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Dinner with Rukmini
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Malai Kofta
Introduction from Rukmini Iyer
This is a special celebration dish, with beautifully spiced, fluffy paneer kofta in a cream-enriched tomato sauce. I request it every birthday and while it requires a little bit of kitchen pottering to make the paneer, the quick tomato sauce can be made and frozen ahead, the paneer made and refrigerated ahead of time, with the two warmed separately and put together just before serving.
Ingredients
Essential kit
You will need: a food processor or high-speed blender.
Method
Prep time: 25 minutes + time to make the paneer. Cook time: 40–50 minutes.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Stir-fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes until golden brown at the edges. Lower the heat and add the ginger, spices, salt and coconut and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes.
Tip the onion mixture into a food processor or high-speed blender and blitz to a paste. If it’s too thick to blend, add half the chopped tinned tomatoes. When smooth, add the remaining tomatoes and blitz until completely smooth. Return the onion and tomato mixture to the pan and bring to the boil. Add the cream, then lower the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
For the kofta, tip the paneer into a food processor with the coriander leaves, chilli, flour, bicarb and sea salt flakes. Blitz briefly until the mixture looks like couscous, then with lightly oiled hands, form into 20–25 small kofta, each about two-thirds the size of a golf ball.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, filling it no more than half full. Let it heat to about 170°C, or until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and just starts to turn golden within 30 seconds. Fry the paneer kofta in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until a light golden brown, using a large slotted metal spoon to turn them halfway. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and continue frying the rest of the kofta, turning down the heat if they brown too quickly. Set aside or cool and refrigerate until needed. Just before serving, reheat them in the oven for 6 minutes at 160°C fan/180°C/gas 4.
Reheat the sauce, add in the kofta, garnish with fresh coriander, and serve immediately.
Preview
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From the book
India Express: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
75 recipes inspired by the vibrant flavours of South India and Bengal
Speedy and fuss-free recipes for maximum flavour in return for minimum effort
Trademark traybakes, as well as stir-fries, snacks, weeknight curries, and simple desserts
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