Party curry · Vegetarian

Malai Kofta Recipe (Soft Kofta in Creamy Gravy)

Dry mix. Cornflour coat. Add at serving.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Malai kofta are soft paneer and potato dumplings in a creamy, mildly sweet gravy. They break in the oil when the mix is wet, and go soggy when left in the gravy. The fix is dry potatoes, a little cornflour, a quick test fry and adding kofta to the gravy only when serving.

Prep25m
Cook35m
Servings4
kcal / serving520
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of malai kofta

Why this recipe works

Dry potatoes

Wet mash

Moisture breaks kofta.

Test fry one

Frying all

Catch problems early.

Gravy at serving

Soaking early

Kofta stay intact.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Kofta

Gravy

The NineFoods kofta gauge

Will the kofta hold?

Fry one test kofta first.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Kofta mix

No heat · 10 min
  1. Knead paneer, potato, cornflour and spices.
  2. Shape balls around a little stuffing.
Look for: smooth balls.
10:00
2

Fry

Medium-hot · 8 min
  1. Test one, then fry until golden.
  2. Use the gauge above.
Look for: golden kofta.
08:00
3

Gravy

Medium · 15 min
  1. Cook onions, tomatoes, cashews and spices soft, blend and strain.
  2. Simmer with butter, sugar, water, cream and methi.
Look for: creamy pale orange gravy.
15:00
4

Serve

No heat · 1 min
  1. Place kofta in a bowl and pour hot gravy over just before eating.
Look for: soft kofta in gravy.
01:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Wet mix.

Fix next time

Use dry, cooled potatoes and add cornflour.

Why

Left in gravy.

Fix next time

Pour gravy over at serving time.

Why

Oil cool.

Fix next time

Fry on medium-hot.

Why

Extra sugar.

Fix next time

Add a squeeze of lemon.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
PaneerKofta baseMashed tofu
CornflourBinderArrowroot
CashewsBodyMelon seeds
FryingCrisp koftaAir fryer 190 C, 12 minutes

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Naan or jeera rice.

Store

Store kofta and gravy separately: kofta 2 days, gravy 3 days in the fridge.

Reheat

Heat the gravy alone, then pour it over room-temperature kofta.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (will the kofta hold) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Indian recipesHow to Make Garam Masala at HomeHow to Make Ginger Garlic PasteWeekly Meal Prep for Pakistani Cooking

Quick answers

Malai Kofta FAQ

Why do my malai kofta break?

The mix is too wet. Use dry potatoes and add cornflour.

Can I air fry malai kofta?

Yes, spray with oil and cook at 190 C for about 12 minutes.

When should I add kofta to the gravy?

Just before serving.

Can I make the gravy ahead?

Yes, it keeps 3 days in the fridge.