Recipe- Malai Kofta For Perfect Evening

Malai Kofta needs no introduction. Deep fried balls (koftas) made with potato and paneer are dunked in a creamy spiced velvety smooth curry. It’s the ultimate indulgence and pairs beautifully with garlic naan.

Growing up in India in the 80s and 90s, we hardly ate out.And a few times that we did, we always went to Indian restaurants. That time the other cuisines weren’t as popular back home like they are now.

I remember whenever we would go out, we would always order either of these 2 dishes- one was dal makhani and other was malai kofta.Probably because these rich and creamy dishes were not made at home often, maybe once or twice a year for special occasions.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil 15 ml, I used avocado oil
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 whole green cardamoms slightly crushed
3 cloves
1 teaspoon shahi jeera caraway seeds
6-7 large garlic cloves 22 grams, roughly chopped
1.5 inch ginger 16 grams, roughly chopped
1 green chili chopped
1 large yellow onion 190 grams, chopped
2 large tomatoes 390 grams, chopped
12 cashews whole and raw
2 cups water 16 oz
2 tablespoons butter 28 grams
1 teaspoon oil 5 ml
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon garam masala or more to taste
2 teaspoons crushed kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
3 tablespoons heavy cream 45 ml
pinch cardamom powder
cilantro to garnish
1 cup mashed & boiled potatoes
1 cup grated paneer
1 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1.5 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green chili chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cashews
1 tablespoon chopped raisins golden raisins
1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
oil for frying, I used sunflower oil

Method

* Heat a pot/pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and then add the bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and shahi jeera.

* Let the spices sizzle for few seconds and then add the chopped garlic, ginger, green chili and onion.

* Saute for around 2 minutes, do not brown the onion.

* Then add the tomatoes along with cashews and 2 cups of water and stir.

* Cover the pot with a lid and cook for around 10 to 12 minutes until tomatoes soften.

* Let it cool down down a bit (around 15 minutes, if you blend it while it's hot it might blow off from the blender), then discard the bay leaf and transfer mixture to a blender.

* Blend to a smooth paste. Use a strainer and strain the puree into another bowl. This makes sure the gravy is really smooth.

* Put the same pan on medium heat again. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon oil. Let the butter melt.

* Add in the pureed gravy and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the coriander powder, kashmiri red chili powder, salt, sugar and garam masala.

* Let the curry cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

* Add crushed kasuri methi and then cream. Cook for additional 2 to 3 minutes on medium-low heat. Sprinkle some cardamom powder on top. The gravy is now done. Set aside and make kofta.

* Boil the potatoes using a pressure cooker, 8-9 whistles on a stove-top pressure cooker. You can do this on the side while