Malai Kofta Recipe | Restaurant Style Malai Kofta

Malai kofta is a popular North Indian rich gravy-based dish. It is the first preference of vegetarians to order Malai Kofta for lunch or dinner because we Indians love to enjoy rich creamy dishes on special occasions.

Here ‘Malai’ means creamy velvety textured gravy and ‘Kofta’ is a deep-fried Potatoes and Paneer (cheese) ball that is dunked in the rich gravy. Actually, Kofta is not an Indian dish, it comes from Middle Eastern countries, where meat is used in kofta.

But now different vegetarian versions of Kofta are made in India like veg Kofta and Besan Kofta, but Malai Kofta is the most loved dish. The best way to enjoy Malai Kofta is with Butter Naan or any Indian flatbread. You can also try it with jeera rice which tastes amazing.

The velvety textured Gravy of the Malai Kofta is prepared with Onions, Tomatoes, and cashews. The Malai Kofta recipe has 2 parts. First, we prepare the Kofta and in the second step, we prepare gravy for the Kofta. It is a little time-consuming recipe but it totally worth it.

I am going to share an easy and tasty recipe for Kofta that you can easily make at home. Make sure the kofta is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Here are some tips to make Restaurant style soft and crispy Kofta at home:

• Always use fresh soft paneer for making Kofta.
• Do not add too much Maida or cornstarch because it will make kofta hard. Hard kofta will not absorb the gravy and it will taste raw.
• Always fry it in medium-high-heat oil otherwise kofta will break while frying.

Full detailed recipe of Malai Kofta is explained below with pictures. I hope you like and try this recipe and don’t forget to share your experience in the comment section.

More Recipes:

• Dal Bukhara
• Palak Paneer
• Sev Tamatar ki Sabzi
• Kaddu Ki Sabzi
• Dhaba Style Dum Aloo 
• Kadhi Pakora

How To Make Malai Kofta (in Detail):

This is the first step of the Malai Kofta recipe in which we are preparing Kofta.

Preparations of Kofta:

1. Add 3-4 boiled potatoes in the bowl and mash it. You can also grate the boiled potatoes otherwise this also a good way to mash them.
2. Now grate the fresh Paneer on top of it.
3. Add 1 tsp of dhania powder, 1 tsp of red chilli powder and 1 tbsp of garlic paste.
4. Add 1 tbsp of cornflour. You can also add a little bit of maida in it if you want. But make sure it is in the appropriate ratio to keep the consistency of the dough.
5. Make a small ball of the mixture. Here I am making medium small size balls of kofta. You can also make a cylindrical shape of the Kofta.
6. Now heat oil in the kadai and deep fry it. Oil should be hot when you are adding kofta balls to it.
7. Fry it until it turns golden brown.
8. When Kofta is done kept aside in the plate or any vessel.

Preparation of Gravy for Malai Kofta:

This is the second part of the Malai Kofta Recipe where we are preparing gravy for Kofta.

1. Take a pan and add oil and 1 tbsp of cumin seeds (jeera) in it.
2. Add 5-6 sliced onions in it. Cook it until it turns golden brown.
3. Then add 3 diced Tomatoes, 1-2 garlic cloves, and a handful of cashews.
4. Cook it for a while and let it sit to cool down the mixture. Then grind it to make a smooth gravy.
5. Add oil to the same pan and add 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tbsp of garlic paste.
6. Add grinded masala to the pan.
7. Add 1 tbsp of dhania powder, 1 tbsp of red chilli powder, and 1 tbsp of turmeric powder it. Let it cook until it releases the oil from the sides.
8. Now add water to it. Let it cook. This is a little time-consuming process.
9. Add salt to the gravy of Malai Kofta.
10. Cook it until water dries out and thick smooth gravy is left. Now add some crushed kasturi methi and 1 tbsp of black pepper in it. Mix it.
11. Then add 2 tbsp of fresh cream and garam masala.
12. Lastly, add fried Kofta balls on top of the smooth and creamy gravy and garnish it with Kasturi methi.
13. Delicious Malai Kofta is ready to enjoy with Butter Naan, hot chapati, or rice. It totally depends on your preference. I personally like it with Butter Naan.