MALAI KOFTA - SNC CHALLENGE 15

Serving Size - 2

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Cooking time - 40 minutes

Today's post is long awaited challenged recipe from my draft lists, its none other than Malai Kofta which is challenged by Napur of UK RASOI who is the north team member of SNC. SNC event is run by Divya Pramil from youtoocancook and theme of the challenge is to exchange their regional recipes between the north and south teams . If you want to know more details about this SNC event, please go to the following link. SouthVSNorth Challenge. As I am from south team of SNC, I have to use the following logo

Malai Kofta is a very popular north Indian side dish. So I don't want to give more intro about it.It is a fried cottage cheese balls in the spiced thick creamy gravy. It will go with any Indian flat bread or rice varieties. I made this challenge on the first week of feb. But due to my laziness I din't post this recipe until before the last day of the challenge. I should link this recipe today unless I won't link it up. So that I am writing this post today. 

I would like to say another one thing, actually we don't like malai kofta but after we tried Napur's malai kofta, we really love to have this with indian flat breads. Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful recipe Napur. 

Let us go to the recipe... I din't change anythi0ng from Napur's recipe. I followed her in each and every steps.

Ingredients

For Koftas

Paneer - 100 gms

Boiled peeled grated potato - 2

Red chillipowder - 1/4 tsp

Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Milk powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - as needed

oil - as required for deep or shallow fry.

For the Gravy

Onion - 1/2 no. (I used US red onion)

Ginger - 1/2 piece grated

Garlic cloves - 3 roughly sliced

Tomatoes - 2 (Prepare fresh tomato puree)

Cashew paste - 1/4 cup

Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Water - 2 cups

Fresh cream - 3/4 cup (or full cream milk - 1 cup)

Kasuri methi - 1 tsp ( I din't used)

Salt - as needed

Whole Spices

Bay Leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Black cardamom - 1

Green cardamom - 2 or 3

Mace - a pinch

Cloves - 2

For Garnish

Cilantro - 1/2 cup

Cream - 2 tbsp

Grated paneer - 1 tbsp

Method

For Kofta

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients under the kofta heading. Make 8 to 10 heart-shaped koftas gently and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a large pan for deep frying koftas. Take corn flour in a plate to coat the koftas before deep frying.
• After coating corn flour on the koftas, deep fry all the koftas, drain its oil and keep it aside.

NOTE : Instead of deep fry, you can also do shallow fry the koftas and keep it aside.You could see the difference in the below picture.

For Gravy

•  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add all the whole spices until the fragrance comes out. 
• Add ginger and garlic pieces and fry for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until it turns transparent. Switch off the stove and allow it to cool.
• Once it gets cool, transfer it to the blender and pulse it to the coarse paste. 
• Add little oil and ground onion paste to the pan, then switch on the stove.
• Now add the tomato puree too in the same pan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the rest of the spices - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
• Cook this mixture for 10 minutes on covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for 8 minutes or until the oil leaves its side.
• Now, reduce the flame to medium, add cashew paste and water to the mixture and allow it to gets thicker. It will take 10 to 15 minutes approximately.
• Finally turns the flame to low, add the cream or milk to the mixture. While adding the cream or milk, stirring the gravy and add gradually.  NOTE : Cream or milk must be in room temperature to avoid curdle.
• Again turns the flame to medium or less than medium and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. If you would like, you could add little sugar to gets rich taste with mild sweetness and crushed dry methi leaves and cook for a minutes. Switch of the flame.
• Gravy is ready now.

For Assembling and garnishing

• Heat the gravy slightly before serving. Arrange koftas in the serving dish. 
• Pour the gravy gently on the koftas and garnish it with chopped cilantro, grated paneer and cream of your choice.
• Malai Kofta is ready now and serves with any flavored rice or white rice or with any indian flat bread.
• I served this malai kofta with peas pulao.

 I once again thank Napur for sharing this wonderful recipe. I love this dish to the core, Napur. Thank you Divya pramil.