This paneer kofta recipe is all about the mouth-melting kofta balls served in a deliciously creamy gravy. Be sure to watch the video!
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
- The Indian Kofta
- Watch Paneer Kofta Video
- My Tried and True Tips
- Serving Suggestion
- Paneer Kofta Recipe
The Indian Kofta
In Indian Cuisine, we have kofta curries made with vegetables , lentils, soya, paneer, meat, and many other plant-based products. The Indian Kofta is very similar in shape and texture to the Middle Eastern or Central Asian meatballs ( kefta ).
A paneer kofta is one of the most popular Indian main-course dishes. It is a rich and creamy Indian main course dish.
The word ‘malai’ is used in Indian Cuisine to describe the dish’s smooth, rich, and creamy texture – literally melts in the mouth types.
Are malai kofta and paneer kofta same?
Malai Kofta and paneer kofta are often referred to as synonyms. In both Indian dishes, fried paneer meatballs (kofta) are dunked in a rich, creamy gravy. Usually, the paneer kofta can be served in an orange-coloured makhani gravy or pale white, thick white sauce . Both of these Mughlai-style dishes are almost similar except for the colour and taste of the gravy.
Paneer Kofta Recipe Variation
- Gluten-Free: Use gram flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, or gluten-free flour to bind the kofta mixture. The gravy of this kofta curry is gluten-free.
- White Gravy: The malai kofta is often served in white cashew and cream-based gravy. You can follow my white gravy recipe for the same.
- Stuffed Kofta: Many kofta recipes suggest stuffing the kofta with dry fruits such as raisins, broken cashews, or almonds. It is optional and a matter of personal choice. I have not stuffed the kofta with dried fruits or nuts in my paneer kofta recipe.
- Baked Kofta: Baking or air frying the kofta does not give the same results as deep-frying. However, you can cook them in an appe (paniyaram) pan to save a few calories.
Watch Paneer Kofta Video
My Tried and True Tips
- The Kofta : Ensure the boiled potatoes and the paneer do not have water . Please keep them in the refrigerator overnight; this ensures a lot of time-saving and a non-sticky mixture. Always grate the ingredients (paneer and potatoes) for the kofta mixture.
- Before adding other ingredients to the kofta mixture, knead the grated paneer and potatoes with the pressure of your palm for 5 – 6 minutes to get a smooth dough. This process ensures the fine texture of the kofta, and they will never break apart.
- For binding, I add all-purpose flour to the kofta mixture. The cornstarch also gives a crisp, golden exterior to the kofta.
- I do not recommend shaping kofta more than the size of a lemon – too big kofta do not soak the gravy sauce very well and often deflate after adding gravy.
- Fry kofta in small batches over medium-high heat. It is best not to rush the frying process. We need a golden exterior of the kofta without breaking them apart.
- The Gravy: The silky smooth, mouth-melting texture is the key feature of the gravy. Hence, it is essential to sieve the masala after blending . The bright orange colour in the gravy comes from Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, tomatoes, and saffron . There is no artificial colour added to the gravy.
- An interesting addition to this gravy is cashew nuts. As sinful as they sound, cashew nuts add a nice thickness, creaminess, and nutty taste to the malai kofta gravy.
Serving Suggestion
The paneer kofta gravy is an indulgent Indian main course. It tastes best with Indian flatbreads – naan , lachha paratha, or tandoori roti.
You can also serve it with steamed basmati rice, saffron rice, turmeric rice, jeera rice , kachumber salad , or peas pulao .
More Paneer Recipes
- Chilli Paneer
- Paneer Pulao
- Paneer Curry
- Kadhai Paneer
- Paneer Jalfrezi
- Paneer Makhani
- Dhaba Style Matar Paneer
Ingredients
Ingredients For Paneer Kofta:
- ▢ 250 gram paneer (cottage cheese), grated
- ▢ 1 cup potato, hard boiled and grated
- ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ▢ 2 cup vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Ingredients For Gravy:
- ▢ ¼ cup ghee (clarified butter)
- ▢ 1 cup onion, sliced
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- ▢ 2 dry Kashmiri Red Chili
- ▢ ¼ Cup cashew nuts
- ▢ 1 cup tomato, chopped
- ▢ ¼ cup tomato puree
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ▢ 1 cup water
- ▢ ¼ cup fresh cream
- ▢ ½ teaspoon saffron (soaked in 1 tablespoon milk)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
Instructions
Prepare Kofta:
- Mix all the ingredients for the kofta except oil in a bowl. Knead the mixture for 5 – 6 minutes with the pressure of your palm to get a smooth, non-sticky dough. This step ensures mouth melting kofta balls.
- Make small, even bite-size balls of the mixture. Keep in the fridge while oil is heated.
- Heat oil for frying the kofta in a deep-frying pan to a medium-high temperature.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and fry the koftas in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Once golden, crisp drain the kofta on a plate and set aside.
Prepare Gravy:
- Soak saffron in 1 tablespoon of milk and set aside.
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, red chilli, cashews and fry till onion starts turning brown.
- Next, add chopped tomato, puree, spices, salt and fry till tomatoes are mushy. Once the oil starts separating from the masala add 1 Cup water. Stir and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 3 – 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Grind the masala to a smooth paste in blender.
- Once again, heat the same pan. Using a seive filter the masala paste for a smooth gravy. Discard the thick residue left in the seive.
- Add fried kofta balls, kasuri methis, cream, and stir to mix. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy over low heat for 5 – 6 minutes. Adjust the consistency of gravy by using water/milk if it seems too thick.
- Once you are ready to serve, add soaked saffron and fresh coriander. Stir gently to combine. Turn off the heat.
- Serve Paneer Kofta with naan or lachha paratha.
Recipe Notes:
- If the kofta mixture is way too sticky, add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour to get a smooth dough.
- Keeping uncooked kofta in the fridge while preheating the oil is an essential step.
- Filtering the gravy masala is an optional step. It ensures a smooth, silky texture of the gravy like a makhani sauce.
- If the gravy seems too thick adjust the consistency by adding more water or milk.
Nutrition
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Paneer Kofta Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
- Deep Frying Pan
- Blender
Ingredients
Ingredients For Paneer Kofta:
- 250 gram paneer (cottage cheese), grated
- 1 cup potato, hard boiled and grated
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 cup vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Ingredients For Gravy:
- ¼ cup ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 cup onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 2 dry Kashmiri Red Chili
- ¼ Cup cashew nuts
- 1 cup tomato, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato puree
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- ½ teaspoon saffron (soaked in 1 tablespoon milk)
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
Instructions
Prepare Kofta:
- Mix all the ingredients for the kofta except oil in a bowl. Knead the mixture for 5 - 6 minutes with the pressure of your palm to get a smooth, non-sticky dough. This step ensures mouth melting kofta balls.
- Make small, even bite-size balls of the mixture. Keep in the fridge while oil is heated.
- Heat oil for frying the kofta in a deep-frying pan to a medium-high temperature.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low and fry the koftas in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Once golden, crisp drain the kofta on a plate and set aside.
Prepare Gravy:
- Soak saffron in 1 tablespoon of milk and set aside.
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, red chilli, cashews and fry till onion starts turning brown.
- Next, add chopped tomato, puree, spices, salt and fry till tomatoes are mushy. Once the oil starts separating from the masala add 1 Cup water. Stir and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 3 - 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Grind the masala to a smooth paste in blender.
- Once again, heat the same pan. Using a seive filter the masala paste for a smooth gravy. Discard the thick residue left in the seive.
- Add fried kofta balls, kasuri methis, cream, and stir to mix. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the gravy over low heat for 5 - 6 minutes. Adjust the consistency of gravy by using water/milk if it seems too thick.
- Once you are ready to serve, add soaked saffron and fresh coriander. Stir gently to combine. Turn off the heat.
- Serve Paneer Kofta with naan or lachha paratha.
Video
Notes
- If the kofta mixture is way too sticky, add 1 - 2 tablespoons more flour to get a smooth dough.
- Keeping uncooked kofta in the fridge while preheating the oil is an essential step.
- Filtering the gravy masala is an optional step. It ensures a smooth, silky texture of the gravy like a makhani sauce.
- If the gravy seems too thick adjust the consistency by adding more water or milk.
Nutrition
From spinach almond pesto to a creamy cashew sauce, here are my TOP 5 vegan sauce recipes.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
These vegan sauces are tasty, easy, gluten-free, and require a few basic pantry staples only. Do not restrict yourself by using them only for making pasta. From baked vegetables , sandwiches to tofu stir fry or casserole dishes, one can use these homemade sauces in various creative ways to elevate the dishes.
Being vegan does not mean a lack of choices. These healthy, homemade sauces will add a lot of variety and flavour to your everyday meal.
You can prepare a batch over the weekend ( they are truly meal-prep friendly ), store them in the refrigerator, and use them for the next few working days.
1. Pumpkin Sauce
GET THE FULL RECIPE
This creamy sauce is the best way to use the pumpkin puree. With a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of coconut milk the mundane pumpkin puree transforms into a bowl of fulfilling vegan deliciousness.
Ingredients: Pumpkin Puree, Onion, Garlic, Tomato Sauce, Coconut Milk, Vegetable Stock, Salt, Oregano
2. Spinach Almond Pesto
It is a protein-packed pasta sauce recipe. The almonds provide the nutty flavour, and the spinach leaves form the base of this pesto sauce. Spinach Almond Pesto is an excellent dipping sauce too.
To make a healthy vegan spinach corn sandwich or pesto pasta , this sauce is a perfect choice.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 Cup spinach leaves
- ▢ ¼ Cup almonds
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves
- ▢ ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ▢ Salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak almonds overnight or in warm water to remove the skin. Dry roast the peeled almonds in a pan for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Blend in a food processor spinach leaves, toasted almonds, black pepper, salt, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. Add nutritional yeast (optional) while blending. Do not make a smooth paste. A coarse texture pesto is the best.
- Use spinach almond pesto immediately or store it in the refrigerator covered.
Recipe Notes:
- Pesto turns black when exposed to air for a longer duration due to oxidation. While storing drizzle olive oil on top of the pesto to form a layer of oil.
- Do not blend the pesto sauce for too long in the food processor as it might turn bitter.
Nutrition
3. Tomato Sauce
GET THE FULL RECIPE
This is my easy, homemade tomato sauce recipe. It is quite a versatile sauce, spread a generous helping over the pizza base, pour over the pasta , minestrone soup , spaghetti , or dunk meatballs in it.
This simple, one-pot tomato sauce is always a hero in my kitchen.
Ingredients: Canned Tomato, Tomato Paste, Olive Oil, Garlic, Oregano, Salt, Basil
4. Cashew Sauce
This creamy cashew sauce is an excellent vegan alternative to dairy cream. It is thick, luscious, and super creamy. Packed with the power of cashew nuts and the flavour of garlic.
From tossing pasta, baking vegetables, to tucking it inside wraps and tortillas, or adding to salad dressings , this cashew sauce, is the answer to all your creamy woes.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 Cup cashew nuts
- ▢ 2 Cup water
- ▢ ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves
- ▢ ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ▢ Salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Once the water starts boiling, add cashew and cook for 5 – 6 minutes. Turn off the heat. Transfer cashews to a colander and rinse with cold water.
- Blend together cashew, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to a smooth paste.
- Creamy Cashew Sauce is ready to use. Store it in the refrigerator for 1 week in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes:
- Cashew Sauce has a smooth and creamy consistency. Use more olive oil if required to get the desired consistency.
- Avoid using water to grind the cashews. It reduces the shelf life of the sauce as it spoils very fast.
Nutrition
5. Indian Makhani Sauce
GET THE FULL RECIPE
Over the years the famous Indian makhani gravy has become the favorite of food lovers all over the World. The word ‘Makhani’ defines – rich, smooth, creamy, orange colour Indian sauce with a slightly sweet taste.
For a vegan makhani pasta , skip adding dairy cream to the sauce. Use coconut cream/cashew cream or almond milk for a creamy mouthfeel.
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