Baked Malai kofta is a popular Indian vegetarian curry made with baked potato & paneer balls dunked in rich & creamy tomato based gravy. Makes 20 Kofta balls!
Place onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, cashew nuts and water in a small sauce pan. Cover and cook in medium heat for roughly 10 -12 minutes until onions are soft.
Allow the onion mixture to cool down and puree them smooth.
In a deep pan, heat the oil and butter. Add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the onion puree, salt and allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes.
Add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cook till the masala paste leaves the sides of the pan.
At this stage add water as needed and allow the gravy to simmer when it begins to thicken.
Stir in Kasuri methi, garam masala and turn off the flame.
Taste for flavours and add more salt as required.
For Kofta
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead to a dough. Divide the dough into 12 small bowls.
Preheat the oven to 200 C . Arrange all the koftas on the baking sheet Brush Oil all over them. Bake until they turn slightly brown. Keep checking and turning them in regular intervals.
If you plan to make them in Kuzhi Paniyaram Pans, slide the kofta balls in to the cavity and brush them with very little oil. Pan fry them until they turn golden brown . Remember to flip on all sides to get even browning. Serving Malai Kofta
SERVING
Add the paneer kofta to the gravy at the time of serving. If you wish to serve the malai kofta later, add them just before that.
Garnish the malai kofta with cream and coriander leaves.
Serve malai kofta with kulcha.
Notes
If the kofta balls are splitting while frying, mix in a little more corn flour.