Imagine a delicious dish from India that combines rich, creamy gravy with soft, melt-in-your-mouth dumplings. That’s Malai Kofta for you! It’s a popular vegetarian dish that’s loved by many for its amazing flavors and textures. The koftas, or dumplings, are typically made from paneer (a type of Indian cottage cheese), mashed potatoes, nuts, and spices, all rolled together and fried until golden brown. These delightful koftas are then simmered in a luscious sauce made with cream, tomatoes, onions, and a blend of aromatic spices. The result is a dish that’s creamy, flavorful, and absolutely irresistible.
I decided to lighten it up by not frying the koftas and came up with the Malai Kofta in the Appe pan recipe. I’ll use cashews to give it the same creamy flavor and avoid cream altogether.
So, let’s get started and learn how to make this delicious and healthy version of Malai Kofta with the help of an Appe pan.
What is Malai Kofta?
“Malai” means cream in Hindi and Kofta is meatball-style fried dumplings made of boiled potatoes and paneer. The koftas are served topped with a creamy, spicy tomato-based gravy. In this recipe, the koftas (dumplings) are not fried but rather cooked in the appe pan on the stove top with minimal oil. Traditionally, malai kofta recipes are laden with cream and rightfully so as the name would suggest but in this recipe, we are using cashews to give it the same creamy flavor and avoiding cream altogether.
What is the Appe pan?
Appe Pan is known by several different names in different parts of India and the world. It is also called Appam pan, Eebleskiver pan, and Paniyaram pan to name a few. The pan has small round indents that give the final product a round almost circular look. Appe pans have become popular in recent years as they are a healthier alternative to frying. People have become very creative and use it as a substitute to fry pakodas and dahi vadas. I should write some blog posts soon on the yummy and healthy snacks that can be made in the Appe pan.
Ingredients used to make Malai Kofta
Ingredients used to make koftas
- 1 cup grated or crumbled paneer
- 1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons Corn starch (also called corn flour in some countries)
- ¼ cup finely chopped Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped Green chilies (optional)
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- Oil to roast the koftas
Ingredients used to make the delicious gravy
- 3 Large Roma tomatoes
- ½ medium onion
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 10-12 pieces of cashews
- 1 teaspoon whole jeera (cumin)
- 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
- 1-inch pieces of Cinnamon stick
- 3-4 Cloves
- 2 whole green Cardamoms
- 4-5 whole Black pepper
- 2 Kashmiri dry red chilies
- 2 Bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon haldi powder (turmeric)
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon dhaniya powder (coriander)
- 1 Tablespoon Kasoori Methi
- Salt
- Chopped cilantro (garnish)
Malai Kofta Recipe Method
There are three key steps to making this Malai Kofta Recipe
Making Koftas in the Appe Pan
All the ingredients for the kofta are mixed well, shaped into a 1-inch ball, and then pan-fried in the appe pan, with minimal oil. The kofta are very delicate and only stirred in the gravy at the time of serving. Homemade crumbled paneer works best in this recipe, but you can use store bought paneer also. For store bought paneer, use a grater to grate the paneer.
Making the Creamy Tomato gravy
The tomato gravy ingredients are first roasted in oil, then blended, and then cooked again with additional spices and water.
Combining Kofta in the Creamy Tomato gravy
The kofta are very delicate and can disintegrate easily so they should be handled with care. At the time of serving, the kofta are placed in the serving dish and hot tomato gravy is poured all over it. The kofta themselves can be at room temperature at the time of serving.
Recipe Tips
Follow these recipe tips to create the best possible version of this Malai Kofta Recipe:
- If the tomatoes are tart, add 1 teaspoon of sugar at the end to the cooked gravy.
- If you are not using a high-speed blender and would like a smooth gravy, strain the gravy after you blend it.
- The gravy can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or you can also store the gravy for up to a month in the freezer.
- The kofta can also be made earlier in the day and can be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours or stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If the kofta are refrigerated, at the time of serving, you can lightly heat the koftas in the microwave and pour hot gravy over it. I have personally never tried to freeze the koftas. Since it contains potatoes, I am not sure if it would maintain the right texture.
Serving and Storage
Malai Kofta goes wonderfully well with Indian Parathas, Naan, or Tandoori Roti. If you don’t want to make it from scratch at home, there are some wonderful frozen ones available at Indian stores. Trader Joe’s frozen naan is one of our family favorites.
If you have leftovers, store the koftas and the gravy separately (if not already combined) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The gravy thickens over time, so you may need to add a little bit of water before reheating.
FAQs – Malai Kofta in the Appe Pan Recipe
Yes, it is gluten-free. Serve it with jeera rice and you have a nice gluten-free dinner.
This recipe can be made Vegan if you replace paneer with extra firm tofu.
It is definitely a healthier version of the traditional Malai Kofta Recipe. The kofta are not deep fried and there is no cream used in this recipe.
Some other North Indian gravy dishes to try
Recipe Card – Malai Kofta
Malai Kofta: Creamy Healthy Non-Fried Recipe
In this recipe, we’re ditching the traditional frying method and opting for a more wholesome approach by cooking the kofta (dumplings) in an appe pan on the stovetop with just a touch of oil.
Now, when you hear “Malai,” you might expect a rich, creamy dish, and you won’t be disappointed! Instead of using heavy cream, we’re getting that creamy goodness from cashews, giving you that same luxurious taste without the extra calories.
6
servings20
minutes40
minutes1
hourIngredients
- For the koftas
1 cup grated or crumbled Paneer
1 cup Boiled and mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (also called corn flour in some countries)
1/4 cup Finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon Finely chopped green chili (optional)
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
salt
Cooking oil to cook the koftas
- For the tomato gravy
3 large Roma Tomatoes
1/2 medium Yellow onion
1 tablespoon Cooking oil
10-12 Cashews
1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)
1 inch of ginger, roughly chopped
1 inch of Cinnamon stick
3-4 Cloves
2 Green cardamoms
4-5 whole Black peppercorns
2 Dry Kashmiri red chilies
2 By Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Haldi powder (turmeric)
1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
2 teaspoons dhaniya powder (Coriander)
1 tablespoon Kasoori Methi
Salt
Chopped cilantro (garnish)
Method
- To Make the Koftas
Take all the ingredients for koftas in a bowl and mix well with clean hands. You should be able to form a dough ball with it. Portion the dough into 10-12 pieces. Roll each piece in between your palms to form an almost 1-inch smooth ball.- Heat the appe pan. Add a tiny amount of oil to each of the crevices of the pan. Add the kofta balls to each of the crevices and cook on medium flame. Add a little more oil to the exposed portion of the kofta balls. Once the bottom is cooked and brown in color, using a small spoon flip the kofta balls to invert the balls. The cooked portion should be at the top and the uncooked at the bottom. You may have to move the balls a bit around for them to cook evenly on all sides. Once cooked evenly, remove and set aside.
- To Make the Gravy
- Chop the tomatoes and onion into large pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Once heated, add cumin seeds cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black peppers, and dry red chilies and roast for a minute on medium flame. Add chopped tomatoes, onion, and cashews to it. Cook on medium flame stirring occasionally. Cook for 12-15 minutes till the tomatoes soften and the onions are browned a bit. Turn off the flame and let this mixture cool to room temperature. Remove Bay leaves. Add the cooled mixture to a blender with about 1 cup of water and blend smoothly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon in the same pan that was used to roast the tomatoes/onions. Once heated, add the blended gravy to the pan. You can adjust the consistency by adding more water at this point. Add turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook the gravy till it comes to a boil. Add kasoori methi, stir, and turn off the heat.
- To serve, place the kofta balls in a serving bowl and pour hot gravy all over it. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Tips
- If the tomatoes are tart, add 1 teaspoon of sugar at the end to the cooked gravy.
- If you are not using a high-speed blender and would like a smooth gravy, strain the gravy after you blend it.
- Combine the koftas and the gravy only at the time of serving. Be gentle and pour the hot gravy all over the koftas.
