Malai kofta recipe – A popular North Indian side dish for roti/naan – Deep fried potato, paneer balls served with a creamy onion-tomato-based gravy. Restaurant-style malai kofta recipe with step-by-step pictures.
Malai kofta is a very rich and popular gravy recipe. Usually, we order this when we go to restaurants. It is not difficult to make at home, but it is a little time-consuming and also high in calories. So once in a while when we go to restaurants we order malai koftas. I wanted to try this at home and blog about the recipe. Finally, I tried it and it turned out exceptionally well.
The taste was very similar to the ones which we have at the restaurant. Some people have doubts as to why the koftas break in the gravy.
The reason is if the kofta mixture is very moist, it will loosen up and break either frying or after adding in hot gravy. So ensure the potato and paneer are moist free and if needed add an extra 1 tbsp of corn flour or plain flour to the mixture before frying it.
If you want to skip the deep-fried version of malai kofta, you can cook the kofta balls in appe pan as I did for cabbage kofta.
Check out
- Low fat cabbage kofta
- Palak kofta masala
- Lauki kofta recipe
- Raw banana kofta
- Gulab jamun mix kofta curry
Malai kofta recipe
Ingredients
For the gravy
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom
- 1 onion
- 2 tomato
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small piece of ginger
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi
- 1 and ½ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 3 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
- Salt as needed
For the Kofta – Makes 10 koftas
- 2 cups grated boiled potato
- 1 cup grated paneer
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tbsp broken cashew nuts
- Salt as needed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp corn flour or maida
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Let’s make the koftas first.
- In a wide bowl add the boiled and grated potato and add the scrambled paneer
- Add the red chili powder, salt, 2 tbsp broken cashew nuts, red chili powder, chopped coriander leaves, and corn flour.
- Mix everything well. Do not add any water.
- It will come like dough.
- Grease your hands with little oil and add make equal lemon-sized balls.
- Deep fry in oil till golden brown.
- Take out and drain the excess oil with a kitchen towel.
Let’s make the kofta gravy.
- In a pan add 3 tsp oil add the bay leaf, cardamom, and cloves and add the chopped onion, ginger, and garlic cloves.
- Saute this for 2-3 minutes till the onions become translucent.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of water and cover the pan.
- Let this cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Once done, discard the bay leaf and allow this to cool.
- Grind this into a fine paste.
- In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil and red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala.
- Saute this for a few seconds and add sieve the ground puree and add 1 cup of water.
- Add salt.
- Let this boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the fresh cream to this.
- Mix well and add crushed kasoori methi.
- Switch off the flame.
- Just before serving add the koftas.
- Place the koftas in a bowl and pour the hot gravy on this.
- You can drizzle little cream on the top.
- Malai kofta is ready to serve.
- Serve with naan, roti, or jeera rice.
Notes
1. Alternatively you can make the koftas in the appe pan to avoid deep frying. 2. Instead of adding fresh cream you can mix 2 tbsp of scrambled paneer with 1/2 cup of full cream milk in a mixer, and use it. This gives an amazing taste and texture. 3. These malai koftas stayed in the gravy for 4 hours. 4. Malai kofta pairs well with roti, jeera rice, naan, and kulcha.
- Let’s make the koftas first.
- In a wide bowl add the boiled and grated potato and add the scrambled paneer
- Add the red chili powder, salt, 2 tbsp broken cashew nuts, red chili powder, chopped coriander leaves, and corn flour.
- Mix everything well. Do not add any water.
- It will come like dough.
- Grease your hands with little oil and add make equal lemon-sized balls.
- Deep fry in oil till golden brown.
- Take out and drain the excess oil in kitchen towel.
- Let’s make the kofta gravy.
- In a pan add 3 tsp oil add the bay leaf, cardamom, and cloves and add the chopped onion, ginger, and garlic cloves.
- Saute this for 2-3 minutes till the onions become translucent.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of water and cover the pan.
- Let this cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Once done, discard the bay leaf and allow this to cool.
- Grind this into a fine paste.
- In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil and red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala.
- Saute this for a few seconds and add sieve the ground puree and add 1 cup of water.
- Add salt.
- Let this boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the fresh cream to this.
- Mix well and add crushed kasoori methi.
- Switch off the flame.
- Just before serving add the koftas.
- Place the koftas on a bowl and pour the hot gravy on this.
- You can drizzle little cream on the top.
- Malai kofta is ready to serve.
- Serve with naan, roti, or jeera rice.
Notes:
- Alternatively, you can make the koftas in the appe pan to avoid deep frying.
- Instead of adding fresh cream you can mix 2 tbsp of scrambled paneer with 1/2 cup of full cream milk in a mixer, and use it. This gives an amazing taste and texture.
- These malai koftas stayed in the gravy for 4 hours.
- Malai kofta pairs well with roti, jeera rice, naan, and kulcha.
Koftas r always my fav.. n this is sure yumm
one of my most favorite one..looks delicious..:)
This is one of my fav…I can have the koftas just like that too 🙂 Looks yummy n creamy!
Malai kofta.. looks so sinful..I have never had the courage to make koftas.. yours looks so perfect and delcious
If u give it to me now i wud be obliged 😀
Looks creamy and yummy!
Looks absolutely mouthwatering 🙂
Malai Koftas are my favorite…These look so yum…
looks so creamy and delicious..
wow!!perfect kofta curry for roti….lovely click jeya!
wowwww… i love these…i used to order this from a punjabi restaurent when we where in Pune.. 🙂
Tempting koftas in a mouthwatering gravy!!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Yummy is what I would say.
Event: Let's Cook – Subzis for Rotis
Ooh yummy koftas. Too good a combination with rotis..
Looks so creamy and yummy dear… Would love to have the koftas as a snack…
Woww.. looks so tempting and perfect.. thanks for the lovely recipe 🙂
OMG… super rich side dish… Inviting clicks too!
Me too eat the kofta alone no need any roti/rice…Pls pls Pass them:)
Cute Presentation…
I love making this when we have guests too.. Looks so good.
Perfect side dish for rotis.. looks absolutely inviting.. thanks for sharing dear 🙂
Indian Cuisine
Total restuarant style ~ Love this very much!
US Masala
Yummy creamy malai kofta curry
Love the creamy malai kofta…Perfect combination to chapthi, pooris…
Thanks Jaishree did miss many of ur yummy posts too will soon try them 🙂
Koftas look tempting…never made them…ur curry looks creamy and delicious..
I love malai kofta. They are so delicious and so good with roti or rice. Yours looks so yummy!
I make the very same base for all the rich curries…and this malai kofta is my favorite…very delicious
awesome dear….perfect….koftas are my fav
Very creamy and fantastic side dish!
malai koftas looks simply delicious.. perfectly made and presented…yumm.
Nice step by step instructions. Love the pictures.
One of my fav ….there was a time when I use to order this everytime I go out ….looks so yum
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Excuse my English, I'm Italian
La Magica Zucca
Malai Kofta looks beautiful and delicious! A very nice dish for roti varieties!!
Looks fantastic, making me hungry.
This is one my very fav and top list in gravy list..looks too good and very much tempted.
Rich n creamy curry!
My favourite and perfect looking koftas. Shall I come there for having it.?
My daughter`s fav, looks delicious!
It an elaborate process but worth the try.
My daughter`s fav, looks delicious!
It an elaborate process but worth the try.
Delicious malai kofta,looks so yummy and creamy.
Wow.w. I love malai kofta.. Looks so yummy.. Perfect for rotis 😀
Malai Kofta looks yummy .. perfect with rotis .. love the pictures too.
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I am not a big fan of koftas. but by looking at your pictures they are tempting. Looks very restaurant style. Love the recipe.
Cheers,
Uma
Malai Koftas are my fav too loved your version looks delicious.
wow… One of my all time favorites… Thanks for sharing this..!!!
Never tried this famous recipe,looks so rich and yummmy!
hi jeyashree
i made this for the first time…n my husband loved it….it came out yummy…i didnt know it s easy to make…thanks a lot…it s very yummy.
jayanthi
Hi Jeyashri, I made your malai kofta recipe and it came out great. I made the koftas in paniyaram pan. Thanks for the recipe!
-Nandini
Balls mabe of instant gulabjamun mix can also be used as loft as
i tried out the recipe and it was sooo yummy:)
I tried it out and it turned tasty .. My hubby liked it … Never knew malai kofta was so simple to make .. Thanks for sharing it
Can malai kofta be served with Missi roti ???
Yes you can for sure