Malai Kofta
August 12th, 2008 filed under Gravy / Sauces, 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.
Hello Manjula auntie,
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I tried malai kofta this evening. The oil was properly hot but surprisingly 4 kofta out of 16 turned out good and other 12 broke down. I do not know what happened. I did everything as per recipe directions.
Hi,
My kofta’s usually turn out and I’m new to indian cooking. I wonder if your potatoes were too watery. I read in another article not to cool your potatoes in cold water or they will be runny. I boiled mine in the skin and peeled the skin after they cooled.
Hi Manjula,
“1 cup mash paneer ”
Does this need to be prepared (i.e. fried paneer) before using in this recipe ?
How do you make the mash paneer ?
The paneer I buy is in blocks, like normal cheese, so is quite tough, it may too touch when eating the mashed potato – no ?
Thanks,
Del
You will get a much better result if you make the paneer yourself. About 4 cups of milk will give you one cup paneer. The store bought stuff is to hard and paneer needs to be soft for good koftas.
To mash paneer, just crumble it between you fingers until it’s mostly very small pieces.
Hi Kristin,
I’ve run into the same problems you have before…. I live in Dallas and have “Indian” everything on every street corner.
If you’d like, I have some hints and help for you if you’d like – my email address is lianalbert@extfservices.com My husband’s from India and I cook primarily Indian…
Thanks,
Liane
Can you suggest a substitute for asafetida? I always just leave it out cos I can’t find it in Wisconsin….without a major multi-city search effort…
I am so grateful for your videos. This one especially helped me thru the frying process : ) I used to live near Jackson Heights and could get Malai Kofta made for me day or night and now that I live in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest I have to make my own Indian food and you have helped me tremendously by actually showing it in your videos! Thank you, thank you, thank you Manjula!!!
There is a good indian grocer in Appleton, WI, if you are ever near that area. That is where I found asafetida (and some dal I was looking for.) Sometimes you can find it in asian markets. Look for a metropolitan area (Madison, Milwaukee, Fox Valley, etc) nearest you and google Indian food. You can also probably order Indian spices online, though I have not tried this route. Asafetida is said to taste a bit like leeks once it is cooked, so that might be a substitute? I haven’t tried that. Asafetida packs huge flavor in a little pinch!
hi,i really like the recipe of malai kofta.is it possible to make kofta with any other vegetable because i don’t like potato.please reply soon
Where is malai in malai kofta
Cream is called malai in hindi/ India
hi there from adelaide, australia! we would like to know if any parts of this recipe can be prepared ahead of time & put aside in the fridge over night to be reheated the next day? thanks, kate & ryan
Kate,
You can prepare Koftas and gravy ahead of time and add both togather when you ready to serve.
Kate, if they have been in the fridge overnight, put the koftas in the sauce and warm them on the stove over medium heat. Don’t try to heat it too quickly on high heat. if you do, then the sauce gets hot but the middle of the koftas are still cold. Also, slow heating allows the koftas to heat and soften.
Hello,
I love your recipe. For the Kofta, can I not use Paneer in the mixture? My husband doesnt like Paneer so wanted to know.
Please advise
Thank You
Kanika, I think you can make them without paneer just as nicely. Add more potato and make the koftas as the recipe states. I have done it that way when I was just too lazy to make paneer. The mashed potato is soft enough that you should still get a nice kofta without the paneer.
madem recently i started catering business. you are my food business guide thanking you. but terminology make it easior please.
PLEASE CAN U TEACH ME HOW TO MAKE PANI PURI