Malai kofta is a North Indian curry built from two separate things that meet in one bowl: soft, golden-fried dumplings made of mashed paneer and potato, and a smooth, mildly spiced gravy of onions, tomatoes, cashews and cream. The word “malai” means cream, and “kofta” refers to the fried balls, which are themselves a vegetarian echo of the minced-meat koftas found across Mughlai cooking.
It’s said that malai kofta has roots in Mughlai cuisine, the style of cooking that traces back to the Mughal Empire and its royal kitchens, which also introduced dishes like biryani, korma and pasanda to the subcontinent. Since tomatoes and chillies only reached India in the 15th and 16th centuries, the familiar orange-red version of this dish is really a later adaptation of an older idea. Exact origins are hard to pin down and recipes vary a good deal from one kitchen to the next, so there’s no single “correct” version, only the one most home cooks in Punjab and Delhi have settled into.
The dish tastes rich and a little sweet, with the soft give of the dumplings against a velvety, faintly tangy sauce. It shows up on wedding buffets, at Diwali spreads and on restaurant menus as the vegetarian answer to a meat curry, usually alongside naan, roti or a pot of fragrant rice.
What you need
Three things decide whether your kofta holds together and whether the gravy tastes right: the paneer, the potato, and the cashews.
Use fresh, soft paneer rather than the dry, crumbly kind; grate it instead of chopping so it binds smoothly with the mashed potato. The potato should be boiled until it falls apart easily with a fork, then mashed with no lumps, since any lump becomes a weak point where the kofta can crack open in hot oil. Cashews, simmered and blended into the gravy, give the sauce its body and the characteristic pale, slightly sweet creaminess that makes this curry different from a plain tomato-based one.
Paneer is sold in blocks at South Asian grocers and most large supermarkets; it’s also simple to make at home by curdling hot milk with lemon juice or vinegar and draining the curds in a cloth. Raw cashews are available in the baking or nuts aisle of most supermarkets.
| Ingredient | Swap | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Paneer | Firm tofu, well pressed | Kofta turns slightly softer and less rich; press tofu for at least 20 minutes first |
| Cashews | Blanched almonds, skins removed | Gravy is a touch less sweet and slightly more textured |
| Fresh cream | Full-fat plain yogurt, whisked smooth | Sauce is tangier and slightly thinner; stir in off the heat to avoid curdling |
| Deep frying the kofta | Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes, turning once, brushed with oil | Less crisp crust, fewer broken koftas, lower oil use |
| Khoya (if a recipe calls for it) | Milk powder mixed with a little cream or ghee | Gravy keeps a similar richness with less effort |
Malai Kofta
Golden fried paneer and potato dumplings served in a rich, creamy cashew-tomato gravy, finished with cream and a little garam masala.
- Vegetarian
- Halal
Ingredients
For the kofta
- 200 g Paneer, grated
- 2 Potatoes, medium, boiled and mashed smooth
- 3 tbsp Cornflour
- 1 Green chilli, finely chopped, optional (optional)
- 1 tsp Ginger, finely grated
- 12 Cashews, whole, for stuffing
- 1 tbsp Raisins, optional (optional)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 500 ml Oil, for deep frying
For the gravy
- 1 Onion, roughly chopped
- 3 Tomatoes, medium, roughly chopped
- 15 Cashews, for the gravy base
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Oil
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Red chilli powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- 60 ml Fresh cream
- 1 tsp Salt, to taste
- 250 ml Water, or as needed to adjust consistency
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish
Equipment
Deep pan or kadai for frying, Blender, Large mixing bowl, Heavy-bottomed pan for the gravy
Method
- Make the kofta mixture. In a bowl, mix the grated paneer, mashed potato, cornflour, green chilli, ginger and salt until it forms a smooth, firm dough that holds together when pressed. If it feels sticky or wet, add another spoonful of cornflour.
- Shape and stuff. Divide the mixture into 10-12 portions. Flatten each one in your palm, place a cashew and a couple of raisins in the center, then fold the edges up and roll into a smooth, crack-free ball.
- Fry the kofta. Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 170-180°C (a cube of bread should turn golden in 20-30 seconds). Fry the koftas in small batches, turning gently, for 3-4 minutes until deep golden brown all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.
- Build the gravy base. In a saucepan, add the chopped onion, tomatoes, cashews, ginger and garlic with about 200ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the onion is soft.
- Blend smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly, then blend to a completely smooth paste. Pass through a sieve for an extra-silky gravy if you like.
- Cook the gravy. Heat the butter and oil in the same pan. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds, then pour in the blended paste. Stir in turmeric, chilli powder and salt, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and you see the oil separating at the edges.
- Adjust and finish. Stir in the remaining water to reach a pourable, medium-thick consistency and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat, stir in the cream and garam masala, and cook gently for 1-2 minutes without letting it boil hard.
- Add the kofta and serve. Just before serving, warm the gravy through, then gently place the fried koftas into the pan. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes to soak up some sauce, then scatter with chopped coriander and serve immediately so the kofta stay firm.
Contains: milk, nuts. Check the labels on packaged ingredients.
Written with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor. This recipe has not been cooked in a home kitchen, so taste and adjust as you go. The header picture is an AI-generated illustration, a stock photo or an official press picture, not a photo of this exact recipe. Use halal-certified meat.
Tips for success
Dry the potato and paneer mixture well before shaping. Excess moisture is the main reason koftas fall apart in the oil. If the mixture feels wet, add a spoonful more cornflour rather than frying and hoping for the best.
Keep the oil at a steady medium heat. Too hot, and the outside browns before the inside is heated through, leaving the kofta pale and soft inside with a dark, bitter crust. Too cool, and the kofta can start to break apart before it seals. A cube of bread dropped in should turn golden in about 20-30 seconds.
Fry in small batches. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and the koftas will soak up more oil and lose their shape.
Cook the tomato-cashew base until the oil separates at the edges. This tells you the raw tomato taste has cooked out. Rushing this step leaves the gravy tasting sharp and unfinished.
Add the koftas just before serving, not while the gravy is still simmering hard. A fried dumpling dropped into a rolling simmer will start to disintegrate within minutes. Warm the gravy gently, then slide the koftas in and let them sit for a few minutes to soak up the sauce without falling apart.
Finish cream off the heat. Boiling cream or yogurt hard can cause it to split, leaving a greasy-looking gravy instead of a glossy one.
Storing and reheating
Keep the kofta and gravy in separate airtight containers if you plan to store leftovers; the dumplings soften quickly once submerged. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.
To reheat, warm the gravy gently on the stove, adding a splash of water or milk if it has thickened, then add the kofta and heat through just until hot. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C) as measured in the center of the dish. Avoid reheating the kofta in the microwave submerged in gravy for too long, as they can turn mushy; a few short bursts with stirring in between works better than one long blast.
Serving ideas
Malai kofta is rich, so pair it with something plain: steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, or a simple naan or tandoori roti to mop up the sauce. A side of sliced onion with lemon, or a cucumber raita, cuts through the cream and balances the meal. For a fuller spread, add a drier vegetable side like bhindi or a simple dal to the table.
Diet and allergen notes
This recipe is vegetarian as written. It contains dairy (paneer, cream) and tree nuts (cashews), and may contain gluten if you use the cornflour binder swap or serve it with wheat-based bread; check labels if you need a certified gluten-free cornflour. It is not vegan or dairy-free as written, though the swaps table above shows how to move toward a dairy-free version using tofu and coconut cream in place of paneer and dairy cream. It contains no meat, fish or alcohol, so it’s naturally halal and needs no adaptation on that front. For a nut-free version, skip the cashews in both the kofta stuffing and the gravy and thicken the sauce instead with a little extra cream or a spoonful of plain yogurt.
Questions
Why do my koftas fall apart while frying?
This almost always comes down to moisture or a mashed potato with lumps. Make sure the potato is well mashed and the mixture is firm enough to hold its shape in your hand before you add any binder; if it still feels soft or wet, add a little more cornflour and chill the shaped balls for 15-20 minutes before frying so they firm up.
Can I make malai kofta ahead of a dinner party?
Yes. Fry the koftas and make the gravy separately earlier in the day, then store both, covered, in the fridge. Warm the gravy gently and add the koftas only in the last few minutes before serving, so they heat through without turning soft.
Is malai kofta the same as paneer kofta?
They overlap but aren’t identical. Malai kofta usually describes the richer, creamier gravy made with cashews and cream, while paneer kofta can refer more generally to any kofta made mainly from paneer, sometimes in a lighter or spicier sauce. Many home kitchens use the names loosely for very similar dishes.