Malai Kofta Recipe

Here’s a classic and delicious **Malai Kofta** recipe — a rich North Indian curry made with soft paneer-potato dumplings in a creamy, mildly spiced gravy. It's a popular vegetarian dish served at weddings, restaurants, and special occasions.

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## 🍽️ Malai Kofta Recipe

### 👩‍🍳 Serves: 4  ⏱ Total Time: \~1.5 hours

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## 🧀 Ingredients

### For the Kofta (Fried Balls):

* 1 cup **paneer**, grated

* 2 medium **potatoes**, boiled & mashed

* 2 tbsp **cornflour** (or all-purpose flour)

* 2 tbsp **cashews & raisins**, chopped (for stuffing)

* ½ tsp **garam masala**

* Salt – to taste

* Oil – for deep frying

### For the Gravy:

* 2 medium **onions**, chopped

* 2 medium **tomatoes**, chopped

* 1-inch piece **ginger**

* 3–4 **garlic cloves**

* 10–12 **cashews** (soaked in hot water for 10 mins)

* 2–3 **green cardamoms**

* 1 **bay leaf**

* ½ tsp **turmeric powder**

* 1 tsp **red chili powder**

* 1 tsp **coriander powder**

* ½ tsp **garam masala**

* ½ cup **fresh cream** or **malai**

* 2 tbsp **butter or oil**

* Salt – to taste

* Water – as needed

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## 🧑‍🍳 Instructions

### 🍡 Step 1: Make the Koftas

1. In a bowl, mix:

* Grated paneer

* Mashed potatoes

* Cornflour, garam masala, salt

2. Mix to a soft dough. Divide into small balls.

3. Flatten each, place some chopped **cashew-raisins**, and seal to form smooth balls.

4. Heat oil and deep fry on medium heat until golden brown. Set aside.

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### 🍲 Step 2: Prepare the Gravy

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil or butter. Add **onions**, **ginger**, and **garlic**. Sauté until golden.

2. Add **tomatoes**, sauté until soft.

3. Add soaked **cashews**, mix well. Cool and grind to a smooth paste (discard bay leaf before grinding if added).

4. In a fresh pan, heat 1 tbsp butter. Add **bay leaf**, **cardamom**, and the paste.

5. Cook for 5–6 minutes. Add **turmeric**, **red chili**, **coriander powder**, **salt**. Cook until oil releases.

6. Add water to adjust consistency. Simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Add **cream** and **garam masala**. Mix well and turn off heat.

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### 🧾 Final Assembly

* Just before serving, **add koftas to the hot gravy**. (Do not soak them too early or they'll get soggy.)

* Garnish with **cream and coriander leaves**.

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## 🍴 Serving Suggestions

Serve hot **Malai Kofta** with:

* **Naan**, **roti**, or **paratha**

* **Jeera rice** or **pulao**

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Would you like a **baked/air-fried kofta** version or a **Jain (no onion garlic)** alternative?