Malai Kofta

One of my absolute favorite north indian things to eat is malai kofta and plain naan. Ofcourse, typically thats also one of the most unhealthy north indian things to eat. So after some trial and error, I came up with a healthier version that tastes pretty darn good. I dont have the exact proportions here cos I usually just eyeball it. Feel free to use your own judgement.


For the kofta:

1/2 packet extra firm tofu (you could also use paneer but tofu is way more healthy & guilt-free)
1 big boiled and mashed potato (The ratio of the crumbled tofu and mashed potato is ~ 1:1)
about 3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon jeera powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon dhaniya powder
salt to taste
olive or vegetable oil spray

1. Press or hang the tofu to take out as much water as possible (similar to what you do for homemade paneer). You dont want it to be too dry but you dont want any visible water either. After it is dry, crumble it.

2. Thoroughly mix the tofu and all the above ingredients, except the oil. I usually dont put the masalas in any specific quantity so feel free to increase or decrease according to your taste. But, make sure that the kofta doesnt taste bland cos then the kofta will taste weird because of the tofu. I would say that its ok if the masalas are slightly on the higher side. You can reduce the red chilli powder if you dont want it to be too spicy.

3. Make round balls approximately the size of a ping-pong ball. Flatten it so that it looks kind of like an aloo tikki.

4. Heat a non-stick pan that has a wide flat bottom and isnt too deep. You could also use a non-stick tava. Make sure the pan isn't crazy hot, 4-5 minutes on medium heat should make it hot enough.

5. After the pan is hot enough, spray the entire pan with the oil and quickly place the koftas on it. For a 12" pan, I would say you could put 5-6 koftas at a time. Make sure it isn't too crowded and there is room to turn the koftas. After you put the koftas on the pan, make sure the heat isnt too high. The best thing to do is to let the kofta get done slowly, 6-8 minutes, so that the pan facing side gets nice and crisp. When the edges begin to look like almost a darker version of golden brown, spray the whole pan with oil and turn the kofta around so that the other side is now on the pan. Make sure that you let the first side get done properly before you turn it. You dont want to turn them around again and again. No harm if you do that but every time i turn it, im scared the kofta will break or crumble so I dont like to turn it too many times. Essentially, you pan roast the kofta the same way you would make the tikki for aloo tikki. You could spray/use more oil as you think is needed.

6. After the koftas are done, keep them aside on a paper-towel lined plate.


For the sauce:

1 big onion
2-3 green chillies or jalapenos (according to taste)
3-4 bay leaves
2 roma tomatoes
1 big yellow pepper (you could also use red peppers but im not sure if green would work)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon elaichi powder (you could smash some elaichis in a mortar pestle if you dont have the powder)
2-3 mashed raisins
half and half (the quantity can vary according to how "rich" you want the sauce to be)
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1. Gring the onion, jalapenos and a little water

2. Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Add the bay leaves and after 15-20 seconds add the onion paste.

3. Grind tomato and yellow bell peppers. Add to the pan with onions etc and roast for a few minutes.

4. Add the garam masala and elaichi powder.

5. Add the mashed raisins

6. Add some half and half and cook the mixture for a few minutes. You could add as little as 2 tablespoons or as much as 1/2 a cup.

7. Add salt to taste.

8. Add some water to get the right consistency for the sauce.

9. Add the koftas. If you are not eating this right away, don't add the koftas right away. You can make everything in advance, as much as 2 days in advance, and add the koftas to the sauce just before serving.