North Kofta Kebabs In Spicy Cream Sauce Malai Kofta Food

MALAI KOFTA IN SPICY CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• THE KOFTA: Combine potatoes, peas, cheese, chile, coriander, cumin, salt, cashews and raisins.
• Form mixture into 1-inch balls.
• Make a batter with the flour and water. Season with pinch of salt, if desired.
• Heat oil to 375 degrees F in a deep fryer or large heavy saucepan.
• Dip balls into batter to coat completely, and deep-fry until brown (do not crowd), about 4 minutes. Set aside. (If you want the kebabs to remain firm, put them on a heated serving platter, and tent with foil. To serve, bring cream sauce to a boil and pour over koftas)
• THE SAUCE: Grind cashews, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and garlic with a little water to make a fine paste. Set aside.
• Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and saute until wilted; stir in ground paste and cook 2 minutes.
• Add turmeric, paprika, coriander, cayenne and salt. Stir in half-and-half and water. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Pour over koftas.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
• Note: Chick-pea flour (also called besan) may be purchased at Indian grocery stores.

MALAI KOFTA

Steps:

• For the kofta: Combine the mashed potatoes, cilantro, chiles, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Knead the mixture until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then set aside.
• Put the paneer in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the nuts and dried fruit and pulse until the fruit is coarsely chopped and the nuts are broken into small pieces. (If the paneer is not salted, add a pinch of salt.) Transfer the paneer mixture to a small bowl.
• Form the mashed potato mixture into 8 equal balls. (A kitchen scale isn't necessary, but is helpful.) Form the paneer mixture into 8 equal balls. They don't have to be perfectly shaped, but it is much easier to stuff the potato balls when the paneer mixture has been squished into little balls.
• Hold a potato ball in the palm of your hand. Make an indentation with your thumb. Place a paneer ball into the concave hollow and push it in gently. Pinch the potato mixture around it and roll the potato ball in your palm to make a nice round shape. Repeat with the remaining potato and paneer balls. If the potato mixture is sticking to your hands and preventing you from rolling a smooth ball, dampen the palms of your hands with a little room-temperature water and continue rolling.
• Place the besan in a shallow bowl. Gently roll the stuffed balls in the besan. Transfer the coated balls to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the sauce. (It is easier to fry the balls when they have rested and are cold.)
• For the sauce: Meanwhile, stir together the garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander, turmeric and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until combined. Set the spice mixture aside.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle until they darken slightly, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to get a hint of color, 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not brown them, as that will affect the color of the sauce.)
• Add the garlic, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well and cook, stirring often, until the raw smell goes away, about 2 minutes. Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until the oil comes out, about 5 minutes.
• Drain the cashews and add to the saucepan, then add the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the tomato mixture is thickened and pasty, about 7 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Meanwhile, fry the kofta. Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil, attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place a paper towel over the rack. Carefully add half the balls, one at a time, and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the balls to the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining balls.
• Transfer the cooled sauce to a blender, add 1 cup water and process until smooth. Transfer the sauce back to the saucepan. Add the cream and kasoori methi if using and heat over medium heat until simmering. It should have the consistency of a smooth carrot soup; Add more water, if needed, and adjust the salt to taste.
• Gently add the fried kofta and heat, occasionally shaking the pan gently to coat the balls, until hot, about 3 minutes.
• For serving: Garnish with the garam masala and cilantro leaves.

MALAI KOFTA WITH SPICY GRAVY

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes until tender, then drain, return to the pan and put over a low heat to steam dry for a few mins. Mash with some seasoning and cool.
• Mix all the filling ingredients together. Make 12 balls of potato. Take one, press your finger into it to make a little hole, then place a little of the filling mixture into the centre. Pinch the potato back over to seal and shape into a round. Repeat with remaining potato balls and filling. Roll each kofta in flour, dip in the beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs. Fill a deep saucepan halfway with oil, and heat until a small piece of bread browns in 20 secs. Fry the koftas in batches for a few mins until golden, then set aside on kitchen paper.
• For the gravy, blend together the onions, garlic, ginger, poppy seeds and nuts in a food processor to a purée. Heat the oil, then fry the onion purée until just turning brown. Add the puréed tomatoes, spices and sugar. The gravy should be quite thick, but if you want to thin it down a bit, add a little water.
• When the gravy comes to a boil, add the koftas. Heat through and serve with a drizzle of single cream and some flaked almonds scattered on top.

KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.