Restaurant-style Malai Kofta Curry (Cottage cheese dumplings dunked in rich creamy gravy)

This is my first attempt with creating restaurant-style recipes at home and I am loving it. The koftas were very tender and soft. The gravy was sensational with silky, smooth texture to it. The fennel seeds added a perfect touch of the restaurant feel and the overall curry was marvelous. No exaggerations, try this recipe and you will agree with me 🙂

Serves: 2 Makes: 9 koftas

Cooking time: 20 mins Preparation time: 15 mins

 

For paneer/cottage cheese – Alternately you may use store-bought paneer, crumbled – ½ cup

Milk – 1 litre

Vinegar/lemon juice – 3 tbsp

For kofta

Carrot – 1, big

Corn kernels – 3 tbsp

Coriander/dhania powder – 1 tsp

Red chili powder – 1 tbsp

Dry mango powder/amchur – 1 tsp

Cumin/jeera powder – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Bread crumbs/soy granules – ¼ cup

Salt – to taste

To be soaked (30 mins)

Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Badam/Almonds – 3

For curry

Tomatoes – 1/2 cup

Onion – ½ cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Cumin powder – 1tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Fresh cream – 2 tbsp

Kasuri mehi/dry fenugreek leaves – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves – to garnish

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Boil the milk, remove from heat and add vinegar to it. You can see that the water separates, leaving the paneer. Strain the paneer from water and place in a separate large dish.
2. Blend together the carrots and corn into a rough paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. To this, add all the ingredients under ‘for kofta’ along with paneer.
4. Make round balls with this mixture and set aside. This recipe makes about 9-10 balls. Shallow fry the balls till they get a golden crust. Remove onto a tissue cloth. Koftas are ready.
5. To prepare the curry, heat oil in a pan and add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell disappears.
6. Then add the tomato, cumin powder, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and a pinch of salt. Cook covered for a minute. Let cool.
7. Once cool, blend the soaked almonds and fennel along with the onion-tomato mixture to form a smooth silky paste.
8. Add this into the same pan and add about ½ cup water. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
9. Add the cream, kasuri methi and desired salt. Simmer for another minute and remove from heat.
10. Just before serving, place the koftas in the serving bowl and pour the rich silky gravy over it. Garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Rich and restaurant-style paneer koftas are ready!!

 

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