Name: Malai Kofta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 100 g Paneer, finely grated; 1 Potato, medium, boiled, cooled, and grated; 1½ tbsp Corn Flour, for binding; ½ tbsp Cashews, finely chopped, for stuffing koftas; ½ tbsp Raisins, finely chopped, for stuffing koftas; 1 Onion, roughly chopped; 1½ Tomato, roughly chopped; 6 Cashews, soaked, for gravy; ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ½ tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder; ½ tsp Ground Coriander; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ⅛ tsp Ground Cardamom; ½ tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves; 1½ tbsp Fresh Cream; 1 tbsp Butter; ¾ tsp Salt, divided

1 hr 55 mintotal

55 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 25 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Mild

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Method

Make the kofta dough: in a large bowl, knead the finely grated paneer, chilled grated potato, cornflour, a pinch of salt and the cardamom powder until it is completely smooth and even.
Pinch off a small portion of the dough and flatten it into a disc in the palm of your hand. Place a small cluster of the chopped cashews and raisins directly in the center, then carefully fold the edges over to seal the stuffing. Roll the dough firmly between your palms to form a completely smooth, crack-free round or cylindrical kofta ball.
Heat a generous volume of frying oil in a deep kadhai over medium heat. Carefully submerge the stuffed koftas in the hot oil and deep fry them until they develop a rich, even, golden-brown crust. Remove them with a slotted spoon, drain excess oil on paper towels, and set them aside.
Make the gravy base: in a separate pan, put the roughly chopped onion, tomato and soaked cashews. Cover with water and boil hard for 10-12 minutes until everything has collapsed and is completely soft. Cool slightly, then blend to a very fine, silky puree.
10–12 min
In a wide cooking pan, melt the butter alongside a splash of cooking oil over medium heat. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for one minute to cook off the raw garlic pungency.
Lower the heat and add the Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander powder to the fat. Immediately pour the blended onion-tomato-cashew puree into the pan to prevent the dry spices from burning.
Cook the gravy on medium heat, stirring very frequently to prevent the cashew base from sticking to the bottom, for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens considerably and the butterfats begin to pool around the edges.
8–10 min
Thin the gravy to the desired consistency using warm water. Season with the remaining salt, garam masala, and the crushed dried fenugreek (kasuri methi). Bring to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes to marry the flavors.
3–4 min
Remove the pan from the heat completely and fold in the fresh cream to finalize the rich texture.
Plating Instruction: Arrange the fried koftas in a serving dish and cascade the hot, finished gravy directly over them right before serving. (Under no circumstances should the delicate koftas be boiled inside the gravy pan, as they will instantly dissolve).

How to tell it's done

The final gravy must be breathtakingly silky, mildly sweet, exceptionally rich, and heavy with cream. The kofta dumplings themselves must be so impossibly soft and tender that they yield effortlessly to the side of a spoon.

Getting it right

Tip

For a smoother result, pass the blended onion, tomato and cashew puree through a fine sieve before it goes into the butter. That is what gives malai kofta its velvety restaurant texture.

What to serve it with

A dish meant for high-end celebrations. Flawlessly paired with pillowy Garlic Naan, crisp Lachha Paratha, or a sweet, jewel-studded Kashmiri Pulao.

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Ingredients