Malai Kofta (Curry)

Dinner
Photo of Malai Kofta (Curry)

Ingredients

  • KOFTAS
  • 750g starchy vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower—avoid watery veg like courgette/tomato)
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (plus more if needed)
  • 2 tbsp cashew nuts (or almonds)
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 medium egg
  • Plain flour (for coating)
  • Oil (for frying)
  • MALAI SAUCE
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1/2 can chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 1 cayenne chilli (optional)
  • 100ml cream
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1cm ginger, minced
  • 2 green cardamoms (seeds only)
  • 4 cloves
  • 2cm cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder (or smoked paprika)
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 4 tbsp Olivani or vegetable oil

Method

  1. MAKE THE KOFTAS
  2. Chop vegetables into 1cm cubes. Microwave with 1/4 cup water for ~8 minutes until soft. Stir halfway through. Avoid excess water.
  3. Crush most of the cashews (reserve some for garnish), season with salt, pepper, and ground coriander.
  4. Mash cooked vegetables thoroughly. Mix in breadcrumbs and crushed cashews. Don’t over-mix to avoid gluey texture.
  5. Mixture should be dry but sticky enough to hold on an inverted spoon. Add more breadcrumbs if needed.
  6. Beat egg in one dish, pour flour onto a plate.
  7. With wet or oiled hands, shape palm-sized rounds. Dip each in egg, then coat in flour and shape.
  8. Shallow fry in hot oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
  9. MAKE THE MALAI SAUCE
  10. Melt Olivani over medium heat. Add cloves, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon stick. Fry ~30 seconds to infuse.
  11. Add onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chilli powder. Sauté until onions are soft.
  12. Add tomatoes and chilli. Add 1 cup water (and tomato paste if desired). Simmer 10–15 mins until reduced by half.
  13. Remove cinnamon stick and blend sauce to a thick gravy.
  14. Return to pan on low heat. Stir in cream and season with salt. Add garam masala.
  15. Gently place koftas into sauce and warm through.
  16. Serve with basmati rice, garnished with reserved cashews.