[ENG] Malai kofta / مالاي كفتة - CookkingWithAlia - Episode 539

Let's continue the India Series with a special dish: Malai Kofta. This is a sweet and savory Indian dish served in special occasions. Try it and let me know!!!
RECIPE:
INGREDIENTS:
Ingredients For The Kofta
2 medium-sized potatoes
100 (3.5 oz) grams paneer (or mozarella)
2 tablespoons flour
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons of raisins
Vegetable oil, for frying
Water, for boiling
Ingredients For The Gravy
2 small onions, thinly sliced
75g (1/2 cup) of raw unsalted cashew nuts
1 green chilli
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar, to taste
50 ml (1/4 cup) Cream
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Water, for boiling
DIRECTIONS:
STEP 1: Make The Kofta
1- Boil the potatoes in a pot filled with water until fully cooked.
2- Once done, remove the potatoes from the water and let them cool down. Then peel the skin, place the potatoes on a plate and mash them with a spoon or using your fingers.
3- Grate the paneer over the mashed potatoes. Add some salt, a little bit of flour and the raisins. Mix well with your fingers until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
4- With your hands, shape the mixture into small balls, sprinkle a little bit of flour on them and finish off the shaping to have smooth balls.
5- In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the koftas until their color becomes deep golden brown. The oil should cover half in the pan should cover half the koftas, so make sure to turn the koftas around so that all sides are fried.
6- Once done, remove the koftas from the oil and place them in a colander filled with tissue papers to absorb excess oil.

STEP 2: Make The Gravy
1- Boil water In a medium pot, add the sliced onions, cashew nuts and the green chilli. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are soft.
2- Drain the onions, cashew nuts and green chili from the water and place them in a blender. Save the cooking-water for later purposes.
3- Blend the onion mixture on high speed, into a smooth paste and place it aside in a bowl.
4- In a deep pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the ginger-garlic paste, cook it for 30 seconds. Add the onion-cashew paste in the pan and mix it with oil using a wooden spoon. Cook for 30 seconds.
5- Add cardamom powder, a little bit of salt, sugar and mix well until all ingredients are well incorporated.
6- Add some of cooking water to the pan and mix until you get a medium-thick sauce. Add the cream and cook everything for 30 seconds while stirring constantly until you get the desired gravy consistency.
STEP 3 : Combine And Enjoy
1- Once ready to serve this dish, heat up the gravy in a pan, stir in the koftas then sprinkle some chopped cilantro on the combination.
2- Serve immediately with basmati rice or Indian bread!

Notes:
- If you don't have paneer, you can use mozzarella or crush some bread and mix it with the potatoes to make the kofta
- This dish is known for the sweetness because of the cream and the sugar, so keep the spice tone less and keep it on the sweeter palette.