Recipe for Malai Kofta

Name: Recipe for Malai Kofta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 lt Milk with 3.5-3.8% Fat; 200 gm Fresh Cream; 1 Lemon; 5-6 Medium Sized Potatoes; 1 tbsp Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves); 1 tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk; 1-1½ tsp Salt; Raisins ( for fill inside the koftas); Cornflour ( to coat the koftas); Oil, for deep frying; 3 tbsp Ghee; 2-3 Bay leaves; 6-8 Green Cardamoms; 8-10 Black Peppercorns; 2 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger; 2 tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic; 2 Big Onions, finely chopped; 3-4 Green Chillies; 2 Big Tomatoes, Chopped; 1 tsp Turmeric Powder; 2 tbsp Coriander Powder; ½ tsp Cumin Powder; 10 Cashews; 1½ tsp Salt; 20 Almonds; ½ Cup Poppy Seeds; 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi; 1 tsp Garam Masala; ¾ tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk; 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

Kofta originated in the middle east and African countries. In these countries, Kofta meant meatballs made by mincing meat, combining it with spices, shaping it into balls and then deep frying or grilling them. As this recipe came to India, many vegetarian versions were created.

Many vegetarian kofta dishes are made in India, Malai Kofta being the most popular. This kofta dish has a rich, creamy gravy and is not an everyday recipe. It has a whole lot of ingredients that go into it. The process is also long and requires planning. It is typically served in restaurants and made at home on special occasions. The everyday Kofta recipes are Kache Kele Ka Kofta ( made with raw banana), Lauki Ka Kofta ( made with bottle gourd) and Kache Papite Ka Kofta ( made with raw papaya).

Recently, I made Malai Kofta for my guests. I captured the pictures while making it for approximately 12 adults. Therefore, when you follow the recipe, increase or decrease the ingredients according to the number of people you plan to serve.

This recipe has two components- Kofta and Curry. They are separately prepared and then combined in the end. Also, please note that, for this recipe, I used fresh, homemade panner. I have included making paneer in the recipe. However, you can skip this step and buy readymade paneer. Approximately 300 gm of paneer should do.

These koftas are so soft that they melt in the mouth. The gravy is rich, creamy and slightly sweet. The dish tastes delicious and is completely worth all the effort. So, let us start with the recipe:

Ingredients needed to make Malai Kofta Curry:

Ingredients needed to make Kofta:

Ingredients to make Paneer:

2 lt Milk with 3.5-3.8% Fat
200 gm Fresh Cream
1 Lemon

Other Ingredients Needed for Kofta:

5-6 Medium Sized Potatoes
1 tbsp Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
1-1½ tsp Salt
Raisins ( for filling inside the koftas)
Cornflour ( to coat the koftas)
Oil for deep frying

Ingredients needed for the Curry:

3 tbsp Ghee
2-3 Bay leaves
6-8 Green Cardamoms
8-10 Black Peppercorns
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic
2 Big Onions, finely chopped
3-4 Green Chillies
2 Big Tomatoes, Chopped
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
10 Cashews
1½ tsp Salt
20 Almonds
½ Cup Poppy Seeds
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 tsp Garam Masala
¾ tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method to make Kofta Curry:

Method for making Kofta

Method to make Paneer:

Combine milk and cream and bring it to a boil.
When it starts boiling, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into it. You will notice that the milk will start curdling.
Boil for a minute or two more. Remove from heat and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Then strain it. Press using the back of a spatula to drain all the excess water. Let it stay like that for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the paneer needed for the recipe is ready.

Further steps for making Kofta:

Boil the potatoes. Then peel and mash them.
Add the paneer, mashed potatoes, kasuri methi, salt and condensed milk in a mixing bowl.
Mix well.
Take small portions of this mixture. Flatten it a bit. Keep a raisin in the middle, cover it with the rest of the mixture, and make a ball.
Roll this ball on cornflour so it is coated well, and the mixture is not exposed.
Prepare all the koftas this way.
Heat oil. On medium heat, fry the koftas.
Let them cool.

Method for making the Curry:

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan. On medium heat, fry bay leaves, black peppercorns and green cardamoms for a minute.
Add ginger, garlic and onions. Fry.
Meanwhile, in a cooking pot, boil 1 cup of water. Add poppy seeds, cashews and almonds.
Boil on high heat for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and grind it to a fine paste.
In the pan where you are frying the onions, add green chillies. When the onions turn translucent, add chopped tomatoes. Mix and fry.
Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
Then remove from heat. Let the mixture cool. Once cooled, remove the bay leaves and grind the rest into a fine paste. Pass this paste and the cashew-almond-poppy paste through a sieve.
Collect the fine paste and transfer it to a pan. Cook on medium heat.
Add kasuri Methi and garam masala. Boil this gravy for about 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of ghee in a pan. Add Kashmiri Red chilli powder. Fry for about 5-10 seconds on medium heat. Add this mixture to the gravy.
Add condensed milk. Taste and adjust the salt.
The gravy is ready. For serving, put a couple of kofta balls in a serving bowl. Pour the gravy. Garnish with fresh Coriander Leaves.

About Ingredient sourcing in Germany:

While you can get some of the ingredients needed for this recipe from a German Supermarket, you can get all of these ingredients from any Indian shop near you. Alternatively, you can check the online store for Spicelands. They are a big store in Frankfurt, delivering all across Germany.

Alternatively, you can even buy these ingredients from amazon.de. Links are given below:

Equipment used:

Pan: https://amzn.to/44V92Ek
Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3n9IXjM
Knife Set: https://amzn.to/3Lg64Bj
Mixing Bowl: https://amzn.to/42dy3YD
Mixer:
Option 1 Bosch:https://amzn.to/3LzMbGF (Perfect for Indian cooking, with great reviews)
Option 2: Preethi:https://amzn.to/3n9XCLH ( I use this. It is perfect for Indian cooking, but priced higher than Bosch)

Here is the recipe in printable format: