No-fry Malai Kofta Curry | Nut-free

Malai is Cream and Koftas are fried balls. Malai Kofta is a delicious Indian curry made with potatoes and paneer balls in onion and tomato sauce. It is one of the creamiest curry recipe from the north Indian cuisine. You can serve this dish with Naans, Kulchas or Rotis or perhaps with plain rice. Traditionally, the koftas are deep fried in the oil, but in this recipe, I will show you how to make koftas in the appe pan. This is a nut free recipe.

Ingredients for koftas.

• 2 boiled potatoes
• 1 1/4 cup grated paneer
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Ingredients for Curry:

• 2 cups chopped onions 
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes 
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp cream
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp red chili powder 
• 2 tbsp Kasoori Methi/ Dried Fenugreek Leaves
• 2 tsp Garam masala 
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp jeera/ cumin seeds 

How to make Koftas:

1. Peel the boiled potatoes and mash them.
2.  Add grated paneer to the potatoes.
3. Add salt, garam masala, garlic powder and corn starch. Mix all the ingredients together to form a dough.
4.  Make lime sized round Koftas/balls out of this potato paneer mixture. If your mixture is crumbly or dry, them add half a potato more and mix well.
5. Heat appe pan, add oil to each mold, gently drop the potato paneer koftas into the molds and cook until it’s golden brown in color. Heat should be on medium high. Keep an eye on the koftas, or else they will burn.
6.  Keep tossing and turning the koftas in the pan to evenly cook on all sides. Remove the koftas on a paper towel and keep them aside.

How to make the Curry:

1. Heat butter in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cardamom, bay leaf, turmeric powder and red chili powder and sauté for few seconds. 
2. Add garlic ginger paste and sauté until fragrant. 
3. Add onions and sauté until cooked. 
4. Add tomatoes and cook them until they are soft. Cool the mixture completely and grind it into a smooth paste.
5. Heat a pan, add butter, add the onion tomato paste to it. 
6. Add water, garam masala, salt and sugar and let it simmer for 5 mins. 
7. Add cream and mix well. 
8. Add kasoori methi and simmer it for a minute. 
9. Turn off the flame and serve it warm along with Naan, Kulcha or plain rice.