Malai kofta recipe (Restaurant style)

Malai kofta recipe – This is restaurant style Punjabi dish. Potato and paneer balls are deep fried, coated with malai and then added into onion-tomato gravy.

Malai kofta recipe is one of the popular paneer recipes. Other popular paneer recipes are paneer tikka, paneer butter masala, palak paneer, tawa paneer and shahi paneer. You will see all these recipes in every Punjabi restaurant menu.

There are many different ways of making malai kofta. The one has white gravy is from the Mughlai cuisine. Today I am sharing the North Indian style malai kofta. It has typical Punjabi onion-tomato gravy. This North Indian malai kofta is originated from Mughlai cuisine.

This restaurant style malai kofta gravy is smooth, creamy and rich. It is made from onion-tomato-cashews. It needs very basic and usual spices. Addition of cashews and malai makes it rich.

Kofta are made from grated paneer and boiled, mashed potatoes. Dried fruits are added in kofta, it gives the little crunch in it. I have made small sized koftas. You can make bigger size if you want.

We usually go to the restaurants with our friends (total group of 4). I don’t remember when only I and hubby went outside to eat last time. So whenever we go to North Indian restaurant, we end up ordering malai kofta for sure. They usually serve three koftas in gravy while we are four. And we were like why can’t they serve four koftas. So we can get equal share. But anyways, malai kofta is our favorite.

Malai kofta is rich dish. So it is made on special occasions or for special guests.

Ingredients for malai kofta recipe:

• To boil and grind into puree:
  Onion – 1 large or 1 cup roughly chopped
  Ginger – ½ inch piece
  Garlic – 2 cloves
  Tomatoes – 3 medium or 2 cup roughly chopped
  Cashew nuts – 5-6
  Water – ½ cup
• For gravy:
  Oil – 1 tablespoon
  Butter – 1 tablespoon
  Bay leaf – 1
  Cinnamon stick – ¼ inch piece
  Cloves – 2-3
  Green cardamom – 2
  Salt – to taste
  Red chili powder – 1 ½ teaspoons
  Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
  Water – ½ to ¾ cup or as needed
  Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
  Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) – 1 teaspoon, lightly crushed between your palm
  Heavy cream or malai – ¼ cup
• For kofta:
  Potato – 2 small or 1 cup boiled, peeled and mashed
  Paneer – 1 cup, grated or crumbled
  Corn flour or cornstarch – 3 tablespoons
  Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
  Cashews – 1 tablespoon, chopped
  Raisins – 1 tablespoon
  Salt – to taste
  Oil – for deep frying kofta

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

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

2) Let is simmer for 15 minutes.

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

4) Then make smooth puree out of it using 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 nice aroma of spices.

7) Add prepared puree, sprinkle 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 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 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 USA, I get thinner variety of cream only. But if you get thick fresh heavy cream, malai kind of consistency. Then use that, 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.

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 kofta are added, it must be served immediately. Otherwise kofta will get soggy.

Serving suggestion: Serve malai kofta with paratha or naan, garlic naan or kulcha. Serve onion lachha and saltesd lassi on side to complete the meal.

Notes:

• 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.
• If serving malai kofta later or next day. Keep the gravy in container in refrigerator. Roll the koftas, arrange them on the plate, cover it plastic wrap. At the time of serving of half an hour ago, deep fry the kofta. Dip into cream and add into the gravy. Once koftas are added, it needs to be served right away.

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Malai kofta recipe (How to make malai kofta restaurant style)

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)

Course Main Course

Cuisine North Indian, Punjabi

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Yield 4 servings

Author Kanan

Ingredients (1 cup = 240 ml)

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 gravy:

• 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 o 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 gravy:

1. Take onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cashew nuts and water in a sauce pan. Turn the heat on medium.
2. Let is simmer for 15 minutes. Onions and tomatoes will get cooked and becomes soft.
3. Let it cool down a little bit.
4. Then make smooth puree out of it using 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.
7. 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.
8. While cooking, it may splutter. You can partially cover the pan with lid.
9. Then add red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix well and cook for a minute.
10. Then add water. Mix well. Adjust the water quantity as per your liking gravy consistency.
11. Let it simmer on low-medium for 5 minutes.
12. Then add crushed kasoori methi and garam masala. Mix well.
13. Turn off the stove. Keep it covered.

Making kofta recipe:

1. Take grated paneer, boiled, mashed potatoes, corn flour, garam masala, cashews, raisins and salt in a bowl.
2. Mix well using hand. Knead into a dough.
3. Now divide the mixture into 12-13 equal portions. Make smooth balls out of it.
4. While you are shaping the balls. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for deep frying.
5. Once oil is hot, add few kofta gently into the hot oil.
6. Keep moving them so it gets even browning from all the sides.
7. Once browned from all the sides. Remove it using the slotted spatula.
8. Keep them on paper towel lined plate.
9. Now at the time of serving, reheat the gravy. Take heavy cream in a bowl.
10. Dip each kofta into the cream.
11. Add malai coated kofta into the gravy.
12. Repeat the same with all the koftas.
13. Give it a gentle stir, so little cream gets into the gravy. It gives the marble effect.