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Indian · Punjabi

Malai kofta

Vegetarian

मलाई कोफ़्ता · malai kofta

Fried paneer and potato dumplings served in a mild, silky tomato-cashew sauce enriched with cream. A celebratory North Indian restaurant favourite.

Malai kofta is an Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with paneer, cashews and heavy cream. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Malai kofta: round paneer-potato dumplings in creamy orange gravy in a white bowl
Photo: Monali.mishra / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
30 min
Cook
40 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
547

Ingredients

4 servings

For the kofta

For frying

For the sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Knead the paneer (opens in a new tab), mashed potato (opens in a new tab), cornstarch (opens in a new tab) and salt into a smooth dough. Divide into 12, flatten each, put a few raisins (opens in a new tab) and cashew (opens in a new tab) pieces in the centre and roll into a smooth ball.

    • 15 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil to 175 °C and fry the kofta in batches, turning gently, until golden. Drain on paper.

    Food safety: Fry one test kofta first; if it cracks, knead in a little more cornstarch. Keep hot oil attended.

  3. Step 3

    Melt the butter (opens in a new tab), fry the onion (opens in a new tab) until soft, add ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab) and tomato (opens in a new tab) and cook until pulpy. Add the soaked cashews (opens in a new tab) and chilli powder, cook 2 minutes, then cool slightly and blend smooth with a little of the water.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Return the sauce to the pan with the remaining water, sugar (opens in a new tab), salt and garam masala (opens in a new tab). Simmer 5 minutes, then stir in the cream and crushed kasuri methi (opens in a new tab).

    • 8 min
    • low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Put the kofta in serving bowls and pour the hot sauce over just before serving so they stay intact.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
North India, India · Commonly attributedPart of the Mughlai-influenced restaurant repertoire of North India.Also popular in United KingdomMore food from India
Dish
Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Deep-fried, Simmered, Blended
Taste
creamy, rich, mild, sweet & savoury
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Paneer · Cashews · Heavy cream · Potato · Cornstarch · Raisins
Techniques
Deep-frying · Simmering · Wet grinding · Kneading · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom paneer, butter, heavy cream
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom cashews
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

547 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 394 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 27%
  • Fat 62%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy547 kcal139 kcal
Protein15.6 g4 g
Carbohydrate37.9 g9.6 g
Net carbohydrate33.2 g8.4 g
Sugars9.5 g2.4 g
Added sugars1 g0.3 g
Fibre4.7 g1.2 g
Fat38.7 g9.8 g
Saturated fat16.6 g4.2 g
Trans fat0.9 g0.2 g
Cholesterol73 mg19 mg
Sodium1320 mg335 mg
Salt equivalent3.3 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
902 mg
Calcium
348 mg
Iron
2.4 mg
Magnesium
92 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
293 µg
Vitamin C
36 mg
Vitamin D
1.7 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
43 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Paneer: Queso fresco (FDC 172223) used as a stand-in: both are fresh, acid-set, unaged cheeses with similar fat and protein.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • Dried fenugreek leaves: Fenugreek seed (FDC 171324) used as a stand-in for dried leaves; used in pinches.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add kofta to the sauce at the last moment — they soften and fall apart if simmered.

Common mistakes

  • A wet kofta mixture splits in the oil; dry the mashed potato well.

Serve with

  • Serve with naan or jeera rice.

Storage

  • Store sauce and kofta separately, up to 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Warm the sauce, then add the kofta just to heat through.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

For the kofta

Used in steps 1, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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