What is Malai Kofta?
Malai is milk cream and Kofta are deep-fried balls. So, malai kofta literally means crispy deep-fried potato paneer balls (Kofta) dunked in a creamy sauce. This popular Indian vegetarian kofta is a popular restaurant-style dish. This is traditional Malai Kofta in white gravy. There is another version of the malai kofta in rich, spicy tomato-based gravy but I like to call that paneer kofta.
Ingredients for Malai Kofta
What is Malai Kofta Made of ? Malai Kofta is made of potato and paneer kofta which are stuffed with nuts and dry fruits and then deep fried. These vegetarian kofta are dunked in smooth gravy with lots of cream and cashews. You need these ingredients for making Malai Kofta. Paneer - Indian cottage cheese or paneer. For making kofta you can use any paneer. Homemade paneer or store-bought both work fine.Potato - Boiled potatoes (any variety work great. For making boiled potatoes pressure cook medium sized potatoes for 2 whistles and allow to release it naturally. In instant pot after adding potatoes and water (enough to immerse them) set to pressure cooker mode and for 5 minutes. CornFlour or Arrowroot: You can use either corn flour or arrowroot powder for binding the kofta. Cream/Malai - The recipe is made of creamy gravy. So use good quality fresh cream to make malai kofta gravy. If you want you can use malai which you collect from milk at home. Spices & Seasonings: salt, coriander powder, cardamom powder, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, cumin, Star aniseFrom the Pantry: cornflour, cashews, All purpose flour, Oil to fry kofta ballsProduce: Onion, green chilli, ginger.
Step by Step Malai Kofta Recipe
There are two parts of making this malai kofta recipe. First is making Kofta: Kofta is kind of meatball. Meat or veggies along with spices are made into round balls and deep fried. In this vegetarian kofta curry I make kofta with potatoes and paneer. Second is Making Gravy or curry: These kofta are served in a spiced sauce/gravy which is made with onion, cashews, nuts and whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, star anise etc.
Step1: Making Kofta balls
Step 2: Making Gravy Paste for Malai Kofta
If you are making malai kofta, there are two types of gravy options you can try. For restaurant style malai kofta with orange gravy you can use this gravy recipe. Or this white gravy recipe for malai kofta I shared here is good one too. So you can take your pick. Put some onions, green chilli, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaf, cashews, and water in a saucepan and boil it for 5-6 minutes on a medium heat. [Photo1,2,3,4,5] After it cools down blend to make a liquid paste in a grinder jar of the mixer. [Photo6]
Step 3: Making Gravy for Malai Kofta
Take another pan, add oil and zeera and allow it to crackle for few seconds. [Photo1] Now add gravy paste we made and cook it for 7-8 minutes on medium heat till it starts to thicken up. [Photo2] Add salt to season if required, along with cream and some yogurt and mix it well. Cook for few minutes. [Photo3] Then, add some water and let it boil for few minutes. Sprinkle some kasuri methi over the gravy to give it a final touch. [Photo4] Remove the gravy from flame and pour it in a nice serving plate. Place fried kofta just before serving and pour some more hot gravy over it. [Photo5] And, your delicious malai kofta is ready to eat. [Photo6]
Watch Video Recipe - Malai Kofta in White Gravy
Recipe Notes: Tips to Make Best Malai Kofta
How to Prevent Kofta from breaking?
Kofta breaks because of less binding in the mixture. Before frying kofta make sure to use the right amount of corn flour/arrowroot in the kofta mixture. Paneer has lots of moisture, Press the paneer with paper towel to remove extra moisture from paneer.
Variations in Kofta Stuffing
Paneer and potatoes kofta with cashew and raisins stuffing (as I showed in this post).You can simply add vegetables of your choice in the centre like grated carrot, bottle gourd, any squash or green beans/french beans etc.
What to Serve with Malai Kofta?
You can serve malai kofta with any Indian breads, like naan, Roti, Paratha, Kulcha. Or, you can also serve it with steamed plain Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice/Cumin Rice.
How to Store?
You can make both the components of malai kofta ahead of time and store them. Store them in two airtight containers separately in the fridge. When You are ready to serve Just reheat the gravy and pour in a serving bowl. Next heat Paneer and potato kofta balls place them in the gravy and enjoy this steaming hot.
More Such Recipes You May Like to Try
If you want to try vegetarian kofta recipes, I have more such recipes of kofta curries like Lauki Kofta
Paneer Kofta
Methi Malai Paneer Curry Kashmiri Dum Aloo If You like this recipe and made it Please rate the recipe. It helps us to reach more people. For the Latest updates Subscribe to Rekha’s Whatsapp. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest for more food inspirations.
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