Spicy Malai Kofta

There are two types of Malai Kofta Lovers. The ones who love the white malai gravy, mildly spiced and sweet with raisins. The others who love the spicy tomato based creamy gravy without any sweetness. I belong to the latter. Although, I do love a good white gravy. But when it comes to Malai Koftas, I’m a sucker for the spicy, creamy red curry. This is one of those. I love this curry with Mildly spiced peas pulao and Chatpata Papad churi masala. The entire meal took me 40 minutes to make.

This homemade version was introduced to me by my aunt. She apparently found the recipe in an article on the newspaper years ago. My version for this recipe came out of need. My aunt did give me the recipe. But I lost it. And so did she. All I could remember (vaguely) was the ingredients. No quantity, no method. Also, I did add onions and garlic to the no onion, no garlic recipe. Onions and garlic are vital. And the original recipe did require a lot of roasting and peeling tomatoes. I skipped all of that. My version takes 15 minutes to make. And I can confidently tell you its a keeper because my mother prefers this recipe to the original!

Ingredients for the Dish

For the koftas, mix the paneer, chilli, salt, cornflour and coriander together. Add a tiny splash of water, if necessary, to combine it into a dough. Divide it into 12 equal balls and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. After 15 minutes, deep fry the kofta balls and keep it aside.

 

 

For the gravy, Puree tomatoes, onion, chilli, garlic, ginger and cashews with some water in a blender. In a saucepan, Mix oil and the spice powders and fry for a few seconds on low heat. Add the pureed mix and water and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. After 15 minutes, add a tablespoon of yoghurt and salt and mix well. Add the koftas to the gravy only 10- 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

Recipe:

For the Koftas-
Paneer- 200 Grams
Chilli- 2 Large, Chopped finely
Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup
Cornflour- 2 Tablespoons
Water- 2 Tablespoons, only if needed
Salt- To taste

For the gravy-
Tomato- 2 Medium
Onion- 2 Medium
Chilli- 2 large
Garlic- 9-10 Cloves
Cashew- 15
Ginger- 1/2 inch piece
Spicy Chilli powder- 2 Teaspoons
Garam Masala- 2 Teaspoons
Coriander Powder- 3 Teaspoons
Cumin powder- 2 Teaspoons
Curd/ Yogurt- 2 Tablespoons

For the koftas, mix the paneer, chilli, salt, cornflour and coriander together. Add a tiny splash of water, if necessary, to combine it into a dough. Divide it into 12 equal balls and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes. After 15 minutes, deep fry the kofta balls and keep it aside.

For the gravy, Puree tomatoes, onion, chilli, garlic, ginger and cashews with some water in a blender. In a saucepan, Mix oil and the spice powders and fry for a few seconds on low heat. Add the pureed mix and water and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. After 15 minutes, add a tablespoon of yoghurt and salt and mix well. Add the koftas to the gravy only 10- 15 minutes before serving.

Try this curry with Spiced Peas pulao.
Try this with Chatpata Papad Churi Masala.