A Creamy Luscious Curry : Malai Kofta

Malai Kofta is a North Indian gravy dish that is simply irresistible. Malai means cream and Kofta are fried dumpling balls. It has deep-fried balls made from potato, paneer (cottage cheese), khoya (mawa), and dunked in a creamy spiced velvety smooth curry. It is a creamy dish as crispy from outside and soft from inside koftas are dunked in delectable gravy with is enriched with cream and cashews.

It is a popular vegetarian recipe in which potato and paneer balls are served with a delicious, creamy, smooth, and rich gravy. These balls are filled with dry fruits like cashews, raisins which give a nice flavor to the balls. The gravy is super flavor, well balanced with a natural sweetness that comes from onion, cashews, and tang from tomatoes and flavored with minimum spices. 

This dish has two parts of the dish one is kofta and the other one is gravy. Kofta a round ball made of meats and veggies is referred to as kofta in several Asian countries. The kofta in this malai kofta is made with paneer, potato, khoya (mawa) ginger, cilantro, some nuts, and raisins. I also add some cardamom and white pepper powder to enhance the flavor of the kofta. One other thing which is added to the kofta here is cornstarch. It binds the koftas so that they don’t disintegrate in the hot oil.

Read More : Paneer Butter Masala

The other part is the gravy which is made with onion, tomatoes, cashews, ginger, garlic, and a lot of whole spices. The gravy is silky smooth, lightly sweetened, and spiced mainly with whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, etc. Cream and butter are added to make it rich and creamy. 

Tips To Make Malai Kofta

• Strain the puree using a strainer so that the gravy is silky smooth.
• Use homemade paneer in the kofta if possible
• Do not add too much cornstarch to the kofta. Add 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch and that was enough to just bind the koftas together.
• Fry the kofta in medium heat.
• A sprinkle of kasuri methi on top really adds to the flavor.

Malai Kofta Recipe

Ingredients

Kofta

• Paneer 1 cup
• Boiled potato 1
• Khoya 1 cup
• Cashew 1 tbsp
• Pistachios 1 tbsp
• Raisins 1 tbsp
• Green chili 1
• Coriander leaves 1 tbsp
• Black pepper 1 tsp
• Corn flour 2 tbsp
• Oil Deep frying

Gravy

• Oil 1 tbsp
• Onion 1
• Tomato 2 small
• Ginger 1 tsp
• Garlic 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder 1 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Bay leaf 1
• Cardamom 2
• Cloves 3
• Cinnamon stick 1 inch
• Cashew 10
• Garam masala 1/2
• Salt To taste
• Cream 1/4 cup
• Kasuri methi 28 gm

Method

Kofta Recipe

1. In a large mixing bowl, take 1 cup of grated paneer, 1 cup grated khoya, 1 boiled potatoes and mash them well. make sure there are no lumps of potatoes.
2. Add cornflour and black pepper.
3. Combine everything well.
4. For filling in a bowl take all the dry fruits.
5. Add chopped green chili and coriander and mix well.
6. Take the small portion of dough and make a circle.
7. Press that circle on mid and fill the filling
8. Close and shape into a circle or cylindrical shape.
9. Deep fry the koftas on medium heat. you can also shallow fry till they turn golden brown.
10. Flip in between to get uniform browning.
11. Once the koftas turn golden brown, drain to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Puree Recipe

1. In a large kadai, take 1-2 tsp of oil and saute chopped onions till they sweat.
2. Next, add ginger-garlic. saute till the raw smell of ginger-garlic disappears.
3. Then cook them covered for at least 15 minutes or till they are completely cooked.
4. Time to add dry spices like turmeric powder, chili powder, and coriander powder.
5. Fry the masala on medium flame and make sure you do not burn them.
6. Now add chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute or two.
7. Add cashew to the masala switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool completely before you blend them to smooth puree.
8. Blend to smooth puree adding required water.

Kofta Curry Recipe

1. In a large kadai, take 2 tsp of oil and fry spices. fry bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon stick till they turn fragrant.
2. Now add the blended puree prepared previously.
3. Boil the pasta for 3 minutes on medium flame. keep stirring continuously else they will start popping out and create a mess.
4. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Now add garam masala, salt to taste, and some water. adjust the consistency of gravy. give a good mix and get to a boil.
6. Add ¼ cup of fresh cream (malai) and cook for a minute.
7. Finally, add crushed kasuri methi.