Friday, March 5, 2010

Malai Kofta

    Kofta’s is the derivative of the Persian word kufta meaning meat balls. However, the vegetarian variation of this I can safely say is more popular in India. Malai Kofta, vegetables and paneer (cottage cheese) smothered in a thick cream gravy  is now a household name.The spices smoothly blend with the heavy cream to make an aromatic dish and yet flavors subtle enough to gently teases you palate. Paired with rice or bread they are a great party treat.
Kofta
Ingredients:


For Kofta:
Potato – 3 – 4 medium size (I use the red skinned ones)
Carrots – ¼ cup grated
Peas – ¼ cup
Beans – ¼ cup
Paneer – 1 cup grated
All purpose flour – 1 Tbspn
Green chili’s – 2-3 nos chopped (if you like it mild avoid adding any chillis)
Salt – to taste

For Gravy

Cummin – 1 tspn
Shah Jeera ( Royal Cummin) – 1 tspn
Tomato – 2 Tbspn puree ( I used canned puree)
Onion - 2 nos small to medium size
Ginger – 1 tspn
Garlic – 2 tspn
Cashew nuts – 1/3 cup
Garam Masala – 1 tspn
Chilli powder – 1 tspn ( work with the quantity to make it milder or hotter as per your liking)
Coriander Powder – 1/2 tspn
Turmeric Powder   - 1/4 tspn
Heavy Cream – ½ cup ( add a little more or less to work up a conistency you like)

Malai Kofta
Method:
Kofta
1. Cook potato in a pressure cooker peel and grate
2. Chop beans, grate carrots and paneer
3. Cook the peas and set aside
4. In a pan add ½ tspn oil and stir the beans, and carrots to take away all the moisture
5. Mix the vegetables with the grated or mashed potatoes and paneer
6. Add more potatoes if you are unable to make smooth balls
7. Roll the veggie ball in corn starch or all purpose flour and dust off excess
8. In enough oil deep fry the koftas at medium temperature till golden brown
9. Sine all the ingredients are cooked as long as the outside is golden brown you can bring out the koftas and drain the oil on paper

For Gravy
1. Fry cashews to a golden brown and set aside
2. Sautee the finely chopped onions
3. Follow with ginger and garlic
4. Add turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder and sauté on medium low making sure they don’t burn and add the garam masala
5. Add the tomato puree and sauté as well
6. Cool the mixture and make a paste of it in the blender using as little water as you can manage with your blender
7. Once blended transfer it back to the pan and cook till oil leaves the pan
8. Add heavy cream to make a thick gravy
9. Add hot water and thin the gravy to your desired consistency. Generally this dish has a thick gravy
10. Add the fried kotas heat it through and serve garnished with coriander leaves

Malai Kofta

Notes:
1. If the mixture is thick and add water and bring to boil and then add the cream to get your desired consistency
2. The malai koftas are generally served in a very thick sauce so use your discretion while watering the gravy down
3. Use the red skinned pototoes or the white color ones cos these have a gluey nature when cooked than the Idaho potato which is used for baking.

Entered for Jay 's "Let's Relish Paneer' event

85 comments:

  1. Malai kofta looks delicious, mouth watering and spicy. Wonderful presentation.

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  2. Malai kofta looks delicious and tempting.... Nice presentation..

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  3. Nice presentation Dear..very rich look..cute click:-)

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  4. Namitha and sunitha,

    Malai kofta looks really royal , Yummy. I have also posted a version of it time permits take a look at it.

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  5. Beautiful! There are potato and bread dumplings here in Germany...but they are without filling and usually just simply boiled with water and served with the preferred sauce.

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  6. Delicious! Love the smooth silky gravy and yummy Koftas. Great meal! :)

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  7. yum! that gravy sounds and looks sooo good! the perfect compliment!

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  8. absolutely heavenly..ur pics are gorgeous!

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  9. I really like this recipe and am going to book mark it to try it at wekend.Pls clarify should the cashew nuts be left whole or pureed also and when to add them.

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  10. Wowo looks so so beautiful and so so delicious.

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  11. My Akku's fav curry, mine too...would lov to eat with onion paratha,looks perfect,rich n creamy....

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  12. My Akku's fav curry, mine too...would lov to eat with onion paratha,looks perfect,rich n creamy....

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  13. Looks mouthwatering... so creamy and rich.. .. perfect with parathas...

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  14. Looks so delicious..yummy koftas..
    Perfect pic too..:)

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  15. I am almost swooning looking at the sight of such a beautiful, rich, wicked-looking dish! Love the presentation.

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  16. I have often made Lebanese kefta, which is very similiar to the Persian kofta. I cant wait to try your recipe! Now that I know what paneer is! ;) You make vegetarian food look sooo wonderful!!!

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  17. Oh yummy Malai Kofta. Perfect with hot butter naans.

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  18. Yummy Malai kofta's, can't miss it right..

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  19. I just made some paneer , must really try this

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  20. Looks stunning.The koftas are perfect and gravy is nice and creamy. Gorgeous clicks as usual..Please come by our space, there's an award waiting for you...

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  21. OMG, the balls and the dipping sauce look seriously tempting! Pass me some pls ;)

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  22. Veggie kofta sounds delicious!

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  23. Awesome pics and an equally great recipe...

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  24. really feel like grabbing a kofta from the bowl... looks so nice... I have had a failed attempt to make malai kofta before... will try this one..

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  25. Thanks for ur pleasing words Namitha. You guys too have a beautiful space. Kofta looks delicious and a tempting click too !!

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  26. Awesome Pics .. and Kofta looks delicious and rich !

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  27. I always love your pictures, they are simply out of this world, this malai kofta looks creamy n rich...very tempting:)

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  28. This look very interesting and tempting especially the Koftas!

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  29. Your koftas look so sumptuous and your pics are so real that I can almost touch them right from my monitor.

    Deepa

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  30. hi thank you for visiting my blog. Your blog has amazing pictures. will surely let you know how they turn out.

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  31. wow the kofta looks terrific!!. Looks like it would melt in ur mouth. As always the cicks are fascinating!!

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  32. wow what beautiful pics,truely tempting and irresistible one...gravy looks so beautiful with richness of cream...

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  33. The malai koftas look delicious and tempting. Lovely pics.

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  34. Beautiful clicks dear...Kurachu koodi light inte aduthu vachu edukkan nokku ithilum kidilam avum...

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  35. kofta balls look delicious n innovative...whole presentation iz fabulous..congrats....

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  36. love ur presentation so so much, dear...looks so yum

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  37. HELLO,
    ÇOK FARKLI BİR YEMEK.

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  38. Kofta balls looks rich creamy and perfect with mouthwatering pictures.

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  39. ohhh the Koftas looks so good and the kofta curry very creamy and yummy..too good clicks..delectable..

    www.foodlyrics.com

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  40. Tout simplement magnifique.
    See soon.

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  41. Love you silky gravy! Beautiful presentation!!

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  42. Rich & creamy kofta curry.....looks yummm.

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  43. Rich & creamy kofta curry.....looks yummm.

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  44. A favorite of mine, looks delicious!

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  45. The pics are just awesome and oh so tempting... Lovely post

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  46. Delicious, my kids would love the meat ball, kofta....learned a new word today! Cheers!

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  47. hi,
    I made cauliflower kofta yesterday sall blog it soon :)
    Ur preparation looks rich and delicious..wonderful clicks...
    TC

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  48. Loved the malai kofta. Click is very professional and perfect. Wish could have some with my rotis for lunch :)

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  49. Slurpp!!!beautiful kofta curry...

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  50. this looks like a dish that I definitely need to make...soon. That gravy has me drooling all over my computer!

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  51. Looks superb! My mouth started watering

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  52. Malai kofta looks delicious!! all time faviourte..

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  53. wow these koftas r yummy...i love thm...nice recipe n superb presentatn...yumm

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  54. tout simplement délicieux jolies photos et belle présentation
    bonne soirée

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  55. kofta looks so delicious and yummy! love your snaps, as always.. so simplistic yet so elegant! wonderful job.

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  56. A great recipe...and simply mouthwatering:) lovely clicks as usual!

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  57. love them , always order when i go to restaurant...i do make at home sometimes too..yours looks absolutely amazing..

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  58. havent tried this..pic makes me drool.

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  59. You make gorgeous food, I'm so intrigued by the Malai Kofta, they look delicately delicious!

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  60. I've never had this before and this is my first time every seeing or hearing this dish. It sure looks delicious. I love curry and would love to test this recipe out.

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  61. Love malai koftas and your dish look delectable... wish I could have one right now!

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  62. Mali koftas in that delicious gravy look heavenly , hummm, tempting and ravishing pictures!!!!

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  63. Can I please have some NOW!!!! It's lunch time and I am going mad just looking at those gorgeous pics of Malai Kofta. ITS JUST NOT FAIR!!!!!!

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  64. Awesome koftas!..the gravy looks creamy

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  65. wow this looks amazing looking forward to your first Thai soup lol

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  66. Beautiful click as always....
    Looks so creamy and yummy!!

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  67. Yum!the gravy looks super rich :D

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  68. hey..thankyou for dropping by. I opened your blog and found one of my favourite dishes- malai kofta! ...looks super delicious :). will keep checking.

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  69. Sooper tempting Namitha. My favorite one. Though never tried it home..Will give it a try soon. And Lovely pictures as usual.

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  70. Your pictures are amazing and I love your write up too !!!
    Will surly try this and tag you in !!

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  71. Heavenly Kofta Curry ,great click as always.

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  72. Looks utterly yummy..makes me hungry..

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  73. Hai!!! dear,, I am gonna try ur malai kofta for my this week's "my recipe from friends",,,i like ur way of cooking dear,,,thanks for sharing the lovely recipe,,,take care n keep smiling,,

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  74. Im salivating here! Slurp :)

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  75. Dear Sunitha,

    Malai Kofta looks absolutely rich n royal..fantastic photography...loved your version ...!

    Thanx dear for sending this gorgeous dish for my event...!

    Do add the event logo and event announcement link at the end of the post...!

    Thanks & Regards,
    Jay

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  76. Looks so yummy. I love the picture of the kofta balls perfectly round.

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  77. Hi,
    Dusting didn't work for me. Veggie balls broke in oil.

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