil for shallow or deep frying. I prefer to fry shallow. In a medium-hot oil, add the Paneer Kofta. Fry them on both sides until golden brown.
Fry all the Paneer koftas and put it in a paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
Prepare Malai Kofta Grevy
Heat the oil first. Add dried spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and fry for 1 minute.
Now give the onion and raw cilantro. When slightly fried, add the tomatoes, ginger, and garlic.
After frying for 1 minute, add the cashews and saute for a minute.
When you see that the tomatoes have mashy, turn off the gas. Let it cool down.
Put those cooked tomatoes mixture in a grinder and make a smooth paste. Then sieve well with a strainer.
Then heat a pan again and add 1 teaspoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in it.
Pour the tomato paste into it. Now add in cumin powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Then add some water and cook a little.
Now add 2-5 spoon cream and stir well.
Finally, add Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek) powder and hot spice powder and let it simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the gas.
Serving Malai Kofta
Finally, add the kofta to the gravy when serving. If you serve it long after you make it, then add the koftas to the gravy. Because the kofta is added in advance, it will soften and break during serving.
Serve with 2 tablespoons cream and a little coriander on a serving plate.
Related: Chilli Paneer Recipe
Malai Kofta Recipe
Ingredients
To make Puree
- 1 cup Onion roughly chopped
- 5-6 pcs Cashew Nuts
- 2 cup Tomato roughly chopped
- ½ inch Ginger
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup Water
For malai kofta recipe
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 pcs Bay Leaf
- ¼ inch Cinamon Stick
- 2-3 Pcs Cloves
- 2 pcs Green Cardamom
- 1½ tbsp Red chilli powder
- Salt as per requirement
- 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
- ¾ cup Water or as per requirment
- ½ tbsp Garam Masala
- 1 tbsp Kasoori Methi Powder (Dry fenugreek leaves powder)
- ¼ cup Fresh Cream or Malai
For kofta
- 1 cup Potato Boiled & mashed
- 1 cup Grated Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
- ½ cup Coriander chopped
- ½ cup Onion choppes
- 3 tbsp Cornflour
- 1 tbsp Cashew Nuts crushed (optional)
- 1 tbsp Raisins or kismis, chopped (optional)
- 500 grams Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Making Malai Kofta Curry Recipe
- In a pan take onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cashew, and water and fry on medium heat.
- Let it cook for 15 minutes until it is mashy.
- After that let it cool down. When cooled, make this puree paste using a blender.
- Heat oil and butter in a pan on medium heat.Once hot, add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Fry for 30 to 40 seconds.
- Now pour the prepared puree, also add some salt and mix. Allow it to cook until all the moisture evaporates and it starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Then add red chili powder and coriander powder and cook for a minute. (If you want more spicy then you can add red chili powder, I do not use red chili powder at all, instead, I use Kashmiri red chili powder.)
- Now to make gravy, add water according to the perimeter boil for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Now add 2 or 3 tbsp of fresh cream.
- After this, mix Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves) powder and garam masala powder.
- Saute for 1 minute.
- Now turn off the gas and keep the gravy in a container.
Making Kofta Recipe
- In a bowl take all the kofta ingredients except oil, and knead well.
- Now divide the mixture into 12-13 equal parts and make balls with the help of palm.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.
- After the oil is hot,slowly pour the koftas in hot oil one by one and fry.
- When all the Kofta fry well and their color turns brown, put out from the pan and place it in a bowl.
- Now heat the gravy again while serving.
- Also, you can add the fresh cream now if you forget to add this before. After that turn off the gas.
- In a plate first, pour a little gravy, then garnish the kofta on top of it, and then the rest gravy over it. This will make it look very beautiful.
Notes
Nutrition
Related: Paneer Pizza Recipe
Notes:
- I used chopped coriander and onions in the kofta, but that is totally optional. You can make the paneer koftas without these.
- You can also give a coat of corn starch after makes the balls, which helps to make a solid bound to the koftas.
- Some people make a white gravy for this malai kofta, that is a bit different recipe. We will discuss later.
If you like this recipe please share this with your friends on Pinterest and Twitter.
You can also subscribe to my blog to get all the latest articles first on your device.
Few more Paneer dishes: