Name: Malai Kofta in Creamy Black Pepper Gravy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: Grated Paneer; Grated Boiled potato; Corn Starch; salt to taste; Crushed Black Pepper; Red Pepper Flakes/Gochugaru; Grated Ginger; 1 Medium Chopped Onion; 1 Medium Green Chili; 2 Tbsp Cashew/Almonds (Soaked in warm water for 10 minutes); 1 Tbsp Melon Seeds (Find in Indian Grocery store); 1 Tbsp Ginger garlic Paste; 2 Tbsp Ghee/Oil; 2 Small Bay leaf; 2 Big Black cardamom; 1 Small Green cardamom; 1 Inch Cinnamon Stick; 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream; 1/3 Cup Water; Salt To taste; 1/2 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder; 1/2 Tsp Crushed Black Pepper(fresh) not black pepper powder.

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This Malai Kofta in Creamy Black Pepper Gravy is the perfect lunch option for friends and family. It's crispy on the outside and soft, melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. My family loves this unique recipe for malai kofta, which is stuffed with crushed pistachios.

Velvety smooth boiled potatoes are mixed with grated fresh or storebought paneer, some basic spices, and salt. Lovely crushed pistachios are stuffed into these kofta balls to elevate the texture and flavor. Later, they are dunked into a fantastic, nutty-flavored creamy black pepper sauce.

I recently started making this delicious Malai Kofta variation recipe, a perfect crowd-pleaser. My younger one couldn't be more appreciative of this dish. And why not? It's finger-licking good.

What is Malai Kofta?

Malai means cream in Hindi, and kofta is a deep-fried ball. Traditionally, kofta is made of meat, but in India, it is usually made of paneer, potato, or veggies. They are pretty rich, so dry fruits are stuffed inside the ball, and then fried delicate paneer balls are dunked into a creamy tomato sauce/gravy.

I have made a very different creamy, nutty gravy/ sauce made of cashews, melon seeds, and cream. Crushed black pepper in the sauce takes this gravy to the next level. It's finger-licking good.

How to Make Kofta?

The most crucial part of making the malai kofta balls is grating the boiled potatoes and paneer to give the kofta a velvety, lump-free texture. Mix all the spices and knead the mixture, adding some cornstarch.

Then, use a cookie scooper or spoon to make balls of similar size. Using your palm, make a soft ball without any cracks.

Deep fry them in neutral oil on a medium flame for even cooking. If you keep the flame high, the koftas will be brown on the outside and not cooked from the inside. Slow frying is essential for crisp, soft koftas from the inside.

Remove them with a slotted spatula and put them onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Alternatively, you can quickly air fry them in an air fryer.

How to prepare the black pepper gravy?

You won't believe it if I say this gravy /sauce takes only 20 minutes to prepare. The first step is to prepare a base for the sauce with cashew nuts, onion, green chili, and melon seeds with some water.

This base and some ginger garlic paste will be cooked in a hot pan on low /medium flame. Later, we will add some heavy cream and just a little water. The idea is to keep the gravy /sauce thicker in consistency. When the oil separates, you will see a more beige color; it's done.

What to Serve with Malai Kofta In Creamy Black Pepper Gravy?

Indian Curries are usually served with bread, such as roti, paratha, Naan, or rice. Enjoy them with a side of masala onion.

My popular Indian Curry recipes,

Can we freeze it?

I prefer to make a big batch of kofta and keep them in freezer-safe containers or ziplocks. Later, when we want to eat, preparing gravy/sauce is easy, as is making lunch or dinner.

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Smita