Malai Kofta

This is one of my favorite dish in indian restaurants.  From childhood I used to eat this in restaurants and appreciate the cook who makes them really soft & like melt in mouth.  Now a days, even my 3 yr old also knows what to order in a desi restaurant first is "cheese balls in gravy". 

List of ingredients:

For the koftas

2 Red Potatoes, boiled 

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 small carrot grated

1 cup soft & freshly made Paneer grated

2 tbsp Besan/chana flour
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

For the Gravy
1 red onions, medium sized
2-3 tomatoes, big size

1 tsp homemade ginger paste

3-4 green chillies ground to paste
10 cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes

1/4 cup grated paneer (Optional)

1tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 cup, whole milk or 1/2 cup cream

Method:

 

Peel the skin and cut onions to chunk pieces. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Add onion, and saute to brown on high heat, stirring in-between.  Blanch the tomatoes to remove the skin.  Make a paste of the onions and puree the tomatoes.  Keep aside.

Make a fine paste of cashew, ginger and chillies.  Adding a little water if required.
In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes, grate the carrot & paneer.  Add the chopped green chilli and besan flour.  Mix everything together. Shape the koftas, either round or cylindrical shape.  If making round they should be about ping-pong ball size. 
Heat oil in a kadhai or deep frying pan.  Deep fry the koftas till light brown.

Place a wide, deep pan on the stove-top. Add and heat a tablespoon of oil. When oil is hot, add the roasted onion paste, cashew paste. Saute for five minutes on medium heat, constantly stirring. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, milk or cream. Combine well. Have a taste and add salt and garam masala. Cover and simmer the sauce on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring in-between. Avoid high heat and take care not to blacken the sauce at the bottom of the pan. When the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat.

Place the koftas in the serving dish, pour the gravy on the koftas 10-15 minutes before serving.  Decorate with the left out grated paneer if using.

Delicious malai kofta ready to be served with any flat bread or flavoured rice like Saffron rice or Jeera Rice.