Malai Kofta Curry Recipe, How to Make Malai Kofta

Malai kofta curry recipe with step by step pics

With Malai kofta it is always celebration time!!! This is one dish which I never get bored of. Malai is the cream used and kofta are the fried dumplings. 

The koftas themselves are so tasty and melt in mouth.

These koftas are made of potatoes rather than the more common paneer based koftas and added in creamy, sweet and mildly spiced gravy made of tomatoes and cashew nuts. The other kofta recipe on the blog is lauki kofta curry.

There are many variations of malai kofta. The gravy can be kept, white, red or brown by using spice powders and tomato puree, both ways it tastes good.

The recipe below will make 10-12 koftas with curry for 4-5 people.

Step by step Malai Kofta curry recipe:

1. Boil 3 medium sized tomatoes in 1 cup water for about 5 minute and take out in a plate. Once it cool down, peel the skin and grind along with garlic and ginger into a puree. Keep it aside.
   
2. Mix grated potatoes (2 cup), maida/all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.
   
3. Take small portion of potato mix and give it a oval shaped as shown in pic. Make a depression with a thumb in the middle of the potato mix, add a piece of cashew and some whipped cream (optional) as a stuffing.
   
4. Likewise make all the koftas and fry in medium hot oil till golden. Keep aside.
   
5. Now take 2 tbsp. oil in a pan, once hot add all the whole spice- bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, mace and cinnamon. Fry till the oil becomes fragrant. First add onion paste and stir it till it is light golden color. Now add ginger, garlic, tomato puree and fry for 4-5 minute.
   
6. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder and cashew nut paste.
   
7. Stir and sauté till the oil starts to leave from the sides of masala. Pour ½ to 1 cup water and stir. I added the water which I used to boil the potatoes.
8. Add salt and simmer till the gravy begins to thicken. It takes approx. 10-15 minute on low flame. Add sugar if you want little sweetness in the gravy and to reduce the sourness of tomatoes.
9. Lastly add 2-3 tbsp. of cream and ¼ tsp crushed kasuri methi leaves. Simmer for 1-2 minutes more.
   

Add the koftas in the curry if serving it immediately or you can also add the curry first in the serving plate or bowl and then place the koftas.

Garnish the malai kofta with some cream and coriander leaves.

Malai Kofta is best served with tandoori naan, garlic naan or tandoori rotis. Even steamed basmati rice or jeera rice goes well with it.

Malai kofta curry recipe below:

Malai kofta curry Prep time Cook time Total  15 min  45 min  60 min Malai kofta- a creamy mildly spicy and sweet curry with kofta AUTHOR: Monali RECIPE TYPE: Main CUISINE: Indian SERVES: 4-5 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup=240 ml) For gravy- 3 medium sized Tomatoes ½ cup Onion paste ¼ cup Cashew nut paste 1 tsp minced Garlic/lehsun 1 tsp grated Ginger/adrak ¾ tsp Red chili powder ¼ tsp Turmeric powder/haldi ¼ Garam masala ¼ tsp dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi 1 bay leaf/tej patta 1-2 cloves/laung 1 green cardamom/hari elachi 1 inch cinnamon/ dal chini A pinch of mace/javitri ½ tsp Sugar or as required Salt as per taste 2 tbsp. Oil ¼ cup cream 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves/dhania patti For Kofta- 3 Potatoes, boiled peeled and grated ¼ cup all-purpose flour/Maida ¼ tsp garam masala Salt as required 6-8 cashews 1 tbsp. thick cream Oil for shallow or deep frying DIRECTION Boil the tomatoes in 1 cup water for about 5 minute and take out in a plate. Once it cool down, peel the skin and grind along with garlic and ginger into a puree. Keep it aside. Mix grated potatoes (2 cup), maida/all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl. Make medium oval shaped koftas as shown in pic. Make a depression with a thumb in the middle of the potato mix, add a piece of cashew and some whipped cream (optional) as a stuffing. Likewise make all the koftas and fry in medium hot oil till golden. Keep aside. Now take 2 tbsp. oil in a pan, once hot add all the whole spice- bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, mace and cinnamon. Fry till the oil becomes fragrant. First add onion paste and stir it till it is light golden color. Now add ginger, garlic, tomato puree and fry for 4-5 minute. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder and cashew nut paste. Stir and sauté till the oil starts to leave from the sides of masala. Pour ½ to 1 cup water stir. I added the water which I used to boil the potatoes. Add salt and simmer till the gravy begins to thicken. It takes approx. 10-15 minute on low flame. Add sugar if you want little sweetness in the gravy and to reduce the sourness of tomatoes. Lastly add cream (leave 1 tbsp. for garnishing) and crushed kasuri methi leaves. Simmer for 1-2 minutes more. TIPS If you find difficulty in binding the koftas then you can add more all-purpose flour and some tsp. of corn flour or even crushed cashew nut as well. It depends upon the quality of potatoes available; sometimes they are very sticky to bind. You can just prepare the gravy and add koftas while serving. These koftas are really very soft so if you add them before and serve them later then they will break. You can skip adding cream to the koftas and curry, as the cashew nut makes the curry creamy. SERVING SUGGESTION Add the koftas in the curry if serving it immediately or you can also add the curry first in the serving plate or bowl and then place the koftas. Garnish the malai kofta with some cream and coriander leaves. Malai Kofta is best served with tandoori naan, garlic naan or tandoori rotis. Even steamed basmati rice or jeera rice goes well with it.