Malai Kofta
August 12th, 2008 filed under Paneer (Indian Cheese)
Malai kofta is a delicious and rich main dish for any special occasion.
Recipe serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients:
- Kofta:
- 1 cup boiled mash potatoes
- 1 cup mash paneer
- 2 tablespoon minced cilantro (hara dhania)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small finally chopped green chili
For Batter:
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida, plain flour)
- 4 tablespoon water
Also needed:
- Oil to fry
- Gravy:
- 2 tablespoon oil
- Generous pinch asafetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon shredded ginger (adrak)
- 1 green chili
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour (maida, plain flour)
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon minced cilantro (hara dhania)
Method
Kofta
- Mix all the ingredients together for kofta,
- With oiled hands, divide the mixture into 14 to 16 equal parts.
- Make them in round balls.
- Mix flour with about 4 tablespoons of water and mix well until batter is smooth.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
- The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, just put one small piece of mix in the oil, it should come up right away but not change color.
- Dip the paneer balls in the batter one at a time and slowly drop into the frying pan.
- Turn them occasionally. Fry koftas until golden-brown all around.
Gravy:
- Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree. If you prefer mild take the seeds out of green chili before blending.
- Mix cream and flour and keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
- Add the hing and cumin seeds.
- Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.
- Tomato mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.
- Add milk and flour mix, salt and one cup of water and let it cook covered for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the garam masala, salt and cilantro. Let it cook for another minute.
- Add koftas as soon it comes to boil turn off the heat. Note: koftas will expand to about 11/2 times, if you like more gravy this is the time to add some more boiled water and adjust salt.
- Koftas are very soft they should be added to the gravy when you are ready to serve, otherwise koftas will break.


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December 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I always wanted to have a special recipe notebook, now with your website, I CAN!!!
I have tried most of the recipes from your website and all turned out to be really good. Ingredients and the quantity are absolutely perfect. Please suggest an alternative for heavy cream(which is low fat/carbs). I am just waiting to see more fusion recipes from you. Thank you so much for showing the easy way of cooking.
November 27th, 2008 at 7:46 am
MANJULAJI, Kind Regards.
Taste of veg dishes was not so tasty as of now. After finding your website we have come discovered the real taste of all kind of dishes whether spicy or sweet. A lot of thanks from bottom of my heart for making my belly so satisfied.
ARUN KUMAR JAIN
November 26th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I will be doing that soon.
Manjula
November 26th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
hi manjula ji….
i was looking for ghiya kofta recipe….kindly post that one too…
November 26th, 2008 at 2:12 am
thanks for the lovely recipe….my hubby loved it…pls share some other recipes to your site…all the best…u r simply great …
October 24th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Namaste Manjula Aunty,
Your website and videos on youtube are very very helpful for people like us who stay away from India (especially who are “vegeterian”).
I tried Malai Kofta from your website and its really very delicious.
Thanks again and keep posting for “Vegans”
Avinash
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Hello Manjula Aunty,
I was just searching receipes on google and I found your website. I am very happy that you are doing very nice job. We are not eatting onion & garlic and as you know here in foreign country it is almost impossible to get food without onion & garlic. So we make every possible things at home. My husband is very found of new items. I have seen number of receipes on net. I would like to catch your all receips. Last but not least, I am learning those things which I had never thought in past. I will try it. Thank you very much with love.
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
i liked this receipe but is this possible that i can use yogurt inspite of using cream becos we don`t like cream in food.
September 1st, 2008 at 8:26 am
Hello Sweety,
Few reasons dumplings can break, oil was not hot enough, potato and paneer mixture was too soft or before frying you forgot to dip the dumplings in flour batter.
Manjula
September 1st, 2008 at 6:56 am
dumplings are breaking when i fry them ,please let me know what went wrong and what to do.thank u
September 1st, 2008 at 1:18 am
Hello Manjulaji ,
I absolutely adore your recipes ..n keep waiting for u to post new ones ..I tried this recipe of yours with variation of adding cashew nut paste made in milk instead of yoghurt n my husband really liked it too …
Thnks for all your recipes
Sampada
August 26th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Hello Dipti,
Yogurt is little sour but still provides creamy texture to gravy. uou always has to adjust salt, pepper and sourness to your taste.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
One question; how can yogurt be used instead of the other two when it has a sour taste while cream and milk are a little sweet. Won’t the taste of the dish change ?
August 26th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Hello Monica,
I am glad you try but you know in most of the gravy you can substitute cream, milk, or yogurt for each other or just don’t use any one.
August 26th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Thanks for the lovely recipe aunty, i tried it right away but i didnt have cream at home, it is good though…
August 25th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Hello Aunty,
thanks for your reply.
Will try it soon.
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Thank You aunty for this recipe. I tried it from some other site, on my sons B’day a month back ( I really wanted the recipe at that time), but believe me yours is much simpler and good. We want more good stuff from u.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Hello Sarika, Jaya explaines it well,
Just use regular dairy cream sold in the milk section of the grocery store. It’s your choice if you want to use “heavy cream” or “light cream”. I use light cream because it is somewhat lower in calories and fat content, but does not diminish the quality of the dish
August 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Hello manjulaji,
which cream should i use..sour cream or light cream sweet.I am in doubt because i think light cream is sweet in taste
August 20th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Heelo Drashti,
You can find corn starch in any american grocery store. In the baking area, and most places you can use plain flour but not in kulfi.
Manjula
August 20th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
It’s easy to re-heat extra koftas. Put the koftas in the sauce and as the sauce re-heats, the koftas will re-heat too. Simmer the sauce and koftas on medium heat until the koftas are warmed through.
You can use the microwave to reheat too, just place a cover loosely over the dish so the sauce doesn’t splatter and make a mess in the microwave. Microwave for about 45 to 60 seconds, stir, and then mircowave again till it’s the temperature you want.
How long you re-heat on the stove or microwave depends if the sauce was at room temp or cold from being in the fridge.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Hi Tiya,
Just use regular dairy cream sold in the milk section of the grocery store. It’s your choice if you want to use “heavy cream” or “light cream”. I use light cream because it is somewhat lower in calories and fat content, but does not diminish the quality of the dish.
August 20th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
which cream do you use for this kind of vegetables.
thanks
August 20th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hello manjulaji.can i use anything else except corn starch.or where can i get this corn starch at indian store like subji mandi or any american store.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Dear Auntie,
As you mentioned in your recipe that the koftas should be added just before serving,otherwise they will break.What if there are any left overs,how am I supposed to heat them again?
Thanks a million.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Hello Bhavika, use the same gravy replacing cream with milk and just make koftas with banana, will work great.
Manjula
August 20th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Hello Aunty,
Namaste. .
Just watched ur video…Loved it…Aunty we dont eat potatoes…Can I substitue them with raw banana dumplings…
Wat can i substitue for creamitu?Can i substitute with whole milk or what?
August 18th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Hi Sonia,
In the U.S. “plain flour” and “all purpose flour” are the same thing. Plain flour is the white flour most commonly used in cooking and baking. (don’t substitute with other flours called “cake flour” etc.)
Jaya
August 18th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Thankyou Aunti for the recepie love it, i wonder if you can use reqular plain flour instead all purpose flour. if not how come??
Thanks in advance
Sonia
August 17th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
[...] daily to see what kind of new recipes she has posted!!! So this Friday I embarked on making her Malai Kofta, and improvising with what arrived in our CSA this week, Chard Paratha (a variation on her Spinach [...]
August 16th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hello Kati,
You are not using chili very little garam masala and you still find food is spicy dont add the ginger. If Indian food is new to the kids, try vegetable rice, zucchini rice, aloo paratha and let them devlop slowley the taste of indian food.
August 16th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hi Katie,
If there are no chilies and almost no garam masala, the “spicy” they are referring to may just be the flavorfulness and not hotness. Also, what are their ages? If they are young it just may be something they will adjust to as they get older and their tastebuds mature.
Another solution if the dish seems too “spicy” to the kids, is stir in a spoon or two of plain yogurt to calm the flavor down for them.
Hope this helps.
August 16th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I am trying to find kid friendly recipes that my kids can enjoy as much as I do. The problem that I keep running into is that many recipes are too spicy for them. I never use chilies, and try to add just a little bit of graham masala. Yet many of my foods still comes out very spicy. Do you have any suggestions of what i can do to make it more desirable to kids used to eating lots of meat?
thank you
August 14th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Thanks Auntie and Jaya, I really appreciate your reply.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Hi Alpa, Wal-mart has milk, but I don’t think they carry cream.
Purchase cream in the milk section of any regular grocery store.
There is “heavy” cream and “light” cream. Heavy cream is richer (as the name implies), but you can use either. Light cream has somewhat fewer calories and fat if that is a concern.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Hello Manjulaji,
I want to know where do I get cream? from walmart? which section?
August 14th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Hi Gayatri,
Angrezi kripya - English please. There are a lot of readers from different countries.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Namaste aunty,maine apaki sari recipes dekhi aur bahotasi try bhi ki.
sari bahotahi achchi bani aur enako pasand bhi ayi.
kya aap soya chunk ki koyi subzi bata sakengi?
Thank u!!
August 13th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Hi Shehla, after you make the fresh paneer, drain out the water. Put the paneer into a strainer and press out more of the liquid by pressing the paneer with the back of a large spoon. Once there is very little water left, it is ready to use for making the koftas.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Hello Shehla,
Use the home made paneer the same way you will use store baught.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Hi Auntie,
Can I use home made paneer for this recipe? And if yes ,how?
Thanks a million.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Hi Manju,
It is called “malai kofta” as in malai for the cream in the sauce and kofta for the vegetable balls or dumplings.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Hi Aunty,
What can substitute for cream. Can i use milk. Btw i have tried your rasmalai recipe for the third time and its always mouth melting and delicious.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
manju, malai refers to cream (”clotted cream” to be more specific) and kofta means dumpling or meat/veggie balls. Hence we have malai kofta which are veggies balls in a rich creamy sauce.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Dear Auntyji,
Thank you for posting Malai Kofta. I will make it this Saturday for Raksha Bandhan.
Happy Rakhi to everyone.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:16 am
hi 1 am the first one to comment.thanx for the recipe but why it is called malai kofta