Creamy Malai Kofta Curry (No onion, no garlic)

Creamy Malai kofta Curry (no onion, no garlic) is an amazingly rich, spicy and finger-licking north Indian curry made with fried potato-paneer (Indian cottage cheese) dumplings (koftas) smothered in a rich gravy.

Made with tomatoes along with cashew and infused with exotic Indian aromatic spices (without using any onions and garlic), it is an absolute flavorful rich gravy to dunk those creamy koftas and enjoy with any Indian flat bread.

It pairs well with any Indian flat bread like roti, naan, parathas etc. and most times is the best curry to enjoy with a bowl of hot steaming Basmati rice or even any pulao or biryani!

With lots of festivals just around the corner in India, most households normally avoid using onion and garlic in their meals during those days for religious or spiritual reasons.

Most kids and adults alike love north Indian curries any time and when festivals are around; you hear many complaints about how they are unable to eat their favorite restaurant like curry, most of which use onions and garlic!

I know I loved to indulge my kids by making nutritious and lip-smacking curries without using any onions and garlic and they were always a content and happy lot!

Loaded with flavors and textures, you will not miss onions or garlic in this delicious malai kofta curry. It is so simple and easy to make and takes only about 30 minutes!

It involves three steps:

Making the malai koftas – fried dumplings or koftas made with mashed potatoes, mashed or grated paneer (Indian cottage cheese; easily available in any Indian grocery store) and some flavorful Indian spices. (You can also make your own paneer by boiling milk, adding some lemon juice or vinegar to it until it splits and then draining the whey to get fresh homemade paneer) I have encased some black raisins in each kofta for that extra richness and sweetness, giving it a royal touch!
The second step is making the gravy: puree tomatoes with lots of cashew nuts and spices to make a satiny smooth puree which is then sautéed with additional aromatics to impart a spicy, flavorful aroma and taste to the gravy. (I have avoided fresh cream in the curry as cashew paste lends enough creaminess to the gravy)
The final step is to dunk the koftas in the delicious gravy JUST BEFORE SERVING. Mixing them ahead will result in a soggy kofta which is totally unappetizing!

Garnish with finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves or crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and grated paneer if preferred and serve hot with rotis, parathas, naan or even bread!

We enjoyed this deliciousness with methi parathas (click for recipe).

Do try this simple way to make restaurant like malai kofta curry without using any onions or garlic and serve them at home to your family or present it as a side dish at any party or special occasion.

ENJOY AND HAPPY COOKING!

Yum

Creamy Malai Kofta Curry (No onion, no garlic)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Creamy Malai kofta Curry (no onion, no garlic) is an amazing rich, spicy and finger-licking north Indian curry made with fried potato-paneer (Indian cottage cheese) dumplings (koftas) smothered in a rich gravy made with tomatoes and cashew infused with exotic Indian aromatic spices.

Ingredients

FOR THE MALAI KOFTAS:

200 gm paneer (Indian cottage cheese, store bought or homemade), grated (1 cup); keep some aside for garnishing the malai kofta curry at the end
2 medium sized potatoes boiled and peeled (about 1 cup)
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp crushed dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 to 3 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
Few black or golden brown raisins (optional)
Oil for deep frying

FOR THE GRAVY:

4 medium sized tomatoes, chopped roughly
¼ cup cashew nuts
2 green chillies/jalapenos
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
3 cloves
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 tablespoon oil plus 1 tablespoon ghee/clarified butter
½ teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon hing/asafetida
1 green cardamom
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 tsp garam masala powder
½ tsp crushed kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves
Salt to taste
Topping and garnishing:
1 tsp ghee/clarified butter
Finely chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
Or crushed kasuri methi

Instructions

TO MAKE THE MALAI KOFTAS:

In a large bowl, add the kofta ingredients, except the raisins.
Mix well to form soft dough which holds together. You can add additional cornflour if you feel the need.
Make small golf ball sized round balls, flatten a little bit, place a raisin or two in the middle and form round small balls.
Continue with the rest of the dough.
Heat oil in a deep pan for frying and once the oil is hot, gently slide the kofta balls into the hot oil and fry on medium high heat, until crisp and golden brown. Try not to over crowd the pan or the koftas could break. Transfer koftas to paper lined plate to blot the excess oil.
Keep the ready malai koftas aside.

TO PREPARE THE GRAVY:

Boil tomatoes, cashew nuts, ginger, green chillies, cinnamon and cloves in a deep saucepan in just enough water for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Once cool, blend to a fine puree and keep aside.
Heat oil and ghee in a deep saucepan/kadhai and once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, cardamom, hing and bay leaf. Saute until aromatic; a few seconds.
Add coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and turmeric and fry again for a few more seconds.
Once the spices are slightly sautéed and aromatic, pour in the blended tomato-cashew puree along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of canned tomato puree (for color and thickness) and mix well.
Add salt to taste along with a pinch of sugar (to balance the acidity of the tomatoes) and mix again.
Stir in water (rinse the jar in which the tomatoes were blended for additional water) and adjust the consistency to your liking.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Do a taste test and adjust seasonings and water accordingly.
Once the gravy is ready, top with 1 tsp of ghee (optional, but gives a nice gloss and taste to the gravy), garam masala powder and chopped cilantro or crushed kasuri methi; give it a good stir and remove from heat.

TO ASSEMBLE THE MALAI KOFTA CURRY:

Just before serving, transfer required amount of gravy to a serving dish.
Place the koftas (only the required amount you will need) in the gravy, and serve hot with additional garnish of grated paneer and cilantro.
Add malai koftas only before serving; kept in the gravy for too long, they will become soggy and mushy.

Notes

You can stir in a tablespoon or more of fresh cream to make the gravy creamier.

Substitute almonds instead of cashew for a different flavor and texture or a mixture of both.

Vary spices in the gravy for different flavors in the curry.

If you like onions and garlic in your curry, feel free to add onions and garlic in the puree.

For a vegan version, you can use tofu instead of paneer and omit ghee.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!

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How to make Malai Kofta Curry with step-by-step method:

To make the malai koftas:

In a large bowl, add the kofta ingredients, except the raisins.

Mix well to form soft dough which holds together. You can add additional cornflour if you feel the need.

Make small golf ball sized round balls, flatten a little bit, place a raisin or two in the middle and form round small balls.

Continue with the rest of the dough.

Heat oil in a deep pan for frying and once the oil is hot, gently slide the kofta balls into the hot oil and fry on medium high heat, until crisp and golden brown. Try not to over crowd the pan or the koftas could break.

Transfer koftas to paper lined plate to blot the excess oil.

Keep the fried malai koftas aside.

To prepare the gravy:

Boil tomatoes, cashew nuts, ginger, green chillies, cinnamon and cloves in a deep saucepan in just enough water for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, blend to a fine puree and keep aside.

Heat oil and ghee in a deep saucepan/kadhai and once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, cardamom, hing and bay leaf. Saute until aromatic; a few seconds.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and turmeric and fry again for a few more seconds.

Once the spices are slightly sautéed and aromatic, pour in the blended tomato-cashew puree along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of canned tomato puree (for added color and thickness) and mix well.

Add salt to taste along with a pinch of sugar (to balance the acidity of the tomatoes) and mix again.
Stir in water (rinse the jar in which the tomatoes were blended for additional water) and adjust the consistency to your liking.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Do a taste test and adjust seasonings and water accordingly.
Once the gravy is ready, top with 1 tsp of ghee (optional, but gives a nice gloss and taste to the gravy), garam masala powder and chopped cilantro or crushed kasuri methi; give it a good stir and remove from heat.

To assemble the malai kofta curry:

Just before serving, transfer required amount of gravy to a serving dish.
Place the koftas (only the required amount you will need) in the gravy, and serve hot with additional garnish of grated paneer and cilantro.