Malai Kofta (Spicy version)

I know there is already a Malai kofta recipe in my archive. But this is my take 2, for people like my mom who want malai kofta to be little on the spicy side.

"Happiness is, watching your mom enjoy your cooking" . Bliss !

The gravy itself is different from my previous version. I used veggie kofta for that recipe and gravy included paneer. Here the kofta is made of paneer. Also instead of deep frying the kofta, I used appe pan for frying. I love frying this way as I don't use the deep fried oil again. So this way I save so much oil which ends up in the sink later.

I enjoyed making this, while my 2 year old helped me peel the garlic pods :) This is still rich and creamy without adding cashew and paneer to the gravy.

Preparation time - 20 mins

cooking time - 40 mins

Ingredients

For Kofta

• Grated paneer - 1 cup (heaped)

• Grated veggies- 1/4 cup  (I used fenugreek leaves, carrot and cabbage)

• Salt - to taste

• Chopped green chilli - 1

• Grated cheese - 1 tbsp

• Bread crumbs - 1 tbsp (slightly soaked in milk for 2 mins)

• Oil to fry kofta

For Gravy:

• Onion - 1 cup

• Garlic - 3 pod's

• Tomatoes - 3 large 

• Milk - 1/2 cup

• Heavy cream - 1/4 cup 

• Coriander powder - 2 tsp

• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

• garam masala / kitchen king masala powder - 1 tsp

• salt - to taste

• sugar - 1/2 tsp

• Lemon juice - from 1/2 small lemon

• coriander leaves for garnishing

For Seasoning:

• Ghee - 2 tbsp

• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

• asafetida/ hing - a generous pinch

Direction:

For Kofta:

Mix all ingredients mentioned in the list and make a thick dough. Make small bite size kofta balls dusting your palm with corn flour.

Heat the appe pan, add oil and fry the koftas until they are brown and crispy on the outside. Take them out and drain any excess oil. Keep them closed and aside until you are ready to serve or eat few before dinner ;)

For gravy:

Heat the kadai and once hot, add jeera and asafetida. 

Meanwhile first make onion and garlic paste and keep it aside. Second make tomato puree from 3 tomatoes. 

After the jeera splutters add in the onion garlic paste with a pinch of salt and saute until it turns golden brown. To that add in tomato puree, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt and sugar.

On a medium flame let the gravy cook until all the moisture evaporates. This may take 15 mins. Now to that add the half and half  (milk + cream) and let the gravy cook again for few more minutes. Add water or milk for the preferred gravy consistency. 

Pour the gravy over kofta just before serving and enjoy with hot parathas

Note: 

• If you don't' have an appe pan, coat the kofta balls with a layer of corn flour and deep fry.

• Make sure to reduce the tomato onion gravy before add milk. More dehydrated = More creamy gravy (i.e) we can add more milk. Or go crazy by adding more cream :P 

• For a healthier option you can soak cashew nuts in milk before starting to cook and make a paste and add it instead of cream.  

Enjoy and Happy cooking!