Malai Kofta

Malai Kofta....whenever I hear this name soft, tender cheese dumplings dunked in rich, creamy Makhani gravy comes to my mind which is enough to make anyone drool. After Paneer Butter Masala this is the recipe which is I usually prefer to order if I want to eat anything Vegetarian in a restaurant and believe me these two recipes can never go wrong.

Malai means cream and Kofta means fried dumplings. If I talk about only Kofta then there are many variations of making them either veg or non-veg. I have already posted a recipe of Nargisi Kofta Curry. You can have a look here (Click Here).

This particular recipe of Kofta demands for Paneer (Cottage Cheese) and Potatoes. Some people like to add chopped veggies too but I prefer them this way. There are many ways in which you can prepare the Malai Kofta Curry: 

• cashew nut + onion + tomato based gravy 
• onion+tomato based gravy
• tomato based gravy

Here, I'm showing you the first version as this is the one which gives the gravy rich, perfect and creamy texture. This kind of gravy is also known as Makhni gravy. You can prepare number of dishes with this gravy some of them are: Paneer Butter Masala, Murg Makhani etc. Here I have used very less butter but if you want you can make the gravy completely in butter.

So let's start with the recipe:

Ingredients:

For making Koftas

1. Mashed Paneer (Cottage Cheese): 1 cup

2. Mashed Potatoes : 1/2 cup 

3. Onions (finely chopped): 1/4 cup

4. Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1/4 tsp

5. Red Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp

6. Cumin Powder: 1/4 tsp

7. Coriander Powder: 1/4 tsp

8. Salt: to taste

9. Green Chilies: 2

10. Cilantro (finely chopped)

11. Oil: for frying koftas

For Making Gravy:

1. Onions (roughly chopped):  1 cup

2. Garlic(finely chopped): 2 tbsp

3. Ginger (juliennes): 1 tbsp

4. Tomatoes (large): 3

5. Cashew nuts: 7-8

6. Green Cardamoms: 2-3

7. Mace (Javitri): 1 floret

8. Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

9. Kashmiri red chili powder: 2 tsp

10. Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp

11. Kasuri Methi: 1 to tbsp

12. Salt to taste

13. Sugar to taste (optional)

14. Oil: 4-5 tbsp

15. Green Chilies: 2-3 (adjust to your requirement)

16. Cilantro for garnishing

17. Butter: 1 tbsp

Method:

For Making Koftas:

1. Take a bowl add paneer and potatoes together. Mash them very well.

2. Add the remaining ingredients except oil in the mashed paneer-potatoes mixture and combine well.

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough add the koftas one-by-one. Take care not to overcrowd the pan.

4. Fry the koftas until they get a nice golden hue. Take them out on a plate lined with paper towel. Keep them aside.

For Making Gravy:

1. Soak the cashew nuts in warm water and grind it into thick paste.

2. Place a pan on medium heat and add in the oil. Add green cardamoms and mace. Once you get a nice aroma add chopped onions and fry them till they get a nice brown color. 

3. Add garlic and fry them for 1-2 mins. Now add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, kasuri methi, salt and sugar. Mix all these spices together. Cover the lid and cook till tomatoes gets mushy.

4. Let the mixture cool down and then make a smooth puree, strain it well to discard the seeds of cardamoms or pieces of mace.

5. In the same pan add 1 tbsp of oil and add julienned ginger and green chilies. Let it cook for 1-2 mins and then add the strained puree. Cover the lid and let it cook for 8-10 mins.

6. Add cashew nut paste. Adjust the consistency of the gravy, if it looks too thick add few tbsps of hot water. Let it cook for 2-3 mins. 

7. Now its time to add fresh cream and stir gently. Check the seasoning and adjust it as per requirement. Cook for another 5 mins. 

8. When you are ready to serve place the koftas on the serving dish and pour the gravy on top of them. Add a dash of cream, butter and garnish it with cilantro.

9. Your Malai Kofta is ready to serve. Enjoy it with naan, paratha or fried rice.

Note:

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If you want the recipe in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu (or any other language) click on the Google Translate button on the left side.