Go Back
Print Recipe

Malai Kofta

Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Priyanka

Ingredients

For Puree

  • 1 medium  chopped white onions preferable
  • 6 medium chopped tomatoes
  • 2 green chillies
  • 10-12 almonds
  • 10-12 cashews
  • 1 tbsp watermelon seeds optional
  • 4 green cardamom
  • 1 1/2 cup water

For Gravy

  • 1 tbsp butter or ghee
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves or kasoori methi
  • 1/2 cup of fresh cream or half and half
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt to taste

For Kofta

  • 3 medium boiled and mashed potatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded paneer
  • 2-3 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Handful of broken cashews and raisins to stuff kofta balls
  • Oil for Frying

Instructions

To make Puree

  • In a saucepan, add all the ingredients with water. Let it boil till the onions and tomatoes are soften.
  • Using a strainer, separate the liquid or the broth from onions-tomatoes mixture (do not throw away the liquid). Let it cool.
  • Once its cool, blend the mixture into smooth puree using little bit of leftover liquid.

To make Gravy

  • Heat up ghee and oil in a pan. Once its slightly hot add ginger-garlic paste and cook it for a minute.
  • Add red chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, garam masala. Make sure your flame is in between med-low so the spices don't burn. 
  • Add 1/4 cup of leftover cooking liquid and let everything cook till oil starts separating.
  • Now add the blended puree and mix it with all the spices. Add sugar and salt at this point. Cover it and cook it for 5 minutes.
  • Turn of the flame. Add fresh cream and dried fenugreek leaves (crush it in between your palms).

For Kofta

  • In a bowl take boiled and mashed potatoes and crumbled paneer. Add red chilli powder, coriander cumin powder, corn starch and salt to taste. Mix them together and form a dough. 
  • Divide the mixture into equal portions to make small (golf ball size) balls. To stuff the kofta, flatten each ball it in your palm and add 2 pieces of cashews and raisins in center. Pull up the edges and roll into a smooth ball.
  • Heat up the oil for frying. For frying, oil should be really hot otherwise koftas break. 
  • Add 2-3 balls at a time in the oil and gently stir them around for even cooking. It takes around a minute to get the golden brown color if the temperature of oil is correct.
  • Take it out on an absorbent paper. 

To Serve

  • Add Koftas to the hot gravy just before serving.
  • Drizzle from more fresh cream on top.

Notes

  1. If using high efficiency blenders then the puree with be nice and smooth. But, if you see any tomato seeds or peel in the puree then pass it through a seive to make it smooth.
  2. I used homemade paneer for this recipe as I feel its much softer then the store bought. But both works fine. Just make sure to crumble the paneer nicely or shred it.
  3. For frying: Key to get nice and soft koftas are to fry them quickly in hot oil or till they turn goldenish from outside. By keeping them more in oil makes paneer inside it hard. 
  4. For healthier version, you can use low-fat cream or half and half.