Malai Kofta

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While this part of the world feasts on the turkey and the mashed potatoes we indulged ourselves in a very much indian Malai Kofta. It was one of those times where I attempted to replicate the restaurant like flavors at home. 

An internet search for the perfect recipe resulted in almost a hundred different variations of this classic dish. I took ideas from many of these and came up with my own.

The contents for the kofta are common in most recipes - paneer and potatoes. You can add some basic seasonings if you like. The tomato based curry is enriched with ground cashews and almonds.

Here's the recipe in detail :

For the koftas :

1/2 C paneer grated ( I used homemade)

1 medium potato ( cooked and grated )

pinch of salt ( dont add too much )

1 tsp green chillies finely chopped

1 large carrot grated (optional)

1/4 C green beans finely chopped

2 tbsp corn flour or all purpose flour

oil to deep fry

For the curry :-

7-8 tbsp tomato pure

2 tbsp cashews (soaked overnight)

2 tbsp almonds (soaked overnight)

1/2 onion chopped

1 inch ginger

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp fennel powder

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp sugar or honey

 salt to taste

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

 oil for tempering

• Make a paste of cashews and almonds and keep aside
• Grind the onion with ginger and garlic and keep aside.
• In a pan heat the oil and add the onion paste and saute till fragrant.
• Then add the chilli powder and turmeric.
• Add the tomato puree and stir on high heat till oil emerges at surface.
• Add the cashew and almond paste.Add enough water to make gravy.
• Once the gravy comes to a boil add the salt,fennel powder,honey,garam masala and the cardamom powder.
• Taste and adjust more spices if you like.
• If you want to thicken the gravy further add some whole milk or cream. 
• Cook for a minute and the garnish with cilantro to serve. Add koftas just before serving.

I was actually quite pleased with this outcome. The gravy is creamy and slightly sweet. Serve it with rotis or a simple jeera rice to get the restaurant like experience at home. A perfect holiday indulgence to say the least.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend !