This Easy Malai Kofta recipe yields a deliciously creamy, indulgent North Indian curry made with soft paneer and potato dumplings simmered in a rich tomato, cashew, and cream gravy. Malai means cream, and Kofta refers to dumplings. Together, they create a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth dish that's perfect for special occasions or a cozy night in.
Quick to make and packed with flavor, this vegetarian favorite pairs beautifully with naan, bhatura indian bread, or rice. If you're craving a restaurant-style meal at home, this is the one to try!
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Why will you love this dish?
- Perfect for Special Occasions - Malai Kofta is a showstopper! Rich, flavorful, and indulgent, it's often reserved for festivals, celebrations, or when you want to impress guests with something truly special.
- A Treat for the Taste Buds - Creamy, mildly spiced, and full of texture, each bite is pure comfort. Whether you indulge once in a while or more often, it's a dish that feels like a treat every single time.
- Flexible Cooking Options - You can deep-fry the koftas for a traditional touch or choose a healthier twist by shallow-frying them in an appe pan; both taste amazing!
- Worth the Effort - Yes, it takes a little time to prepare, but the result is more than worth it. The layers of flavor and the creamy, rich texture make every minute in the kitchen count.
- A Dish with Royal Roots - This beloved North Indian dish comes from Mughlai cuisine, a culinary legacy of the Mughal empire. With its Persian and Turkish influences, Malai Kofta truly lives up to its royal heritage.
Ingredients Needed
- Mashed Potatoes cooled to room temperature
- Paneer chopped or grated
- Whole spices like cumin, cinnamon, clove, and bay leaves
- Spice powders like red chili powder, garam masala, amchur powder, or chaat masala,
- Tomatoes, onions, ginger-garlic paste
- Cashew nut soaked in milk, fresh cream or whipping cream, fenugreek leaves, and chopped coriander leaves
- Butter, oil, salt, sugar, corn flour
Easy Malai Kofta recipe - How to make?
The process of making Malai Kofta begins with preparing the koftas, which are soft, spiced dumplings that are deep-fried until golden. Next comes the rich, creamy gravy, made with tomatoes, cashew paste, and aromatic spices. Once the koftas are gently added to the gravy, the dish is finished with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander leaves for the perfect touch.
Make the Koftas
We combine mashed potatoes, crumbled paneer, and spices like red chili powder, garam masala (how to make garam masala at home), and amchur powder, along with corn flour and chopped coriander leaves, and mix well. We also make a similar spiced potato mashed mixture to make a vada pav burger, easy masala dosa, and aloo ke parathe(stuffed potato bread)
Shape into small round or oval balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry the veggie balls, or you could air-fry or cook in an appe-pan with less oil for a lighter option.
- Step 1: Combine mashed potatoes, paneer, and all the spices into a large bowl and combine thoroughly.
- Step 2: Shape into small balls using your hands.
- Step 3: Deep fry the koftas in oil.
- Step 4: Drain and keep aside.
Make the Gravy
To make the gravy, start by sautéing onions, tomatoes, and ginger-garlic paste along with your choice of aromatic spices until everything is soft and fragrant. Let the mixture cool slightly, then blend it into a smooth paste.
In the same pan, add the blended mixture back and stir in a cashew nut paste (made by grinding cashews with a little milk). Cook it gently until the gravy thickens and turns rich and creamy.
To finish, add a splash of fresh cream, a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), and some chopped coriander leaves for that authentic North Indian flavor.. Add the Koftas to the gravy just before serving.
- Step 5: Sauté tomato, onions, ginger, garlic paste, and spices, and grind to a fine paste. Add cashew paste, dried fenugreek leaves.
- Step 6: When ready to serve, dunk the koftas into the gravy and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream.
If you love this kofta curry, you may also enjoy Lauki kofta. Some other similar gravies with a tomato-and-onion base are Paneer Tikka Masala and Chicken Tikka Masala.
There is also my favorite and easy palak paneer recipe for a hearty, delicious version, and the universal favorite bhindi aloo masala. The rich and creamy shahi paneer in white gravy is also loved by one and all.
Recipe FAQs
The oil used in deep-frying the koftas should be at the right temperature, neither too hot nor too low. Use a binding agent like corn flour to bind the koftas.
Add the koftas to the gravy just before serving, so they are crisp and just about coated with the gravy.
Useful Tips for Making Perfect Malai Kofta
- Versatile Kofta Shapes & Fillings:
Koftas can be shaped in different ways, round, oval, or slightly flattened. For a richer twist, try stuffing them with dry fruits (like raisins and cashews) or a cube of cheese in the center for a delightful surprise. In this recipe, I mash all ingredients together and shape them into simple round balls. - Make Ahead & Freeze:
You can prepare the koftas in advance and freeze them (uncooked) in an airtight container. Just thaw slightly before frying. This is especially helpful for saving time when cooking for a crowd or during busy weeks. - Add the koftas to the gravy just before serving to keep them from becoming too soft or breaking apart.
- Use Up Leftovers Creatively: Have leftover kofta mixture? Don't waste it! It makes a great stuffing for aloo parathas or even vegetable sandwiches.
- Similar Recipes to Try: If you enjoy this method of mixing and shaping veggie patties, you might also love my beetroot cutlets, made with beets and potatoes. They follow a similar prep method but offer a unique flavor and a crispy coating.
Related Recipes
If you tried this Easy Malai Kofta Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing from you!
Easy Malai Kofta Recipe
Ingredients
For Kofta
- 2 potatoes boiled and mashed
- 1 cup paneer crumbled
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp chaat masala or amchur powder optional
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 cups oil to deep fry
For gravy
- 1 onion extra large chopped
- 4 to 5 tomatoes medium sized choped
- 10 -12 cashews soaked in ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp jeera
- 1 tsp red chilli powder Kashmiri chilli
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp amchur (dried mango) powder or chaat masala
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cardamom
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup coriander leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp whipping cream
- 2 tbsp fenugreek leaves dried kasuri methi (fenu greek leaves)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
To make koftas.
- Boil and mash the potatoes.
- Add crumbled paneer to the potatoes and mix well.
- Add the spices red chilli powder, garam masala, amchur powder (optional), along with corn flour and chopped coriander leaves and mix well .
- Form small round balls and keep aside or in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the veggie balls .Alternatively you could cook it in an appe-pan with very little oil.
To make the gravy
- Take a deep bottomed vessel and add the butter and oil to it.
- Add the spices cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom to it.
- Next add chopped onions and sautee well.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sautee till the raw smell is gone.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook it well for about 15 to 20 minutes till it leaves oil from the sides.
- Fish out the whole spices and grind the onion and tomato to a fine paste when cooled.
- Grind the cashews and milk to a fine paste and keep aside.
- In the same pan , add a little oil and add the red chilli powder , coriander powder garam masala , amchur powder and the onion tomato paste and mix well.
- Add the sugar and salt to taste.
- Add the cashew paste and mix well .
- Add the whipping cream and the dried and powdered fenugreek leaves .
- Turn off flame and transfer to serving bowl
- Add the dumplings to the gravy just before serving .
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and whipped cream .
- Enjoy it with bread or rice !
Video
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Looks delicious! Beautiful pictures!😍😋
Thank you so much !
These look wonderful, Nisha! And I absolutely adore your little bowls! 😍😍😍
Thank you so much Jennifer! The bowls are my favorites 🙂
I actually did it once! I liked it a lot 💙💙✌️😄
That’s absolutely wonderful... it is usually a hit with most folks .Thank you so much for stopping by !
Yes but I remember it takes time...I mean longer than fish & chips 🙂
Very true you need a lot of patience to make this ☺️
Absolutely Delicious ! In Love with the presentation Nisha 😍
Thank you so much Smitha , so glad you love it , much appreciated!
Awesome! Malai kofta looks super delicious, and I always admire your photography.
Thank you so much dear appreciate it !
Wow.. This is awesome!👏👏
Thank you so much !
These look & sound soooo tempting! I must admit (ashamedly) that I've never tried dumplings. Ever. So they're basically potato-based, then with spices and other flavourings? I really should try them as I feel like I'm missing out! 🙂
They are delicious Caz, the fried cheese and potato balls in the rich gravy can never go wrong in my humble opinion, although they are a little high on the calories . I’m sure you will definitely love it ! Thank you so much .
That looks and sounds amazing!!!!!
Thank you so much Diane , it turned out really good.
Absolutely NOMNOM...looks great and super rich...loved it Nisha !
Thank you Jyo , yes indeed very rich and yum !
Looks delicious Nisha 😉
Thank you Lorelle !