Malai Kofta Recipe (Restaurant Style)

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp oil (or ghee (45 ml))
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 small bay leaf (optional)
• 0.5 inch cinnamon piece (optional)
• 2 cloves (optional)
• 0.75 tsp cumin seeds (or shahi jeera (optional))
• 1.5 cup onions (170 g, 1 large onion sliced)
• 1 inch ginger (peeled & sliced 10 g or 1 tbsp (22 g) ginger garlic paste)
• 5 garlic cloves (large, 12 g)
• 2.25 cup tomatoes (red ripe, sliced or chopped, 350 g)
• 18 raw cashew nuts (36 grams, sub with 1/4 cup heavy/fresh cream)
• 0.75 tsp sea salt (more to adjust)
• 0.75 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (more to adjust the color)
• 0.75 tsp garam masala (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp coriander powder (ground coriander seeds)
• 1 cup water (+ 1/2 more to simmer, omit if not using cashews)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (30 grams)
• 1 tbsp jaggery powder (or 1 tsp sugar)
• 1.5 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 0.25 cup heavy/fresh cream (double if not using cashews + 1 tbsp to garnish)
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped to garnish - optional)
• 100 g boiled potato (1 medium old potato, 1/2 cup fine grated)
• 200 g grated paneer (1.5 cups dry gratings)
• 1 tbsp cashews (fine chopped 8, optional)
• 1 tbsp raisins (fine chopped, 8 to 10, optional)
• 1 tsp grated ginger (or ginger garlic paste)
• 1.5 green chilies (deseed & chop (or sub with 1/2 tsp ground black pepper))
• 2.5 tbsp corn starch (25 grams, 1 tbsp more only if needed)
• 0.5 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)
• 0.6 tsp garam masala (adjust to taste, or use 1/4 tsp cardamom powder)
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves (fine chopped)
• 2 cup oil to deep fry

Steps

1. 1

   Heat ghee or oil in a pan and fry cardamoms along with the optional spices (cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, and cloves) for about a minute until fragrant.

2. 2

   Add sliced onions to the pan and saute for 6 to 8 minutes until they turn light golden.

3. 3

   Stir in the ginger and garlic (or ginger garlic paste) and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the chopped tomatoes, raw cashews, and salt. Saute or cover and cook until the tomatoes become mushy, about 8 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in the red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Saute on medium-high heat for 3 minutes until aromatic.

6. 6

   Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaf.

7. 7

   Pour 1 cup of cold water into a blender, add the cooked onion-tomato mixture, and blend into a completely smooth puree.

8. 8

   Melt butter in a clean pan. If desired, stir in a pinch of red chili powder for a brighter color.

9. 9

   Strain the blended puree directly into the pan through a sieve to ensure a silky texture. Mix well and pour in another 1/2 cup of water (omit water if cashews were not used).

10. 10

    Bring the gravy to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until thick and creamy, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.

11. 11

    Taste and adjust salt or garam masala. Crush kasuri methi between your palms and add it to the gravy along with jaggery (or sugar) and cream. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

12. 12

    While the gravy is simmering, prepare the koftas. Boil the potato until fork-tender (about 8-10 minutes in a pressure cooker on a trivet). Cool completely and pat the paneer dry with kitchen paper.

13. 13

    Finely grate the boiled potato and paneer separately into a mixing bowl.

14. 14

    Add the chopped cashews, raisins, ginger paste, green chilies, corn starch, salt, garam masala, and chopped coriander leaves to the bowl.

15. 15

    Mix the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes to form a non-sticky, smooth dough. Divide the dough into 12 to 13 portions and roll them into smooth balls between your palms. Optionally, roll the balls in a teaspoon of flour/starch and dust off the excess.

16. 16

    Heat oil in a deep pan or kadai for deep frying. Test the oil by dropping a small pinch of the mixture; it should sizzle and rise immediately without browning too fast.

17. 17

    Test one kofta first: deep fry it to ensure it doesn't disintegrate. If it breaks, add a little more corn starch to the dough. Once tested, slide the remaining koftas gently into the hot oil.

18. 18

    Deep fry on a medium flame for 2 minutes without disturbing, then continue frying until crisp and golden. Remove to a steel colander or cooling rack.

19. 19

    To assemble, allow the gravy to cool to a warm temperature and transfer to a serving dish. Place the slightly cooled koftas into the gravy.

20. 20

    Garnish with a drizzle of heavy cream and fresh coriander leaves. Serve immediately with naan, roti, or basmati rice.

Notes

Use low moisture old potatoes and avoid new harvest to prevent the koftas from becoming mushy. Ensure potatoes are cooled completely before grating. If the koftas disintegrate during frying, add 1/2 to 1 tbsp more corn starch to the dough. For a nut-free version, replace cashews with extra heavy cream or a few cubes of paneer blended into the gravy.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegetarian
• Indian
• restaurant-style
• paneer
• kofta
• dinner
• creamy