Malai kofta recipe (Restaurant style)

Malai kofta recipe – This restaurant style malai kofta recipe is very easy to make at home. Soft, melt in your mouth kind koftas (fried balls) coated with malai and added into the onion, tomato gravy.

What is Malai Kofta?

Malai = Heavy cream
Kofta = meatballs

Traditionally kofta curry is made from meat. But here I am sharing vegetarian malai kofta curry.

So, here koftas are made from grated paneer (cottage cheese), potatoes, nuts, and dried fruits. They are deep fried into the oil.

These koftas are dipped into the heavy cream. Then they are added into smooth, rich Punjabi red gravy. This red gravy is made from onion, tomato, cashew nuts, and Indian spices.

2 variations of malai kofta:

1. Punjabi version: Today’s recipe is North Indian style where it has red gravy.
2. Mughalai version: It has mild, slightly sweet, aromatic white gravy.

This restaurant style malai kofta is a rich dish. So it is made on special occasions or for special guests.

Malai kofta recipe is one of the popular paneer recipes. Other popular paneer recipes that you will find in every Indian restaurant’s menu 
paneer tikka
paneer butter masala
palak paneer
kadai paneer
tawa paneer
shahi paneer

How to prepare malai kofta curry for party?

• Make gravy ahead of time (same day or a day before). If made a day or two before then store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Shape the koftas, arrange them on tray, cover, and store in the refrigerator. If made a week before then you can freeze them. On the day of serving, bring the kofta to room temperature and then deep fry.
• Before serving, re-heat the gravy, add malai dipped koftas, garnish with nuts and cilantro.

Ingredients for malai kofta recipe:

• Paneer (homemade or store-bought)
• Potato (boiled, peeled, mashed)
• Corn starch (aka corn flour)
• Cashews and Raisins
• Fresh produce (onion, tomato)
• Whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom)
• Spice powders (Red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, kasoori methi)
• Oil and butter
• Heavy whipped cream (fresh malai)

How to make malai kofta (Step by Step Photos):

1) First, make the gravy. Take onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts and water in a saucepan. Turn the heat on medium.

2) Let is simmer for 15 minutes.

3) Onions and tomatoes will get cooked and become soft. Let it cool down a little bit.

4) Then make a smooth puree out of it using a blender or grinder.

5) Heat the oil and butter in a pan on medium heat.

6) Once hot add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Fry for 40 seconds, you will get a nice aroma of spices.

7) Add prepared puree, sprinkle some salt and mix.

8) Let it cook till all the moisture is evaporated. and it starts to leave the sides of the pan. While cooking, it may splutter. You can partially cover the pan with a lid.

9) Then add red chili powder and coriander powder.

10) Mix well and cook for a minute.

11) Then add water.

12) Mix well. Adjust the water quantity as per your liking gravy consistency. Let it simmer on low-medium for 5 minutes.

13) Then add crushed kasoori methi and garam masala.

14) Mix well. Turn off the stove. Gravy is ready. Keep it covered.

15) Now we will make kofta. Take grated paneer, boiled, mashed potatoes, corn flour, garam masala, cashews, raisins and salt in a bowl.

16) Mix well using hand. Knead into a dough.

17) Now divide the mixture into 12-13 equal portions. Make smooth balls out of it.

18) While you are shaping the balls. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, add few kofta gently into the hot oil.

19) Keep moving them so it gets even browning from all the sides.

20) Once browned from all the sides. Remove it using the slotted spatula.

21) Keep them on paper towel lined plate.

22) Now at the time of serving, reheat the gravy. Take heavy cream in a bowl.

23) Dip each kofta into the cream. NOTE: here in the USA, I get a thinner variety of cream only. But if you get thick fresh heavy cream, malai kind of consistency. Then use that, the cream should be coated to the kofta. Because of the runny cream, it is not coated well.

24) Add malai coated kofta into the gravy.
Note: Instead of dipping the kofta into cream, you can add cream directly into the gravy. And add fried kofta as such. But traditionally it is dipped into malai, hence called malai kofta.

25) Repeat the same with all the koftas.

26) Give it a gentle stir, so little cream gets into the gravy. It gives the marble effect.

27) If serving to guests or special occasions, Remove the gravy into a serving bowl.

28) Then add malai dipped kofta into the bowl and serve.

Add the kofta at the time of serving. Once koftas are added, it must be served immediately. Otherwise, kofta will get soggy.

What to serve with Malai Kofta?

• Serve with naan, garlic naan or paratha
• Also serve onion lachha, salted lassi, and papad on the side to complete the meal.

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4.84 from 12 votes

Malai kofta recipe (Restaurant style)

This restaurant style malai kofta curry is so delicious and very easy to make at home. Deep fried paneer balls are coated with cream and added into rich red gravy. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Punjabi

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 servings

Author Kanan

Ingredients

To boil and grind into puree:

• 1 large or 1 cup Onion roughly chopped
• ½ inch Ginger
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 3 medium or 2 cup Tomato roughly chopped
• 5-6 Cashew nuts
• ½ cup Water

For malai kofta recipe:

• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 Bay leaf
• ¼ inch Cinnamon stick
• 2-3 Cloves
• 2 Green cardamoms
• Salt to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons Red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ to ¾ cup Water or as needed
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) lightly crushed between your palm
• ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai

For kofta:

• 2 small or 1 cup Potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1 cup Paneer grated or crumbled
• 3 tablespoons Corn flour (corn starch)
• 1 tablespoon Cashew nuts chopped
• 1 tablespoon Raisins
• Oil for deep frying kofta

Instructions

Making malai kofta curry recipe:

• Take onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts and water in a saucepan and turn the heat on medium.
• Let it simmer for 15 minutes till it is soft and cooked.
• Once cooled down, make a smooth puree using the blender.
• Heat the oil and butter in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick, fry for 40 seconds.
• Add prepared puree, sprinkle salt and mix. Let it cook till all the moisture is evaporated and it starts to leave the sides of the pan.
• Then mix in red chili powder and coriander powder and cook for a minute.
• Add water to make gravy and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Mix in crushed kasoori methi and garam masala.
• Turn off the stove. Keep it covered.

Making kofta recipe:

• Take all kofta ingredients except oil in a bowl, knead into a dough.
• Now divide the mixture into 12-13 equal portions and make smooth balls.
• Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for deep frying.
• Once the oil is hot, add few koftas gently into the hot oil. 
• Once browned from all the sides remove it using the slotted spatula and keep them on paper towel lined plate.
• Now at the time of serving, reheat the gravy. 
• Take heavy cream in a bowl, dip each kofta into the cream and then add into the gravy.
• Give it a gentle stir, so little cream gets into the gravy then serve.

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

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