Malai Kofta Recipes

MALAI KOFTA

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Mash potatoes; cool to room temperature., Preheat air fryer to 375°. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, paneer, cardamom and salt until combined. Spoon 2 tablespoons of potato mixture in lightly greased hands and flatten to 1/8-in. thick. Press a raisin and cashew in the center; bring sides up to enclose. Gently roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Spritz fryer basket with cooking spray. Working in batches if needed, place balls in a single layer in basket lined with parchment. Cook until golden brown, 10-15 minutes., Meanwhile, for the gravy, in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker, combine tomatoes, yogurt, water, cashews, ginger garlic paste and 1 teaspoon red chili powder. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 6 minutes. Quick-release pressure. Puree mixture using an immersion blender until smooth. Strain mixture, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Wipe insert clean., Select saute setting and adjust for medium heat; add ghee. When ghee is hot, add garam masala and remaining 1 teaspoon red chili powder; cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in strained tomato mixture and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, until mixture is slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Add fenugreek and, if desired, cream; cook 1 minute. Pour mixture over kofta.

VEGAN MALAI KOFTA (INDIAN DUMPLINGS IN TOMATO ONION CURRY SAUCE)

Steps:

• Kofta: Process the hemp seeds or nuts until you have a coarse meal. Add potato and process until coarse. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until most of the chickpeas have broken down but not a paste. (Without processor, use nut or seed flour and grated potato. Then mash chickpeas and mix)
• The potato will leak moisture in the mixture in some seconds making it easy to make smooth balls. Do not let the mixture sit for too long at this point. Add more flour or starch if the mixture is too moist. Add a tbsp nutritional yeast for cheesier flavor profile.
• Take 2 to 3 Tbsp of the mixture and make round or football shaped balls - 1.5 inch size or smaller so they cook through. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 F (218 C). For 20 minutes. Or pan fry in 1/2 inch oil for 5 to 6 minutes until golden on most sides.
• Gravy: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin, coriander, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until slightly golden on some edges, 2 minutes. Add the onion and ginger, and cook until golden, 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala, and mix for a few seconds.
• Add the tomato, cashews, 1/4 cup water and salt and cook until the tomatoes are saucy, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Cool slightly, then transfer to a blender.
• Blend the mixture with 1/4 cup water, half the fenugreek leaves and sugar until smooth. Fold in the remaining fenugreek leaves. (This sauce is incredibly versatile, you can just add some chickpeas, baked tofu, roasted or par-cooked veggies and simmer and use!)
• Bring the blended sauce to a boil, add baked kofta balls and serve. Garnish with some cashew cream or other on dairy cream and cilantro. Serve with Naan or rice. To store: store the balls and sauce Separately until ready to serve.

MALAI KOFTA

Steps:

• Start by heating a pot / saucepan on the stovetop.
• Add butter or ghee, chopped onions, along with minced ginger and garlic (or ginger-garlic paste).
• Sauté until the onions are translucent. Don't brown the onions, as this will alter the color of the sauce.
• Add the chopped tomatoes (or tinned tomatoes) and cook until the tomatoes start to turn soft.
• Add the cashews, followed by the spice powders and mix well. Add half a cup of water and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Crush the kasuri methi leaves in your palm and add them, followed by garam masala. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the heat.
• Let the mixture cool down completely and blend in a blender until smooth.
• Using a fine mesh sieve, sieve the blended mixture back into the same pot, and add honey, cream and salt to season. Simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.
• The sauce is now ready and can be kept aside for later.
• To prepare the koftas, cut the potatoes into half and cook them in water on a saucepan on the stovetop until they are fork-tender (around 20 minutes on stovetop). For Instant Pot users, Pressure Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of natural release.
• Make sure that the potatoes cool completely before using. Once they are cooled, peel and mash or grate the potatoes.
• In a large mixing bowl, grate the paneer. To this add mashed or grated potatoes, followed by corn starch, salt, and pepper powder. Mix well to form a smooth mixture with as few lumps as possible.
• To shape the koftas - take a little mixture in your palm, form lemon-sized balls of the mixture and make a hole in the center. Stuff the center with the dried fruit and nut mixture and shape into a ball.
• Dust the balls in cornstarch and dust-off excess cornstarch.
• Deep fry the kofta balls in oil - make sure the oil is hot before you add the koftas - if you add the koftas to oil that isn't very hot, they could break apart. Fry the koftas evenly. After they turn golden-brown, keep them aside on a kitchen towel.
• If air-frying, add 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the kofta mixture before shaping them. Roll out the balls as instructed above.
• Place the koftas in the air fryer basket and air fry at 350 F for 10 minutes. Then increase the temperature to 400 F and air fry for 5 minutes. The koftas will be golden brown and perfectly cooked.
• To serve the koftas, place the koftas in a bowl, spoon over the sauce on top. I recommend this over the more popular method of simmering the koftas in the sauce before serving. By plating the koftas, and adding the sauce over them, the koftas will not break.

MALAI KOFTA

Steps:

• For the kofta: Combine the mashed potatoes, cilantro, chiles, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Knead the mixture until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then set aside.
• Put the paneer in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the nuts and dried fruit and pulse until the fruit is coarsely chopped and the nuts are broken into small pieces. (If the paneer is not salted, add a pinch of salt.) Transfer the paneer mixture to a small bowl.
• Form the mashed potato mixture into 8 equal balls. (A kitchen scale isn't necessary, but is helpful.) Form the paneer mixture into 8 equal balls. They don't have to be perfectly shaped, but it is much easier to stuff the potato balls when the paneer mixture has been squished into little balls.
• Hold a potato ball in the palm of your hand. Make an indentation with your thumb. Place a paneer ball into the concave hollow and push it in gently. Pinch the potato mixture around it and roll the potato ball in your palm to make a nice round shape. Repeat with the remaining potato and paneer balls. If the potato mixture is sticking to your hands and preventing you from rolling a smooth ball, dampen the palms of your hands with a little room-temperature water and continue rolling.
• Place the besan in a shallow bowl. Gently roll the stuffed balls in the besan. Transfer the coated balls to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the sauce. (It is easier to fry the balls when they have rested and are cold.)
• For the sauce: Meanwhile, stir together the garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander, turmeric and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until combined. Set the spice mixture aside.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle until they darken slightly, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to get a hint of color, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not brown them, as that will affect the color of the sauce.)
• Add the garlic, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well and cook, stirring often, until the raw smell goes away, about 2 minutes. Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until the oil comes out, about 5 minutes.
• Drain the cashews and add to the saucepan, then add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the tomato mixture is thickened and pasty, about 7 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Meanwhile, fry the kofta. Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil, attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place a paper towel over the rack. Carefully add half the balls, one at a time, and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the balls to the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining balls.
• Transfer the cooled sauce to a blender, add 1 cup water and process until smooth. Transfer the sauce back to the saucepan. Add the cream and kasoori methi if using and heat over medium heat until simmering. It should have the consistency of a smooth carrot soup; Add more water, if needed, and adjust the salt to taste.
• Gently add the fried kofta and heat, occasionally shaking the pan gently to coat the balls, until hot, about 3 minutes.
• For serving: Garnish with the garam masala and cilantro leaves.