Malai Kofta (Cutlet)

Servings: 4
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes.
Deep frying time: 3-4 minutes(each batches)
Frying time: 18 minutes.
Cooking time: 5-6 minutes.
Total time: 53 minutes.

Rich with fresh cream(Malai) and paneer(cottage cheese) along with dry fruits wrapped in mashed potatoes dough; that is “Malai Kofta” a signature Punjabi dish. The recipe is mildly spicy and melts in mouth, goes very well with “Tandoori Roti” ,”Naan”…

Ingredients:

For kofta:

Potato: 250 gm
Corn flour/bread slice: 20 gm/1 no
Salt: 1 tea spoon/as per taste
Oil for deep frying

For filling:

Dry grapes: 5 gm
Crushed cashew nut: 20 gm
Grated paneer/cottage cheese: 20 gm
Green coriander: 20 gm (fine chopped)
Malai/fresh cream: 10 ml
Black salt: 2 pinch
Black pepper powder: half teaspoon

For gravy:

Onion: 50 gm (paste)
Tomato: 50 gm (paste)
Garlic: half teaspoon (paste)
Ginger: 1 teaspoon (paste)
Cashew nut: 20 gm (paste)
Red Chilli power: 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder: half teaspoon
Clove: 2 no
Green cardamom: 2 no
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Salt: 1 teaspoon/as per taste
Coriander leaves: 20 gm (finally chopped)
Malai/fresh-cream: 20 gm (2 tablespoon)
Ghee(Clarified butter)/butter: 50 gm

Preparation:

Boil potato, peel and mash them, mix salt and corn flour. Make a dough .
Mix all filling ingredients together in a bowl .
Make medium size balls with dough and stuff with filling in little quantity.

Method:

Heat oil till smoke is coming. Deep fry ball on high flame until it get golden brown. Keep aside.

For making gravy:

Take a pan heat ghee/butter, add whole cardamom, Cinnamon and clove and sputter for few moment.
Add ginger, garlic paste stir fry for few seconds; add onion paste, continue to fry for 2-3 minutes on medium flame, add tomato paste, continue to fry on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
When the ghee separates from masala, add chilli power and cashew nut paste, continue to fry for couple of minutes.
Add 1 cup of water; let it be boil for couple of minutes, add half of chopped coriander leaves, put off the flame.
Take a serving bowl, arrange the kofta; put the gravy on the kofta .
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and cream/malai; “Malai Kofta (Cutlet)” is ready to be served.