Malai Kofta Recipe (Restaurant Style Paneer Kofta)
Malai Kofta is a delicious dish of fried balls of potato and paneer, served with sweet onions and tomatoes in a rich and tangy mild gravy. Your melt recipe is a labor of love, but it's worth it Learn to make this special Indian meal with me! I will show you step-by-step with photos and videos
What is Malai Kofta
Malay means cream and 'kofta' is a fried ball of various ingredients, popular not only in Indian cuisine, but also in Middle Eastern, Balkan and Asian cuisine.
As an Indian and a vegetarian, the most common type of kofta that I have come across is made with potatoes and mixed veggies. That being said, other koftas often include various meats and can be thought of as Italian meatballs or Middle Eastern kebabs.
Malai Kofta is one of the most popular Indian dishes in restaurants around the world, and for good reason It takes a lot of effort to make the dish, but in the end, it's all worth it Kofta is prepared with paneer and potatoes in this delicious restaurant style malai kofta recipe.
Crispy on the outside and heavenly soft on the inside, these delicious fried dumplings are dunked in a smooth, slightly sweet and mildly spicy curry. The combination of curry with curry tastes amazing You just have to try it to find out!
Why This Malai Kofta Recipe Works
There are many varieties of malai kofta recipes This, however, is the best malai paneer kofta you can make at home Trust me when I say: this recipe is for keeping
In this recipe, groats are prepared from cashew paste, onion paste and tomato puree. Cashew paste makes the curry rich and creamy I also add some cream for a luxurious taste whenever this dish is made for a special occasion or party. But you can leave out the cream if you want
The kofta itself is incredibly soft with a consistency that isn't too mushy Crispy golden brown on the outside, melt in your mouth, these dumplings are nothing less than a gift.
While this recipe makes about 7 to 8 paneer koftas, with curry it is more than enough to feed 3 to 4 people. Let me tell you that malai kofta is a rich and heavy meal, so 1-2 koftas per serving should be enough.
I don't know about you, but all this talk about paneer kofta is making me hungry! Let's cook, we will
How to Make Malai Kofta
Prep work is time consuming, so plan ahead before making the recipe You need to make gravy base and koftas
For the gravy you need onion paste, cashew paste and tomato paste. Cashew paste and tomato puree can be prepared and frozen for a day
You can make the kofta mixture and choose the shape a day in advance and freeze them to make your work easier. I do this from time to time So the next day you just have to fry the koftas and make the gravy
Prepare Paneer Kofta
1. First boil 2 medium to large potatoes (200g) in a pan, instant pot or a pressure cooker until fork tender or knife tender. Here I boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker and cover them with water for 4 to 5 whistles on medium heat.
2. When the potatoes are hot or cold, peel them and grate them in a bowl. Use a box grater or a hand-held grater
3. Add the following listed ingredients to the masala potatoes:
100 grams of grated paneer or 1 cup of grated paneer
¼ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika).
¼ tsp garam masala powder
Salt as needed
4. Next add 2 tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch) or tapioca starch and 3 tablespoons of almond flour or fine almond meal.
Note: Nut free? Don't worry! Instead of almond flour you can use 2 tbsp milk powder or 3 tbsp khoya (mawa or dry evaporated milk solids).
Fill and Shape Paneer Kofta
6. Meanwhile if you like and finely chop 10 to 12 cashew nuts and 1 tablespoon raisins. Keep aside It will be sweet-tangy and crunchy stuffing for kofta
If you're not a fan of cashews or raisins, skip the stuffing or use your favorite nuts.
7. Portion the kofta mixture and shape into medium sized balls.
8. Take one kofta ball and flatten it in the palm Place a small portion of cashews and raisins on the puffed kofta dough If it feels sticky, rub some oil on your palm before filling and shaping the kofta.
10. Stuff and shape all the paneer kofta balls Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare Paneer Kofta Gravy Elements
11. Now prepare each cashew paste, onion paste and tomato puree. Keep aside For this step, I always use the Magic Bullet because unlike a blender or chutney grinder, it's quick and easy to clean.
For Onion Paste – Roughly chop 2 medium to large onions Measure and you should get about 1 cup of diced onion Add to a blender Without adding any water mix to a fine consistency If you have trouble mixing them, add a few tablespoons of water Transfer the onion paste or onion puree to another bowl and keep aside
For cashew paste – soak 12 to 15 tablespoons of cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the water, blend the soaked cashews with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water in a blender or food processor to make a thick or medium-thick fine paste. Keep aside If you measure, you will get about 6 to 7 tablespoons of cashew paste Take it out of the blender in a bowl and keep it aside
For Tomato Puree – Chop 2 medium to large tomatoes Make sure to include tomatoes that have a sweet-tangy flavor and are not too sour Add them in the same blender and blend to a fine puree When you measure the puree, it should be 1 cup It is recommended to measure the puree before you start cooking so that there is a balance in the taste. If using packaged tomato puree, add 1 cup
Make Gravy
12. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed or heavy frying pan or a wok. Add the following whole spices and fry for a few seconds or until they release their fragrance in the oil.
1 bay leaf (Indian bay leaf)
1 inch of cinnamon
1 black cardamom
2 green cardamoms
3. Single mesh strand
2 cloves
13. Add the prepared onion paste Note that sauteing onion paste takes longer Add a few pinches of salt to cook it faster
14. Stirring often sauté onion paste on a low to medium-low heat.
15. After 9 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat, the onion paste will turn light golden, cook and leave the side of the pan.
As you continue to scrub, it will become lumpy, begin to gather around itself, and gradually turn golden. Stir non-stop so that the paste cooks evenly
If they start to stick to the pan while sauteing the onions, sprinkle some water Add the remaining onion paste particles from the pan and deglaze Continue south
16. Continue to saute for 5 to 6 minutes or until browned
18. Add the tomato purée.
19. Mix and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes on medium-low heat.
20. Now add the following ground spices:
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
¼ tsp fennel powder – optional
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika (or ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne).
21. Mix well and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
22. Add the cashew paste.
23. Mix and saute until oil leaves the side of the masala paste It will take about 9 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat The paste will separate and gather around itself It will also become slightly glossy and you will see some oil oozing from the sides
24. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar and salt according to taste.
25. Add 2 cups of water Mix the south masala paste with the water well with a spoon or wire whisk.
26. Simmer over low to medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the gravy is thick and creamy. You should also see some oil spots on the top layer of the gravy
Malai kofta gravy is usually smooth, creamy and slightly thick I would keep it a slightly medium-thick consistency
27. Add 1 tsp Kasuri mithi (dried fenugreek leaves) and 2 tbsp light cream or cooking cream. Crush dry fenugreek leaves in palm and mix Simmer for 2 to 30 minutes
You can also use 1 tablespoon heavy or whipping cream instead of light cream.
28. Mix well and turn off the heat Check the taste of the curry and add sugar or salt if needed
Fry Paneer Kofta
29. Before shaping and frying the whole batch, check a small piece of paneer kofta in hot oil. If it doesn't break or fall apart, you can easily fry the rest of the koftas
If it crumbles, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch) as a binder. Mix the binder well, then shape into kofta
As soon as you add these small kofta pieces it should slowly and quickly come to the top of the oil This means the oil is hot enough to fry the koftas
If the kofta balls stick to the bottom or come slowly, the oil is hot This will make your koftas absorb a lot of oil and they may separate in the oil
If it comes out too quickly and browns or burns, the oil is too hot Very hot oil will cook the kofta from the outside but the inside will be raw or undercooked
30. Heat the oil in a pan until it reaches 180 to 190 degrees Celsius (356 to 374 degrees Fahrenheit).
Note: Lightly or deep fry the koftas as per your preference Here I have deep fried, but at various times, I flatten the kofta into a patty/tiki shape and flat fry.
Carefully add the paneer koftas to the hot oil, being careful not to splatter the oil.
31. When one side is golden, gently flip over with a slotted spoon and fry the other side. Flip twice until golden on both sides
32. Remove to a paper towel lined plate Working in batches, fry all the paneer koftas like this and drain on a paper napkin to absorb the extra oil.
Serve Malai Kofta
33. To serve, add the fried koftas to the malai gravy Now you have the option of adding the koftas to the gravy in the pan and serving immediately Or pile them together in a serving bowl to make them look good and then serve.
If planning to serve it separately, ladle the hot gravy into a serving bowl.
Note: If serving malai koftas later, you can prepare the gravy and koftas and freeze them separately. Just assemble when serving Heat the gravy in a pan until hot If the gravy seems too thick, add a little hot water Heat the kofta in a preheated oven for a few minutes at 120 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit).
These paneer koftas are really soft, so if you add them to the gravy while preserving, they will crumble. So just add them to the gravy when you are about to serve
35. Garnish Malai kofta with pineapple or mint leaves and serve with roti, naan or jeera rice, saffron rice or parla or romali roti.
Malai Kofta Recipe FAQs
What can I substitute for the cashews in the sauce?
You can also use soaked almonds instead! If you are nut free, you may choose to use a little more cream in the recipe
When making koftas, use 2 tbsp milk powder or 3 tbsp khoya (mawa or dry evaporated milk solids) instead of almond flour.
What is the best type of paneer to use for this recipe?
To make any paneer dish, it is always better to use homemade paneer
What is the best way to serve malai kofta?
Malai kofta is best served with roti, paratha, naan or rumali roti. I also love to serve it with phulaka If you avoid gluten, plain steamed basmati rice or cumin rice goes well with it.
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Whole Spices
- 1 bay leaf (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 inch cinnamon
- Black1 Black Cedar - Optional
- Green2 green cardamom
- 2 light chums of single-stress mace or ground mace powder.
- 2 cloves
For Garnish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grated paneer (cottage cheese) – optional.
- 1 or 2 tablespoons light cream or whipping cream – optional.
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or a few mint sprigs.
Instructions
Making Paneer Kofta
- In a bowl, mix all the ingredients mentioned in the "Making Paneer Kofta" ingredients list except oil
- Rinse in water if you like Finely chop 10 to 12 cashew nuts and 1 tablespoon raisins. Keep aside It will be sweet-tangy and crunchy stuffing for kofta
- Make medium sized balls from the kofta mixture If it feels sticky, rub some oil on your palm before shaping the kofta
- Flatten one kofta ball lightly with your palm on a cutting board or rolling board. Put a small portion of cashew nuts and raisins in it
- Slowly bring the edges together, shape into a nice ball Rub some oil on your palms while shaping Make sure the stuffing is in the center of the kofta
- Fill and shape all the koftas in this way
- Cover with a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Making Kofta Gravy
- Heat oil in a thick bottom or heavy pan or skillet
- Add all the spices and fry for a few seconds or until the spices crackle and the oil becomes fragrant.
- First add the onion paste Fry the onion paste until golden To speed up the cooking of the onions, add a pinch of salt when you start sautéing the paste.
- When the onion paste turns golden, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for about ten seconds or until the raw aroma of ginger and garlic disappears.
- Add tomato puree and saute over low-to-medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder.
- Mix well and stir for 3 to 5 minutes
- Add cashew paste Add the oil well and till the oil starts leaving the sides of the masala paste
- This takes about 9 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat You will see the paste rise and gather around itself It will leave some oil on the side and also become slightly shiny
- Then add sugar and salt to taste
- Add water Mix well with a spoon or wire whisk
- Simmer till the gravy thickens It takes about 8 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat The consistency of gravy can be medium-thick to thick When the gravy cooks, you will get some oil spots on the top of the gravy
- Finally add crushed dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri mithi) and cream
- Mix well and keep the gravy together Check the taste and add more salt or sugar if needed
Frying Paneer Kofta
- Heat oil in a frying pan or wok
- Before shaping and frying the whole batch, dip a small piece of paneer kofta into the hot oil. If it doesn't break, you can easily fry the rest of the koftas
- If it crumbles, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch) as a binder. Mix the binder well, then shape into kofta
- Kofta should also come quickly but slowly in hot oil This means the oil is hot enough to fry the koftas If it browns quickly, the oil is too hot and if the kofta sticks to the bottom, the oil is hot.
- Carefully add the paneer koftas to the hot oil, being careful not to splatter the oil. The oil should be medium hot and have a temperature of 180 to 190 degrees Celsius (356 to 374 degrees Fahrenheit).
- When one side is golden, gently flip over with a slotted spoon and fry the other side. Flip twice until golden on both sides
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Working in batches, fry all the paneer koftas like this and drain on a paper napkin to absorb the extra oil.
Serving Malai Kofta
- If serving immediately, add fried paneer koftas to the gravy in the pan
- Or if you want to serve it in a better way, take some gravy in a serving bowl. Place the koftas neatly on top of the gravy Pour some cream or top with grated pan Garnish with chopped pineapple or mint leaves and serve
- If serving a few hours later, reheat the gravy until hot If it seems too thick, add a little hot water Heat the kofta in an oven at 120 degrees Celsius or 250 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes. Place the kofta on top of the grati Add garnish and serve
- Note that this paneer kofta is really soft So if you add them to gravy and then consume them, they will break You have to serve them immediately as soon as you add them to the gravy
- Serve the kofta hot or steamed with roti, naan, steamed basmati rice or cumin rice.
Video
Notes
- For best taste, Kofta uses fresh homemade paneer
- When you are about to serve, add the paneer koftas to the gravy
- The recipe can be halved, or doubled, or tripled
- Use sweet-tasting tomatoes Too sour-tasting tomatoes will make the gravy too tangy and it becomes difficult to balance the tanginess.
- You can change the consistency of the gravy by adding more or less Whisk the gravy medium to a thick consistency
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
Nutrition Facts
Malai Kofta Recipe (Restaurant Style Paneer Kofta)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 539Calories from Fat 351
% Daily Value*
Fat 39g60%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 20g
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 624mg27%
Potassium 857mg24%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 908IU18%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2mg10%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 34mg41%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 8mg53%
Vitamin K 18µg17%
Calcium 208mg21%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 38µg10%
Iron 3mg17%
Magnesium 100mg25%
Phosphorus 212mg21%
Zinc 2mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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