This malai kofta recipe is fair like what you get at your favorite Indian eatery but it’s made at domestic with a more beneficial alternative (no-fry kofta). Serve it with garlic naan or naturally cooked basmati rice to appreciate the meal.
❤️About This Malai Kofta Recipe
Malai = Heavy cream
Kofta = meatballs
Traditionally, kofta curry is made from meat. But here I am sharing veggie lover malai kofta curry.
So, here koftas are made from grated paneer (cabin cheese), potatoes, nuts, and dried natural products. They are deep-fried in the oil.
But nowadays we are taking a more beneficial course and making it a non-fried form of koftas. Here, koftas are shallow-fried in an appe (paniyaram) container without compromising the taste and texture.
Then they are included in smooth, wealthy Punjabi red gravy. This red gravy is made from onion, tomato, cashew nuts, Indian flavors, and overwhelming cream.
This eatery’s fashion malai kofta is a wealthy dish. So it is made on uncommon events or for extraordinary guests.
2 Variations of Malai Kofta:
1. Punjabi adaptation: Today’s recipe is North Indian fashion where it has orangy-red gravy.
2. Mughalai form: It has mellow, marginally sweet, fragrant white gravy.
🧾 Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the kofta ingredients.
- Paneer: It is accessible in the solidified area of Indian grocery stores. I lean toward nanak, gopi brand. I have attempted brar and Swad brands are alright as well. Sometimes I make custom-made paneer, but for comfort, I generally utilize store-bought.
- Potato: Here I have boiled potatoes in a moment pot. Let it cool down to the touch, at that point evacuate the skin and dispose of it. At that point, it is squashed with a potato masher or fork. On the other hand, you can grind the bubbled potato using a grater.
- Corn flour (Cornstarch): It is utilized as an authoritative specialist so we can roll into smooth balls (kofta).
- Nuts & raisins: I have fair utilized cashew nuts. Actually, we do not like raisins at domestic so I have skipped it.
And here is the pic of the malai kofta curry fixings. All of them are effortlessly accessible in any Indian grocery store.
- Oil and Butter: I have utilized a combination of both. Butter includes a pleasant, wealthy flavor. Instead, you can utilize ghee (clarified butter) or basically utilize any oil.
- Cashew nuts: make a difference to make thick, nutty, wealthy gravy
- Whole flavors (cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, cove leaf): These are included in the butter as a treatment. They include a pleasant, fragrant flavor to the gravy.
- Red onions: It would be ideal if you utilize red onions (Yellow or white won’t include that decent flavor).
- Tomatoes: Continuously utilize ready tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes make the sauce acrid.
- TIP: When it comes to the Indian sauce dishes, I profoundly recommend using Roma tomatoes. Remain absent from the beefsteaks or wine-ripe tomatoes, which make acrid gravy.
👩🍳 How To Make Malai Kofta? (Stepwise Photos)
Make Kofta:
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine fresh ground paneer, boiled and thoroughly mashed potatoes, a generous tablespoon of corn flour for binding, a pinch of aromatic garam masala, a handful of roughly chopped cashew nuts for added crunch, and salt to taste. Ensure the potatoes are completely cool before mixing to maintain the right consistency.
2)Using your hands, gently knead the mixture until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Continue blending and pressing the mixture until it forms a smooth, pliable dough-like texture that holds together easily without crumbling.
3)Once the dough is ready, divide it into twelve equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth, round balls, making sure there are no cracks on the surface. You should have evenly shaped balls, ready for the next step in your recipe—whether that’s frying, baking, or stuffing them for a delicious appetizer.
No-Fry Method:
4) Place an appe (paniyaram) pan on the stovetop and heat it over medium flame. Once the pan is warm, carefully add about one teaspoon of oil into each individual cavity to ensure the surface is well-greased. When the oil is heated through, gently place one prepared kofta ball into each section of the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan for even cooking.
5) Allow the koftas to cook undisturbed for a few minutes until the bottom turns a rich, golden brown. Once that side is nicely seared and firm, use a spoon or skewer to gently flip each kofta over to cook the opposite side. If the pan seems a bit dry or if the koftas need more crisping, feel free to drizzle in a few additional drops of oil to maintain that even sizzle.
6) For an even, golden finish and delightful crispness on all sides, gently turn the koftas at regular intervals, allowing each surface to come in contact with the heat evenly as they cook.”Continue cooking and rotating until all surfaces are beautifully golden and slightly crisp to the touch.
7) Once each kofta has developed a uniform golden-brown crust and is cooked through, carefully lift them out of the pan using tongs or a spoon. Transfer the cooked koftas to a clean plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Set them aside to cool slightly or proceed to use them in your curry, snack platter, or serving dish of choice.
OR Deep-Fry Method:
1) Whereas you are forming the balls, warm the oil in a kadai or dish on medium warm for profound searing. Once the oil is hot, include a few kofta tenderly into it.
2) Keep moving them every so often so it gets indeed browning from all sides. Once the brilliant brown from all sides is evacuated them utilizing an open spatula and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
Making Gravy:
1) Take onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts, and water in a dish, turn the warm on medium.
2) Let it stew for 15 minutes or until onion tomatoes get delicate. Let it cool down a bit.
3) At that point take this blend into the blender jar.
4) Mix into a smooth puree.
5) Warm oil and butter in a pan on medium warm. Let the butter melt.
6) Include entire flavors (cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, inlet leaf) and saute for 1 minute or until you get a decent smell of the spices.
7) Include the arranged puree.
8) Blend well and cook for 5-7 minutes or until it thickens marginally. Whereas cooking sauce may splutter, so somewhat cover the dish with a cover and cook. Do mix sometimes to make beyond any doubt that it is not staying to the foot of the pan.
9) Include red chili powder and coriander powder.
10) Blend well and cook for a minute.
11) Include water and salt. Blend well and let the sauce stew for 5 minutes.
12) Include garam masala and kasoori methi (pulverize between palms some time recently, including). Blend well.
13) Include an overwhelming cream and mix.
14) Include koftas into the sauce, turn off the stove, and serve malai kofta instantly. If serving afterward, at that point do not include kofta right now; something else they get delicate and may drop separated. So, as it were, we include them at the time of serving.
💭 Expert Tips For BEST Malai Kofta
- Do not over-boil the potato. Overcooked potato has more dampness, and if that is utilized in making kofta at then that point kofta turns out super delicate and may drop separated whereas searing or after including into the gravy.
- The sum of cornflour included in kofta chooses the surface. If included less/no sum at that point koftas turn out super delicate from interior and may get soft or after included into the sauce. If included more sum than said at that point koftas turn out as well firm and thick.
- Strain the arranged onion-tomato puree to get a smooth, smooth sauce surface. Here I have utilized a high-power Vitamix blender so I have skipped that step.
🍽 Serving Ideas
Serve malai kofta with garlic naan or lachha paratha. Moreover, serve laccha pyaz, salted lassi on the side to total the meal.
Malai kofta curry is overwhelming itself, so it can be served with plain basmati rice or jeera rice to make a lighter meal.
FAQs
How to prepare malai kofta for a party or get-to-gather?
– Make sauce ahead of time (same day or a day some time recently). If made a day or two some time recently at that point store in an waterproof holder in the refrigerator.
– Shape the koftas, orchestrate them on a plate, cover them, and store them in the fridge. If made a week some time recently at that point you can solidify them. On the day of serving, bring the kofta to room temperature and at that point profound fry.
– Some time recently serving, re-heat the sauce, include malai plunged koftas, decorate with nuts and cilantro.
Can I air fry the kofta?
Yes, you can. Air-fry them at 375°F for 13-15 minutes.
