Malai Kofta

INGREDIENTS
for kofta
100 grams paneer (cottage cheese) - grated
2 medium size potatoes - boiled, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon red chili powder
1 to 2 tablespoons cornflour (corn starch)
⅛ teaspoon garam masala powder
1 tablespoon almond flour OR 1 tablespoon milk powder OR 1 tablespoon khoya (mawa or dried evaporated milk solids)
salt as required
oil for frying paneer koftas
for gravy
½ cup onion paste OR about 2 medium to large onions, pureed
1 cup tomato puree OR about 2 large tomatoes pureed
¼ cup cashew paste OR 12 to 15 cashews soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and then blended to a smooth paste
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon red chili powder
1 inch ginger + 4 to 5 garlic cloves - made in to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle
¼ teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
salt as required
sugar as required (optional)
oil for shallow or deep frying the koftas
whole spices
1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
1 inch cinnamon
1 or 2 black cardamom
2 to 3 green cardamom
2 to 3 single strands of mace OR a light pinch of mace powder
2 to 3 cloves
for garnish
1 tablespoon grated paneer (cottage cheese)
1 or 2 tablespoon cream
a few chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)

INSTRUCTIONS
making paneer kofta
mix all the ingredients mentioned under "for making paneer kofta" ingredient list except oil in a bowl.
make medium sized balls and fry the paneer koftas in medium hot oil till golden.
keep the fried kofta aside.
making malai kofta
remove extra oil from the same pan and keep about 1 or 1.5 tbsp oil.
add all the whole spices and fry till the oil becomes fragrant.
first add the onion paste and brown it.
now add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for some seconds till the raw aroma of the paste goes away.
add the tomato puree and saute for 2-3 minutes.
add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and cashew paste.
stir and saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala paste. add water and stir.
simmer till the gravy begins to thicken. takes approx 11-12 minutes on a low flame.
towards the end add crushed kasuri methi leaves and salt.
you can also add sugar if you want a light sweet taste in the curry. simmer for 1-2 minutes more.
serving malai kofta
lastly, add the fried paneer kofta. if serving later, you can just prepare the gravy and add kofta while serving. these paneer kofta are really soft. so if you add them before and serve them later, they will break.
while serving, garnish with some cream, grated paneer and coriander leaves.
serve malai kofta hot with rotis, naan, steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.
Pic Courtesy: Google
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