Navratri Recipe- Vrat Ke Malai Kofta

Malai Kofta for Navratri is quite tasty and yummy. It s a rich dish using cashewnut paste, mawa, cream and coconut powder. Put despite being rich it is delicious and fasting becomes fun and an experience. Infact you can serve these malai kofta in your next potluck or dinner party or any other family function. You can prepare the koftas and the gravy a day ahead but do not add the kofta to the gravy. Add when it is time for party.

Ingredients

For Kofta

5 medium Potatoes
100 gms Paneer
1/2 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
1/4 cup finely chopped Mixed Nuts (Almonds, Cashewnut, Raisin)
1 tblsp Green Coriander
1/2 tsp Green Chilly chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
Oil for frying

For White Gravy

1/2 tsp Jeera
1 Bay Leaf
1 Black Cardamom
2 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves
4-5 Black pepper
1/4 cup Cashews Nut
1 tblsp Dry Coconut Powder (optional)
2 Green chilli
2 tsp Ginger paste
2 tblsp Milk
2 -3 tblsp or 1/2 cup Curd
50 Gm Mawa
1/2 cup Fresh Cream
Salt to taste
1 tblsp Dry Kasoori Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)
3 tbsp Ghee

Method

Making Kofta

* Peel the boiled potatoes and grate them. Grate the paneer also. Mash them together and mix very well. There should not be any lumps. It should be smooth paste.

* Now add salt, black pepper, finely chopped green chilly, finely chopped coriander, green cardamom powder. Do not add the mixed nuts.

* Mix together and make a smooth dough of this.

* Take a small lemon size ball and flatten it a little and then place some chopped nuts in the center and then close the corners and make a smooth ball or a oval shaped ball.

* Make all of them keep separate.

* Meanwhile heat oil for frying in a deep kadai and not a flat bottom pan.

* Then on medium flame fry them in batches for 4 – 5. Do not over crowd them in the kadai or they will break because hitting each other.

* Once golden brown take them out.

* You can air fry them too and skip deep frying. They taste equally good.

Making the Gravy

* Lets get the gravy ready.

* Soak the cashewnuts in warm water for 30 mins.

* Later discard the water and grind to fine paste using, cashewnuts, milk, green dry coconut powder.

* In a kadai heat the ghee and on low flame add whole spices – bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves and black pepper corns.

* After 30 – 40 secs add the jeera.

* Once the jeera crackles add grated ginger.

* Fry till the ginger gets crisp.

* Then add the slit green chillies and then add the cashewnut-coconut powder paste.

* Mix well and stir fry till the ghee separates.

* Then add the curd and let it cook till all the curd gets incorporated in the gravy.

* Now add finely grated mawa and mix well.

* Add 1/2 cup of warm water and let the gravy cook for 4 – 5 mins. Till the mawa gets fully incorporated.

* Now add crushed kasoori methi and salt.

* Mix well.

* Add the cream and mix well again and switch off the flame. Do not cook longer after you have added cream. The gravy make cuddle.

* When you want to serve, reheat the gravy again and place the fried aloo kofte in it very gently.

* Gnarnish with green coriander and kasoori methi.