Malai Kofta is a
creamy rich gravy dish from North Indian cuisine. Cottage cheese and potato
balls stuffed with dry fruits are prepared and fried ,which are called kofta. A
gravy is prepared using onion tomato as a base. Cream and cashew nuts add in to
the richness of the curry. Delicious kofta are added to the gravy while
serving. Kofta can also be served as starters and they just melt-in-the-mouth.
Malai kofta dish is heavy in calories and is therefore made on special
occasions and festivals. The gravy is aromatic ,mildly spicy and sweet in taste
and has a silky-smooth texture. The curry gets its flavors from the whole
spices used in it. It tastes great with naan, chapatti or paratha or can be
served with steamed rice or mild pulao.
Usually
the kofta are deep fried, but i have shallow fried them. The recipe calls for
adding blanched cashew nuts paste to the curry. I have used blanched almonds
and cashews in equal quantities to make the paste.
Submitting this recipe to #107th #FoodieMondayBlogHop where the theme for this week is #PartyDishes. Do check out my fellow bloggers post as well for some wonderful ideas and dishes on this theme.
Preparation
time: 30 minutes
Cooking
Time: 30 minutes
Servings
3-4
Ingredients
For Kofta:
•
1
cup potato (boiled, peeled and mashed)
•
½
cup crumbled cottage cheese /paneer
•
2
tablespoon chopped nuts (I have used cashew nuts and almonds)
•
1.5
tablespoon cornflour
•
1
tablespoon raisins
•
1
tablespoon milk powder
•
½
teaspoon black pepper powder
•
Salt
to taste
•
Oil
for shallow frying the kofta.
For Curry:
•
3
tomatoes
•
1
large onion
•
½
cup fresh cream (i have used homemade malai)
•
3
tablespoon clarified butter / ghee
•
2
green chilies
•
3-4
cloves of garlic
•
½
inch ginger piece
•
5
almonds
•
5
cashew nuts
•
2
green cardamom
•
1
bay leaf
•
1-inch
cinnamon stick
•
1
teaspoon red chili powder
•
1
teaspoon coriander powder
•
½
teaspoon garam masala
•
1
teaspoon sugar
•
1/2
teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi
•
Salt
to taste
Method:
1.
In
a mixing bowl take crumbled cottage cheese, grated or mashed boiled potatoes,
black pepper powder, salt and cornflour. Mix well.
2.
In
another bowl take chopped nuts and raisins and add milk powder to it. This this
our stuffing for the kofta.
3.
Divide
the paneer potato mixture into equal parts. Take a part and roll it between the
pals into ball shape. Slightly flatten it and press with the finger in the
center. Place little dry fruit stuffing from (step 2) on to it and close it and
roll again into ball shape. Our kofta is ready to be fried. Prepare all the
kofta similarly and arrange on a plate. I could make 12 small kofta from the
above mentioned quantity. Place
the kofta plate in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before frying them.
4.
Heat
oil in a deep wok and shallow or deep fry the kofta on low to medium heat until
they are golden brown from all sides. Fry the kofta in small batches and remove
them with a slotted spatula on a tissue paper.
5.
For
the gravy, chop the tomatoes roughly and puree them in a grinder jar. Blanch
the almonds and cashew nuts by placing them in a bowl of water. Heat the bowl
in a microwave for 3-4 minutes. Discard the water, peel the almonds and keep
them with cashews aside until use. Also
make a paste of green chilies, garlic and ginger. In a pan heat 2 teaspoon ghee
and finely chopped onions to it. Saute
the onions until they turn translucent. Transfer the fried onions in a grinder
jar. Add blanched cashew nuts and almonds to the onion and make a smooth paste of
it. You may use little water while grinding.
6.
In
the same pan heat remaining ghee. Add bay leaf , green cardamom and cinnamon
stick. fry for few seconds. Now
add green chili , garlic ginger paste and stir fry until the raw smell goes.
7.
Add
the tomato puree and mix well. Stir fry the puree on a low to medium flame
until it leaves the sides of the pan.
8.
Now
add the onion cashew nut paste and blend well. Cook the mixture for 2-3
minutes.
9.
Add
the spice powders ( red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam
masala ) , salt and sugar and mix well.
10. Add
fresh cream to the gravy and stir well.
11.
Add
1/2 cup of water or milk to the gravy and adjust the desired consistency. Allow
the curry to boil once. Put off the flame. Lastly add crushed kasuri methi .
Flavorful gravy is ready.
12.
To
serve place the kofta in a serving dish and add ready gravy to it. Serve
immediately with chapati or jeera rice.
Notes:
•
Do
not soak the kofta into the gravy for long, as the kofta are soft and will
become soggy if done so. Add the kofta to the gravy just before serving.
•
Ideally
the kofta are deep fried but i have shallow fried them. Do not over crowd the
kofta while frying. Fry them in a low to medium flame so that they cook well
from inside without getting burnt.
•
Cornflour
acts as a binder in the kofta. You may use maida or bread crumbs instead. But
do nit skip the binder as the koft may split inside the oil while frying. You
may do a check test by adding little piece of kofta into the hot oil. if it
does not break , it is perfect, but if
the kofta break, add more binder and fry them.
•
If
you do not have time and patience to individually stuff each kofta with dry
fruits mixture, you may add the resins, chopped nuts and milk powder to the
kofta mixture and simply make round shape kofta.
