Malai kofta with naan
Soft koftas of paneer and potato, each hiding a cashew and a raisin, fried golden and served in a smooth, mildly sweet gravy of onion, tomato and cashews finished with cream: a party and festival dish, here with buttered naan. Pour the gravy over just before serving so the koftas stay whole. Some homes make a white gravy of cashews and cream instead, without tomato.
- 1 hTime
- 55 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 32 gprotein per portion
- 1070kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 300 gPotato
- 200 gPaneer, grated
- 3 tbspCornflour
- to tasteSalt
- 1 tbspCashew nuts, chopped, for the filling
- 1 tbspRaisins
- 4 tbspRefined oil, for deep-frying
- 1 tbspRefined oil, for the gravy
- 1Bay leaf
- 1 gCinnamon, a 2–3 cm piece of stick
- 3Cloves
- 1 gCardamom, 2 pods
- 2Onions, roughly chopped
- 2 tspGinger-garlic paste
- 3Tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbspCashew nuts, for the gravy
- ≈ 400 mlWater
- 1 tbspButter, for the gravy
- 1 tspKashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tspCoriander powder
- 3 mlGaram masala
- 1 tspSugar, for the gravy
- to tasteSalt
- 100 mlFresh cream
- 1 tspKasuri methi, crushed
On the side
- 6Plain naans
- 1 tbspButter, melted, for the naans
Method
- Put the potatoes in the pressure cooker with water to just cover them.
- Pressure-cook on medium heat for 3 whistles and let the pressure drop by itself.
- Meanwhile, make the gravy base: heat the oil for the gravy in a pan and fry the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom for a few seconds. Add the onions and fry until soft, stir in the ginger-garlic paste, then the tomatoes and the cashews for the gravy. Cook until the tomatoes are completely soft, about 8 minutes.
- Take out the bay leaf and cinnamon, let the base cool a little and blend it smooth in the mixer with some of the water.
- Peel and grate the boiled potatoes and mix with the paneer, cornflour and salt into a smooth dough. Divide into 12 portions, flatten each, put a little chopped cashew and a raisin in the middle and roll into smooth balls with no cracks.
- Heat oil for deep-frying in a kadai on medium heat. Fry the koftas a few at a time, without touching them for the first minute, until golden all over, 3–4 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Melt the butter for the gravy in the pan, add the blended gravy and the rest of the water, and stir in the Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, sugar and salt. Simmer for 6–8 minutes until it thickens a little, then stir in the cream and kasuri methi.
- Meanwhile warm the naans on a hot tawa, about 30 seconds a side, and brush them with the melted butter.
- Arrange the koftas in a serving bowl and pour the hot gravy over just before serving. Serve with the naans.
