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Malai Kofta are delicious in any curry and they are quite easy to prepare.

If you want to make a meat curry vegetarian and you’re looking for ways to do so, you simply have to try malai koftas. In this recipe you will see how they are prepared and added to a curry. You can add the malai kofta to any curry though. Try them instead of chicken in chicken tikka masala. How about trying malai kofta in a super spicy vindaloo? Your options are endless!

If you would like to make your malai kofta curry into a delicious vegetarian curry feast, you just need to cook some plain basmati or flavoured rice. Homemade naans and chapatis are always a good addition as well as any of these Indian vegetarian side dishes.

What are malai kofta?

Malai means cream and malai kofta often do have cream in them. In these malai kofta, grated paneer gives them their creaminess and also helps bind the koftas together. You could add a tablespoon or two of double thick cream to these malai kofta if you like too.

These vegetarian koftas are idea meat substitutes for any curry. Just add them at the end of cooking and I promise, you won’t miss the meat!

How do you make malai kofta?

Malai kofta are usually prepared with grated potato, spices and some sort of binder. In this case paneer and flour help bind the malai koftas together.

You want to squeeze as much of the moisture out of your grated potatoes as possible so that they stay together when fried.

Once you have all the malai kofta ingredients together, squeeze them into neat koftas and fry for about 5 minutes until crispy brown.

How do you add malai koftas to curries?

It could not be easier to add these koftas to a curry. Simply prepare your curry sauce of choice and then add the fried malai koftas just before serving. 

Are there other ways to serve malai koftas?

Yes. You might like to make smaller koftas and serve them on toothpicks with a few dipping sauces. They make a really good starter or snack.

How long do malai koftas keep in the fridge?

You can store your malai koftas in the fridge, cooked or uncooked for about 3 days. 

If you decide to fry them and then store them in the fridge, you will need to reheat them. To do this, you could just fry them again or place your malai kofta in the microwave for a minute or so.

Can you freeze malai koftas?

Yes. In fact they freeze quite well. I recommend freezing them before you fry them in air-tight containers. 

That said, I have fried and then frozen malai koftas with good results. 

If you want to fry them, be sure to let the koftas come to room temperature before frying. 

Make this recipe your own.

You can use my malai kofta recipe as a guide. Personally, I quite like these koftas just as I wrote the recipe.

You might want to adjust the spicing. Feel free to do that. Try adding more chillies, for example. You can also omit spicy ingredients all together if you prefer. 

Can these koftas be cooked in an air-fryer?

Yes. They can be cooked in an air-fryer the same way you cook air-frier onion bhajis. Here is how it’s done.

PRO TIPS

1. Be sure to squeeze as much moisture out of the potatoes as you can. Potatoes are full of water and that water will break your malai koftas apart.
2. Ensure your oil is hot enough. All is explained in the recipe card below. If your oil is not hot enough, your koftas will break apart so be sure to test the oil by adding a small piece of kofta to the hot oil. If it bubbles and rises to the top quickly, your oil is ready for frying.
3. Keep your malai koftas hot! When cooking a curry, it is a good idea to fry the koftas while the sauce is simmering. Then you can add them hot from the oil to the sauce.

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this malai kofta recipe and also try them in this curry. If you do try it or have a recipe question, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you and I’m happy to help.