Malai Kofta

As promised to Suki, I have prepared "Malai Kofta" for dinner when she comes visiting me tonight. She has already landed and should be here very soon.

So while I was making them, my sister called me and when I told her what I was making she excited told me to click pictures and post them here along with the recipe. My first reaction was "naah...not in a mood right now" but later, once I was done preparing, I thought why not.

So here are the pictures first:

The koftas

Cut up kofta showing filling

The gravy!

For the kofta:

1. Take boiled potatoes and mash them along with bread slices or sooji(Semolina).
2. Add salt to the mix.
3. Crumble paneer with hands. Add salt, diced coriander and garam masala.
4. You can also add diced green chillies and finely diced onions if you like.
5. Put some oil in your palms and spread the potato mixture in a small round shape like a flat patty.
6. Put the filling in the center and start folding the potato patty to make a small ball or into an oblong shape. You have to ensure that the paneer filling is not exposed else when you fry it, it will burst open in the oil. So first try to add little filling and increase once you are comfortable with folding it properly.
7. Keep them aside for about 10 min.
8. Deep fry them to golden brown color.
   

For the gravy:

1. Make a tomato, onion, garlic and ginger paste. Roast it in a bit of oil so that the water is all dried up.
2. Add coriander powder, garam masala, black salt, regular salt and a bit of amchoor powder (dry mango powder)
3. Once its roasted well, add water and let it boil for 20 mins.
4. Once done, switch off the flame and add fresh cream. This is optional though.

For serving:

1. Soak the koftas in the gravy 15 mins before serving.
   
2. If you soak for longer, the koftas get really soft and start breaking apart.

Variations:

1. You need not put any filling for the koftas.
2. You can add cashew paste in the gravy for a richer taste.
3. You can add raisins and grated ginger in the filling.
4. You can add finely diced veggie such as cabbage, carrot and corn . Saute them first in little olive oil/butter.
   

I have also made kadhai paneer for the dinner and this is the pic of it:


Now I'm just waiting for her to relish these .