Malai kofta recipe with video & step by step photos. Originally Koftas are meatballs dunked in delicious gravy or served as kababs. In India the vegetarian version of koftas are quite popular. These are made either with Paneer & potato or with veggies like bottle gourd, mixed vegetables or raw banana. Koftas are served with a rich, delicious and creamy gravy to which malai (cream) has been added.
If you are new to Indian cuisine these faqs may help you to understand more about this dish.
What is malai kofta?
Malai kofta is a popular Indian vegetarian dish made of potato & paneer balls dunked in smooth, rich & creamy gravy. Malai translates to cream and kofta to fried balls. So malai kofta literally translates to koftas dunked in creamy sauce or gravy,
There are various versions of making this dish. The recipe of malai kofta that is shared here is not mughalai malai kofta which is served in white gravy.
We at home do not prefer mughalai white gravy for any recipe, just a personal choice. So whenever I make kofta recipe, I follow the one shared here.
This recipe takes some time to prepare but the end results are great and worth the effort.
How to make paneer kofta?
To make the koftas, Firstly mash together paneer, boiled potato, salt, herbs & spice powders. Then to absorb the excess moisture sprinkle some corn flour. Then bind the mixture together to a ball and then make small paneer koftas.
These are then deep fried and then added to the creamy onion tomato based gravy.
Tips to make best malai kofta
1.Cornflour or corn starch is one of the key ingredient used to bind the kofta mixture well. It also gives a firm texture. Without corn flour, the koftas will turn out very soft inside and get mushy very quickly after they are added to the gravy. So do not skip this.
2.The paneer kofta I have shown in this post is made without stuffing. I have just added some raisins & cashews to the mixture. You can also use the same to stuff inside the kofta. Basically I find no difference in the taste.
3.The malai kofta gravy shared here is one of the best you can make at home. The taste of the gravy is well balanced with a natural sweetness that comes from onions. Slight tang that comes from tomatoes.
Cashews add a creamy texture without the need of too much cream in the dish. Any changes to the given quantities will alter the taste of the malai kofta curry.
Servings suggestions
Most times I go the easiest way and serve malai kofta with plain basmati rice cooked with some whole spices & a tbsp of ghee. However it can also be served with Jeera rice, ghee rice, pulao or plain Paratha or naan.
Since malai kofta is on the heavier side, plain basmati rice goes very well.
If you plan for a simple Indian meal then malai kofta, basmati rice, carrot halwa & lassi go well together.
For more Paneer recipes, you can check
Paneer butter masala
Kadai paneer
Paneer lababdar
Paneer tikka masala
Palak paneer
Matar paneer
Malai kofta recipe
Malai kofta recipe | How to make malai kofta
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
For malai kofta
- 1 heaped cup paneer crumbled (about 150 grams)
- 1 heaped cup potato boiled & crumbled (about 2 large)
- 2½ tablespoons corn flour (corn starch)
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped finely
- Salt as needed
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoons cashews chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoons raisins (optional)
- Oil for deep frying
ingredients for gravy
- 1 cup onions cubed (substitute with tomatoes)
- 1 ½ cup tomatoes cubed
- 15 cashew nuts
- 1 inch cinnamon stick or dalchini (I used real cinnamon so used a bit more)
- 4 cloves or laung
- 6 green cardamoms or elaichi
other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 bay leaf or tej patta (optional)
- 1 inch cinnamon stick or dalchini
- 2 cardamoms or elaichi
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (use as needed)
- ¾ to 1¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder or daniya powder
- Salt as needed
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup water (use more if needed)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon kasuri methi or fenugreek leaves
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cream (fresh cream or homemade malai, blend & use)
How to make the recipe
Preparation for malai kofta recipe
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, cashews and onions.
- Saute until onions turn transparent or golden.
- Next add tomatoes & saute until they turn soft and mushy. or You can also pour half cup water & boil all the ingredients until soft.
- Turn off the stove and cool completely. Blend this to a smooth puree.
Making gravy or curry for malai kofta
- Heat a pan with oil. Add bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamoms. Saute for a minute.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute on a low heat till the raw smell goes away. This takes about 2 to 3 mins.
- Quickly stir in chili powder, garam masala, salt and sugar.
- Pour the onion tomato puree. Mix it well.
- Saute for 3 to 4 mins for the raw smell of chili powder to go away.
- Cook covered until the mixture thickens for about 3 to 5 mins.
- Pour water to make a gravy. Cook covered until the gravy thickens and traces of oil are seen on top. The raw smell of the ingredients should have gone.
- Add kasuri methi and check for salt and spice.
- Regulate the flame to low and add cream. Stir and turn off the heat. Set this aside.
How to make malai kofta
- To make malai kofta, boil potatoes until just done and not mushy.
- Crumble them and add to a mixing bowl along with crumbled paneer, ginger paste, corn flour, salt, garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
- Also add raisins and cashews. Or you can stuff them in the koftas.
- Mix everything well and divide the dough to 8 equal parts. Roll them to balls.
- If you prefer, you can also flatten each ball. Place the cashews and raisins in the center and seal.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Check if the oil is hot enough by sliding in a small portion of the malai kofta mixture.
- It has to rise without browning a lot. This is the right temperature.
- Wait for the oil to heat up and then slide 1 kofta ball to ensure they don't disintegrate.
- If the ball does not disintegrate or disperse in oil, then go ahead.
- Slide the koftas one by one gently to the hot oil.
- Deep fry on a medium flame until crisp and golden. Remove them to a steel colander or plate.
Assembling malai kofta
- Cool the gravy slightly. Transfer it to a serving dish.
- Cool the malai koftas slightly. Place them in the gravy and pour 1 tbsp of cream.
- Garnish malai kofta with coriander leaves if desired.
Video
NUTRITION
Notes
How to make malai kofta – with step by step photos
1. Heat a pan or pot with 1 tbsp oil. Add onions, cashews, cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves. Saute them until the onions turn light golden or transparent. Then add tomatoes and saute until they turn soft. You can also cover and cook.
or
You can also add all the ingredients to a pan along with half cup water. Cover and boil until tomatoes turn soft.
2. Cool completely. Add them to a blender. Make a smooth puree.
3. Heat a pan with oil and saute bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamoms for a minute. Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes away.
4. Next quickly stir in chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, salt and sugar. Then pour the tomato onion puree. I did the other way here poured the puree first and then added the spice powders.
5. Mix everything well and saute for 3 to 4 mins. You don’t need to saute until the mixture leaves the pan. The raw smell of onions and tomatoes goes away since they are boiled first. Then used here.
6. Cook covered for 3 to 5 mins.
Making gravy for kofta
7. Pour water and mix well.
8. Cook covered until the gravy thickens and traces of oil are seen.
9. Add kasuri methi and check salt and spice.
10. Lower the flame. Pour cream and mix well. Gravy is ready. Set this aside.
How to make kofta
1. Boil potatoes until just done but not mushy. I usually boil them in a steamer or pressure cooker for 2 whistles with little water. Cool them completely and crumble.
2. To a mixing bowl add crumbled potatoes, crumbled paneer, corn flour, ginger, garam masala, green chili, coriander leaves and salt.
3. Add cashews and raisins. You can also stuff them in the balls later.
4. Mix the ingredients and divide the mixture to 8 parts. Make them to smooth balls. Also check if there is enough salt and spice. You can add a bit more if needed.
5. Heat oil in a kadai or fry pan. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of the mixture in hot oil. The ball has to rise. If the oil is not hot enough, the balls will sink in the oil, may disperse and stick up to the kadai.
6. Once the oil is hot, regulate the flame to medium heat. Slide in 1 ball to check the temperature and binding. If all goes well then slide the rest of the kofta balls and fry till golden and crisp.
7. Drain them on a kitchen tissue.
How to make malai kofta gravy – Assembling
1. Transfer the gravy to a deep dish.
2. Just before serving place the koftas in the gravy otherwise they will not remain crispy.
3. Garnish with cream and with coriander leaves if desired.
Daniel says
Hi Swasthi,
Is it possible to cook the malai kofta without a deep fryer? Can they be cooked in a frypan?
Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Thanks,
Daniel
swasthi says
Hi Daniel,
You can try. Flatten them a bit like patties and fry in a pan. The texture may be different.
Bhavani Deshpande says
I regularly watch your videos, they are perfect
Thank u for sharing
swasthi says
Hi Bhavani
You are welcome. Thank you so much!
Ellie says
This recipe is amazing! Malai Kofta is one of my favorites, and now I can make it myself!
swasthi says
Thank you so much Ellie!
Glad you like it!
Ayesha Ali says
Hi Swasthi.. its my husband’s birthday today so i am planning to cook a full punjabi cuisine.
Please help me with one thing here, is there a substitute for corn flour? Like bread crumbs or maida.
swasthi says
Hi Ayesha,
My good wishes to both of you.Yes both will work. But not sure how bread crumbs taste in this gravy. You can use either. Have a great day!
Mona says
I tried your recipe , I m not a regular cook and I tested the oil ‘s temp but putting a small piece first n it came up … so I thought it was good to go.. I was wrong .. my first batch was not perfect coz of oil’s temp n balls statred to shatter…
I would suggest to add a note in your recipe that to wait until oil is ready and try to fry one or 2 balls at the beginning .. it will help people like me who are not a regular cooking .
Thanks for the recipe! Very well explained with pictures.
I eliminated cashew .. calorie conscious… added cream cheese in place of malai .. turned out delicious .
swasthi says
Hi Mona,
Glad your malai kofta turned out delicious. Firstly appreciate you brought this up. Yes absolutely true that a newbie may experience this. I will put a note.
🙂
Amarjeet kaur says
Very simply explained delcious paneer kofta recipe.
swasthi says
Thank you so much
Liza says
I’ve made curries before, but never made delicious one like this. The addition of spices in the beginning with onions makes the gravy amazing. They brought this dish to life. I throwed in the kofta balls in a muffin tin and baked them tossing a few times. The result was yum! These were the best koftas I made ever. Better than the meat koftas.
swasthi says
Thanks Liza. Glad you liked the malai koftas.
Nikki S says
Hey, the recipe looks great but I am vegan. Can you please share the vegan version of this recipe?
Do you have a separate section where I can find vegan recipes?
swasthi says
Hi Nikki,
It is easy to convert this recipe to vegan. Just replace paneer with mixed veggies like carrots, peas,corn etc. Even half cup soya granules work great. Boil all the veggies together to al dente. For the gravy just skip the cream & use 20 cashews totally. For garnishing you can blend together 10 to 12 soaked cashews with little water to thick smooth cream like consistency. Most of my recipes are vegan if you skip the cream and replace ghee with oil.
I do not have a separate vegan section. You can leave a comment if you intend to make any recipe I can help you out with the ingredients. Hope this helps
Frank says
Hey, if I want to use my own tomato puree, how much would I use? Thanks Frank
swasthi says
Hi Frank,
I haven’t tested this recipe with tomato puree. But it should work well with 3/4 to 1 cup puree. Towards the end if you feel the curry is little tangy, you can stir in more cream.
Rishab says
Hey Swasthi,
👍 Thank you for this great malai kofta recipe. I have made this a few times & every time I receive such fabulous compliments. This will always be in my favorite list. We have made a lot of recipes from your site. Butter chicken paneer makhani chana masala hara bhara kabab and the list is endless. My kids love your kati rolls as well. Keep inspiring us with your good recipes. More power to you! Stay blessed.
swasthi says
Hi Rishab,
You are welcome and thank you so much for the wishes. Very glad to know your food turns out good. Yes will surely keep sharing good recipes. Thanks again for following the blog.
Much love to the kids … God bless..
Mita says
Can I make the kofta before and freeze it .
swasthi says
Hi Mita,
Yes you can shape the koftas and freeze. Bring them to room temperature and roll in corn flour. Rest for 5 mins, repeat rolling and fry them in oil.
Anu says
Hi Swasthi,
We are a newly wedded couple trying to cook good food at home. Your recipes are so simple yet results are outstanding. This malai kofta came out very good though this was our first trail. All thanks to you for the delicious recipes.
Anu & Sirish
swasthi says
Hi Anu & Sirish,
You are welcome. Glad the recipes are helpful. Thanks for the comment. Very happy to know your malai kofta turned out good. Good luck to both of you.
Priya Guleria says
I have tried this recepie.. It was delicious😋✨ thanku so much for sharing
swasthi says
Welcome Priya
Glad it turned out delicious!
Manju says
It came out well. Restaurant taste. Every one in my family enjoyed the dish.
swasthi says
Thanks Manju. Glad you all enjoyed the malai kofta
Alisha Dugar says
Hello,
Would it be ok to make koftas one day in advance if making in large quantity. If yes, how to store them so they remain fresh
swasthi says
Hi Alisha,
Sorry for the delay. I would say you should go the other way by making the gravy the previous day and refrigerating. Make the koftas fresh the day you want to serve. Kofta will turn out soft and not remain crisp if made ahead. The taste also alters. You can also consider making the koftas the previous day, refrigerate in fridge in air tight jars without frying. Bring them to room temperature before frying. Just roll them in corn starch, shake off the excess flour and then fry them in oil.Hope this helps.
Prashant Agarwal says
Hello! I’ve been a Malai Kofta snob since childhood, it’s the one and only dish I order at any Indian restaurant I go to and I’ve traveled all over the world to find my favorites, just so I could go to those restaurants again. when I’m in the area. I just wanted to tell you that this recipe comes very very close to one of the best malai koftas I’ve had. I personally like Mughlai Malai Kofta better (mom’s from Lucknow) but I was extremely glad that your recipe turned out so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world.
P.S. You must be a superhuman cook to have this all done in an hour. I cook quite a bit and from preparation to cooking and being done, it took me a solid 2 hours lol I think I could do it in 1.5 hours but no way in 1 hour.
swasthi says
Hi Prashant
You are welcome. Really glad to know your malai kofta turned out delicious. Thanks so much for the comment. After you mentioned about the cook time, I rechecked the recipe. The recipe does not include time for boiling potatoes. As you said 1 hour may not be sufficient. I multitask so I finish in an hour. This is how I do.
1. while cooking onion tomatoes for puree, I make the kofta mixture ready.
2. While the cooked onion tomatoes cool, make the kofta balls.
3. Begin to make the gravy on one burner and then fry the kofta on the other.
4. Slightly cool down and assemble them.
I will update the cook time. Thanks again.
swasthi says
Hi Navi,
The previous thread ended there. Replying here – I have used homemade punjabi masala which I have linked in the recipe card. Thanks for trying and glad to know it turned out good.
Kirsty says
Hello, I love Indian food but am unable to eat onion. Is there another sauce you could suggest for this recipe or an alternative to onion in the sauce? The kofta look delicious and I’d love to make them!
Thanks so much!
Kirsty
swasthi says
Hi Kirsty
You are welcome. Just substitute onions with tomatoes in the recipe. Do not use very sour tasting tomatoes as it may make the gravy too sour. You may need to add little more cream to balance the tang. I have this another makhani sauce made without onions. Thank you so much. Hope you enjoy the dish.
🙂
Kirsty says
Very kind of you, thank you for your reply. I will try soon!
Kirsty
Tim says
I’m finding this recipe hard to follow!
Each section seems to contradict the next section…Is it me?
swasthi says
Hi Tim,
I guess you are new to Indian cooking. Please follow the step by step picture guide or video to understand the recipe well.
NavI says
He is right. I’m also reading your instructions which are not really clear. Ingredients for koftas are used in kofta gravy . Your receipe looks interesting but you need to check one more time, what you have written.
swasthi says
Hi Navi
Thanks for reading. The recipe is very clear and the instructions as well. As you mentioned “the ingredients for koftas are not used in kofta gravy”. Cashews are used for both – to make gravy & to make koftas. This is what has confused you.
Navi says
Thanks for replying.Actually, there are so many headings that’s why I got confused. I made this recipe yesterday. It came out delicious. Small changes I made were:
Added almond flour in malai koftas for rich flavor.
Added sliced green chilies in the beginning of making gravy.
Added black pepper in koftas instead of green chilies .
Omitted sugar because of taste preference.
Malai kofta recipe was definitely better than restaurants.
One thing to mention, I didn’t get the same yellow color in my final dish. Which brand of garam masala you have used. I used MDH Garam masala.
Again, thank you so much for sharing wonderful recipe.