Makhni Kofta Curry
Add 1 Makhni Paneer potli to the tomato-cashew base while it simmers. Remove after approximately 20 minutes and before blending.
Ingredients
For the Koftas
- Paneer — 200 g, finely grated
- Boiled potato — 150 g, mashed
- Cornflour — 2½ tbsp
- Green chilli — 1, finely chopped
- Fresh coriander — 1 tbsp
- Salt — ½ tsp
- Oil — for shallow or deep frying
Zaika Potli
- Makhni Paneer — 1 potli
For the Gravy
- Butter — 2 tbsp
- Onion — 1 medium / about 100 g, sliced
- Tomatoes — 450 g, chopped
- Ginger — 15 g
- Garlic — 4 cloves
- Cashews — 10 g / about 6–8 whole cashews
- Kashmiri chilli powder — ¾ tsp
- Coriander powder — 1 tsp
- Water — 1¼ cups
- Salt — 1 tsp
For Finishing
- Cream — ¼ cup / 60 ml
- Kasuri methi — ½ tsp
- Sugar — up to ½ tsp, only if required
Cooking Instructions
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1Combine grated paneer, potato, cornflour, green chilli, coriander and salt.
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2Mix gently until the mixture holds together. Form approximately 12 small koftas.
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3Heat oil and test one kofta first. If it breaks, incorporate another 1–2 tsp cornflour into the remaining mixture.
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4Fry the koftas until evenly golden. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.
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5For the gravy, melt 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan.
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6Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes.
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7Add tomatoes, cashews, chilli powder, coriander powder, water, salt and the Makhni Paneer potli.
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8Cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the tomatoes and cashews are completely soft.
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9Remove the potli.
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10Blend the mixture until extremely smooth and strain for a refined texture.
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11Melt the remaining butter in a clean kadai. Add the gravy and simmer for 6–8 minutes, adjusting with hot water until it reaches a medium consistency.
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12Add cream and crushed kasuri methi. Taste and add sugar only if needed to balance particularly acidic tomatoes.
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13Add the koftas only immediately before serving. Spoon the hot gravy over them and allow them to sit for 1–2 minutes rather than simmering them for an extended period.
Fry one test kofta before committing the whole batch. Paneer and potato moisture varies considerably; a test tells you whether the mixture needs a little more cornflour without making every kofta unnecessarily dense.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Makhni Kofta Curry
Soft paneer-potato koftas served in a silky tomato-cashew gravy make this one of the collection's richer festive dishes. Because the Makhni Paneer potli already contains cashew and an aromatic Mughlai-style whole-spice profile, the additional nuts in the gravy are deliberately restrained.
The Secret: Fry one test kofta before committing the whole batch. Paneer and potato moisture varies considerably; a test tells you whether the mixture needs a little more cornflour without making every kofta unnecessarily dense.