Malai Kofta with Roasted Capsicum

 

I first tried malai kofta at this Indian restaurant called Curry at the Rocks in Sydney, and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was, given that I'm not a big fan of vegetarian-type dishes. My colleague who introduced this dish to me explained that malai koftas are deep-fried potato balls served in a creamy sauce prepared from boiled milk, spices and fresh cream. The first thought that came to me was "I have to make this at home!", and so I looked up some recipes on the internet to get an idea of the basic ingredients that went into this dish. The koftas are usually made with mashed potato and paneer (an Indian cottage cheese) which are formed into balls and deep-fried until they form a crisp layer. The sauce predominantly comprises tomatoes and cream, but I decided to substitute part of the tomatoes with roasted red peppers instead.

I was quite happy with how the dish turned out, which I think it was pretty successful for a first attempt. I added a few paneer cubes and almond flakes in the sauce for texture (and also because that's how it was served at the restaurant where I tried it). The sauce is rich, creamy and slightly sweet, and compliments the crispy cheese and potato balls.

Malai Kofta with Roasted Capsicum Sauce

Ingredients

Koftas:
1 cup boiled and mashed potato
1 cup paneer, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp cornflour
Besan or cornflour for coating

Sauce:
Vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 roasted capsicum, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, quartered
1 tsp chilli (or to taste)
2-3 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup thickened cream (or more)
1/4 cup cubed paneer
1 tbsp almond flakes
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

Use a blender and finely chop the tomatoes and red peppers until smooth. Prepare the sauce first by heating some oil in a saucepan. Fry the garlic and ginger, followed by the ground spices. Then add the blended tomatoes and red peppers, chilli and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Add the cubed paneer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until sauce is  thickened. Add more cream if necessary. If too thick, add a little water. Check for seasoning. Set aside and keep warm for later.

For the koftas, combine all ingredients except for the flour coating. Mix and knead well and form into rounds the size of golf balls. Roll in the besan or cornflour and coat well. Shake off excess.

Heat suffiicent oil in a pan for deep-frying. On medium heat, fry the koftas for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown and crisp.  Drain on kitchen paper.

To serve, place the koftas in a bowl and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with almond flakes and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with boiled white rice.