Make restaurant style malai kofta at home with this time-tested recipe. Crisp fried paneer koftas are served with a cream and super luxurious curry.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 70 minutes
  • Yield: 4 · 4 to 6 people - 12 to 13 koftas
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 1½ tablespoon oil (or ghee (45 ml))
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms
  • 1 small bay leaf ((optional))
  • ½ inch cinnamon piece ((optional))
  • 2 cloves ((optional))
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds (or shahi jeera (optional))
  • 1½ cups onions ((170 g, 1 large onion sliced))
  • 1 inch ginger (peeled & sliced 10 g or 1 tbsp (22 g) ginger garlic paste)
  • 5 to 6 large garlic cloves ((12 g))
  • 2¼ cups red ripe tomatoes ((sliced or chopped, 350 g))
  • 18 raw cashew nuts ((36 grams, sub with ¼ cup heavy/fresh cream))
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt ((more to adjust))
  • ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder ((+ more to adjust the color))
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala ((adjust to taste))
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander seeds))
  • 1 cup water ((+ ½ more to simmer, omit if not using cashews))
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ((30 grams))
  • 1 tablespoon jaggery powder (or 1 tsp sugar)
  • 1½ teaspoon kasuri methi ((dried fenugreek leaves))
  • ¼ cup heavy/fresh cream ((double if not using cashews + 1 tbsp to garnish))
  • 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (chopped to garnish - optional)
  • 100 grams boiled potato ((1 medium old potato, ½ cup fine grated, read notes))
  • 200 grams grated paneer ((1½ cups dry gratings))
  • 1 tablespoon cashews ((fine chopped 8, optional))
  • 1 tablespoon raisins ((fine chopped, 8 to 10, optional))
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger (or ginger garlic paste)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (deseed & chop (or sub with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper))
  • 2½ tablespoons corn starch ((25 grams, 1 tbsp more only if needed, read notes))
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt ((adjust to taste))
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala ((adjust to taste, or use ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder))
  • 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (fine chopped)
  • 2 cups oil to deep fry

Method

Make the Malai Gravy

  1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cardamoms & all the optional spices - cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon & cloves for a minute. Add onions & saute for 6 to 8 mins until light golden.
  2. Stir in ginger garlic and saute for 1 to 2 mins. Add tomatoes, cashews and salt. Saute or Cover and cook until mushy, for 8 mins.
  3. Stir in chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute on a medium high heat for 3 mins, until aromatic.
  4. Turn off and cool down slightly. Pour 1 cup cold water to a blender. Discard the bay leaf and transfer the cooked onion tomatoes to the blender. Blend to a smooth puree.
  5. Melt butter in a pan and stir in the optional red chili powder for a brighter color.
  6. Strain the onion tomato puree directly to the pan and mix well. Pour another ½ cup water (or omit if not using cashews).
  7. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer covered for 10 mins, until thick and creamy. (Keep stirring every 3 to 4 mins).
  8. Taste test to adjust salt & garam masala. Crush kasuri methi in your palms and add it. Also stir in the jaggery and cream. Cover and set aside to keep it warm.

Make the koftas

  1. While you make the gravy, boil potato just until fork tender or pressure cook for 8 to 10 mins, placed on a trivet. Cool down completely. Pat dry paneer with kitchen papers.
  2. Finely grate boiled potato and paneer (separately) to a mixing bowl. (Weigh or measure).
  3. Stir in chopped cashews, raisins, ginger paste, green chilies, corn starch, salt, garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
  4. Mix well for 2 to 3 mins to form a non-sticky smooth dough. Divide to 12 to 13 portions. Roll to smooth balls in between your palms. If you want roll the koftas in 1 teaspoon flour or corn starch, roll again and dust off the excess.
  5. Deep frying: Heat oil in a deep pan/kadai for deep frying. Test the oil by dropping a large pinch of the kofta mixture. It should sizzle and rise to the surface, shouldn’t disintegrate or too brown quickly.
  6. Testing: Deep fry one kofta to test the texture and if it does not disintegrate, go ahead to fry all of them. If it disintegrates, add more flour or starch and mix.
  7. Slide the koftas one by one gently to the hot oil. Do not disturb for 2 mins. Deep fry on a medium flame until crisp and golden. Remove them to a steel colander or a cooling rack.

Assemble Malai Kofta

  1. Cool down the gravy to a warm temperature and transfer it to a serving dish. Cool the koftas slightly and place in the malai gravy. Garnish with heavy cream and coriander leaves.
  2. Serve Malai kofta with Tandoori roti, Butter Naan, Plain Kulcha, Jeera rice or plain basmati rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.