One of the most popular restaurant-style dishes is Malai Kofta in White Gravy. Paneer and potato balls are stuffed with dry fruits and deep fried/air fried, and then they are served over a creamy, luscious, and velvety curry.
In addition, this dish is served best with Naan, Paratha, or even jeera rice.

Festival season is here and we all look for recipes that can wow our guests. No one wants to repeat the same recipes and beautiful plates with exciting food are loved by all.
So to achieve all of the above today, I am going to share a Malai kofta in White Gravy recipe that is rich, easy, and super delicious. It's better than any restaurant, and trust me, you will make it again and again.
Overall, this recipe is for people who are bored of eating the same malai kofta with red or yellow gravy; this is something not very common to try and relish.
What is Malai Kofta?
Malai is Hindi for cream and kofta is a deep-fried ball made of anything, here, in this case, it's potato and paneer. This is one of the richest and most delicious Indian vegetarian curries, and most of the special occasion menus have them.
Quite popular among the whole family, this malai kofta is usually served in creamy tomato red gravy or yellow gravy.
I mostly make Malai Kofta/ Restaurant Style Malai Kofta, and Malai kofta in creamy tomato gravy
White gravy is mostly used in restaurants and not very common in home cooking, so I thought to share a fail-proof recipe for Malai Kofta in White Gravy.
What are the Ingredients for Malai Kofta in White Gravy?
Paneer- Paneer or soft homemade chena is used in making the balls/kofta for this dish. Homemade soft chena is preferable, however, if you are using store-bought paneer grate it and then use it.
The grated paneer gives a smooth texture.
Potato- Boiled Yukon gold potato is best for this malai kofta, but if you do not have that red potato will also work. We are using grated boiled potato for the making of malai kofta.
Heavy Cream/Fresh Cream- Heavy cream or fresh cream makes it velvety, rich, and super creamy. The luscious texture is the highlight of the dish.
Corn Starch- Any store-bought pack of corn starch will work in this recipe.
Spices- White pepper powder/black pepper powder, coriander powder, cardamom powder, garam masala powder.
Whole Spices-Cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaf, Cumin seeds, black cardamom.
Onion, ginger, garlic, as well as green chilies, are the aromatics that I used in making this dish.
How to Make Malai Kofta-
There are two steps involved in the making of Malai Kofta:
The first is the making of kofta balls and the second is the creamy curry base.
Making of Malai Kofta-
Grated paneer, boiled potato, corn starch, and a few spices and aromatics are mixed to form a smooth nice ball or oblong-shaped kofta. If you like a flat kofta shape, you can make that too.
Can You Air Fry Kofta?
Absolutely. I prefer making kofta that way to cut the fat and consumption of oil in my food intake. After making kofta balls keep kofta in the freezer for 15-20 minutes and then air fry or deep fry.

I will share the temp and process in the recipe card for making the air fryer malai kofta. Half of my kofta has been air fried for this recipe to provide you with a fail-proof recipe.
How to Make Creamy White Gravy-
This creamy white gravy is made of onion, ginger, garlic, cashew, green chilies, and a few spices. Furthermore, this gravy is not spicy; rather, it just has a slight hint of spice. Malai kofta gravies are mild gravies and they have a creamy texture.
Can You Make Malai Kofta Without Onion and Garlic?
Yes, of course! You can make this Malai Kofta in White Gravy without onion and garlic. Simply remove these ingredients from your recipe and making the dish will still taste amazing.

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Malai Kofta in White Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Grated Paneer
- 1 Cup Grated boiled Potato
- 3 Tbsp Corn Starch
- 1 Tsp Grated ginger
- ¼ Tsp Cardamom Powder
- 1 Tbsp Crushed Cashew Nuts
- 1 Tbsp Raisins
- 1 Small Minced /chopped green chili
- salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying or air frying the kofta balls
Ingredients needed for reamy white gravy
- 2 Tbsp Ghee/oil of your choice
- 1 Medium Chopped Onion
- 1 Small Green Chili(optional)
- 1 1 inch Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ½ Tsp Cumin Seeds
- ½ Cup Cashew Nuts
- ¼ Tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 Tsp Coriander Powder
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Cream/Heavy Cream
- 1 Tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 1 Cup Water
- Salt to taste.
Instructions
- Take a big bowl. Add grated paneer and grated potato in it.
- Add salt, green chillies, cardamom powder, grated ginger, and 1.5 tbsp of cornflour.
- Mix everything together and make small dumplings/balls of it.
- Flatten it on your palm and stuff a little bit of crushed cashew and raisin in it.
- Close it and make a nice soft kofta ball.
- Take the rest of the corn starch on a plate and roll the kofta over it. Make sure it's coated nicely.
- Make all the other kofta balls like that.
- Keep them in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- If you want to deep fry take a wok or a pan.
- Fill oil for deep frying. Once it's hot enough, fry on low medium temp till it looks golden brown.
- Keep it on a plate lined with a paper towel.
How to Air Fry the Kofta-
- Preheat the air fryer at 370 for 2-3 minutes.
- Spray some oil on the kofta and on the inside of the air fryer basket.
- Arrange them nicely. Do not over-crowd them.
- It's important to check them while air frying.
- Sometimes they break so it's always better to turn them in between.
- Air fry them till they meet your satisfaction.
- Remove them from the air fryer.
How to Make Creamy White Gravy-
- In a deep pan, boil cashew and onion.
- Strain the cashew and onion after they boil and become soft.
- Blend them with one tbsp of water. Make a fine paste.
- Take another pan and heat with 2 tbsps of ghee. (You can always reduce the quantity)
- Once the oil is hot, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds.
- Let them crackle.
- Add cashew-onion paste to it. Furthermore, add one green chilli and coriander powder and saute it properly. If needed, cover to avoid burns from spluttering.
- Cook till the oil looks separate.
- Mix one cup of water and let it cook for some time on medium flame.
- Add cream to the pan and stir it continuously.
- Mix kofta with gravy and sprinkle some garam masala, Cook till you reach your desired consistency.
- Serve with naan or rice.
- Enjoy!!!
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