Malai Kofta
Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, South Caucasian, South Asian and Central Asian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meat – usually beef, chicken, pork, lamb or mutton, or a mixture – mixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients. The earliest known recipes are found in early Arab cookbooks and call for ground lamb. There are many national and regional variations. There are also vegetable and uncooked versions. Shapes vary and include balls, patties, and cylinders. Sizes typically vary from that of a golf ball to that of an orange. In English, kofta is a loanword borrowed from Urdu: کوفتہ, romanized: kofta, lit. 'pounded meat' which in turn is derived from Classical Persian koftah, contemporarily kufte. The earliest extant use of the word in the Urdu language is attested from the year 1665 in Mulla Nusrati's ʿAlī Nāma. It was first used in English in Qanoon-e-Islam in 1832, and then by James Wise in 1883. The languages of the region of the kofta's origin have adopted the word with minor phonetic variations. Similar foods are called in other languages croquettes, dumplings, meatballs, rissoles, and turnovers. Generally meat is mixed with spices and often other ingredients such as rice, bulgur, vegetables, or eggs to form a paste. They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked, or marinated, and may be served with a rich spicy sauce or in a soup or stew. Koftas are sometimes made from fish or vegetables rather than red meat. Some versions are stuffed with nuts, cheese, or eggs. Generally the size can vary from the "size of an orange to the size of a golf ball", although some variants are outside that range; tabriz koftesi, which average 20 centimetres (8 in) in diameter, are the largest. They can be shaped in various forms[10] including patties, balls, or cylinders. Some versions are uncooked. ‘Malai’ means cream and ‘Kofta’ are fried balls of various ingredients, popular not only in Indian cuisine, but also in Middle Eastern, Balkan and Asian meals as well. As an Indian and a vegetarian, the most common types of kofta that I have encountered are made with potatoes and mixed veg. That said, other koftas often includes various meats and can be thought of as similar to Italian meatballs or Middle Eastern kebabs. Malai kofta is one of the most sought-after Indian dishes in restaurants around the world, and for good reason. The dish requires a lot of effort to make, but in the end, it is all worth it. In this delicious restaurant style malai kofta recipe, the kofta are made with paneer and potatoes. Crisp on the outside and heavenly smooth on the inside, these tasty fried dumplings are dunked in a smooth, mildly sweet and lighted spiced curry. The combination of the kofta with the curry tastes awesome. You’ll just have to try it to find out! Why This Malai Kofta Recipe Works: There are many variations of malai kofta recipes. This, however, is one of the best malai paneer kofta you can make at home. Trust me when I say: this recipe is for keeps. In this recipe, the curry gravy is made from ground cashew paste, onion paste and tomato puree. The cashew paste makes the curry rich and creamy. I also add some cream for a luxurious taste as many times this dish is made for special occasions or parties. But you can skip the cream if you want. The kofta themselves are incredibly tender with a consistency that is nothing short of exquisite. Crispy golden brown on the outside, with a scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth inside, these dumplings are nothing short of a gift. While this recipe makes about 7 to 8 paneer kofta, with the curry it is more than enough to feed 3 to 4 people. Let me tell you that Malai kofta is a rich and heavy meal, so 1 – 2 kofta should be enough per serving.