Ingredients

Paste

1. Onion – 2 or 170 gms (shallow fry)
2. Khas-khas – 2 tsp
3. Kaju – 5
4. Badam – 5
5. Water – 1/3 cup

Gravy

6. Oil – 1 tbsp
7. Butter – 2 tbsp
8. Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
9. Chilli powder – 1 tsp
10. Green cardamom – 1/4 tsp
11. Sugar – 1 to 2 tsp
12. Chilli powder – 1 tsp
13. Coriander powder – 1 tsp
14. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
15. Water – 2 cups
16. Kitchen king masala – 1 tsp
17. Milk – 1/3 cup
18. Cream – 1/4 cup
19. Salt as per tatse
20. Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves, crushed) – 1 1/2 tsp
21. Cinnamon powder – 1/8 tsp

For koftas

22. Potato – 400 gms or 2
23. Green cardamom – 1/4 tsp
24. Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
25. Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp
26. Salt as per taste
27. Mint leaves (chopped) – 2 tbsp
28. Paneer (grated) – 3 tbsp

Stuffing

29. Paneer (grated) – 150 gms
30. Cinnamon powder – 1/4 tsp
31. Salt as per taste
32. Coriander leaves (chopped) – 1/3 cup
33. Mint (chopped) – 20
34. Frying in butter
35. Almond (Badam, chopped) – 10
36. Cashew nut (Kaju, chopped) – 7
37. Green chilli – 2
38. Butter – 1 tbsp

Oil for frying koftas

39. Plain Flour (maida) – 1/4 cup
40. Saffron colour – a pinch

Method

Preparing stuffed balls

1. Boil the potatoes, Peel, mash and add salt to taste.
2. Grate paneer, mix with potato, mint, add all the spices and mix well like a dough mixture, keep it aside. Check the seasoning.

For the stuffing

3. Peel the skin of almond by soaking in hot water and keep it aside.
4. Chop almond, cashew nuts and green chillies, keep it aside.
5. Fry the almond, cashew nuts and raisins in 1 tbsp of butter, add green chillies, cook on medium for 2 to 3 mins, until lightly roasted, switch off. Allow to cool.
6. Mix the fried mixture with grated paneer, mint coriander leaves with salt and spices, mix well and make small mini balls to stuff in the potato dough.
7. Make small round balls of the potato dough and place a little of the prepared stuffing mixture in the centre of each round.
8. Seal the edges and shape into stuffed round balls.
9. Take a plate put some flour and kesar colour a pinch mix well, roll or coat the balls with flour, dust it and keep it ready for frying.
10. Deep fry each kofta until golden orange colour comes. It will take 2 to 3 mins. Drain and keep aside.

For the gravy

11. Slice the onions and shallow fry in the oil for 12 to 15 mins, until the onions are golden brown.
12. Make a paste of the fried onion in the mixer, can add little water (50 ml) and grind.
13. Soak cashew nuts and khas-khas in hot water for 15 to 20 mins and then grind it with the same water in which it was soaked.
14. Preheat the vessel, add oil and butter in the same vessel in which onion were fried, when hot add onion paste and ginger and garlic paste sauté for 2 mins.
15. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and 1/2 cup water (you can use the water to clean the left over of onion paste in the mixer), cook on medium flame for 5 mins, until it starts leaving oil, in-between you can simmer and stir.
16. Add 1/2 cup water again, the khas-khas paste and cook for 5 to 8 mins on medium flame with the lid closed. Stir in between and then simmer for 5 mins.
17. Add milk and 1/2 cup water, sugar, green cardamom powder, kasoori methi, close the lid and cook on simmer for 5 to 8 mins. Keep stirring in between.
18. The gravy will begin to thicken. Add cream, kitchen king masala, mix well and cook for 5 mins on simmer with the lid closed.
19. After 5 mins, again I added  kasoori methi 1/2 tsp again as per my taste and cinnamon powder and cook for 5 mins on simmer or until it is cooked, switch off.
20. In the end if any stuffing mixture remains you can add and cook for 5 mins on lower flame with the lid closed and then switch off. (You can add water 50 ml again if it the gravy thickens to bring to the consistency you want).
21. For serving, heat the gravy, pour in a serving dish and place the malai koftas.
22. Serve this shahi malai kofta with naan, phulkas or roti (chapathi).

Notes

1. In this shahi paneer malai kofta receipe , the koftas should be put in just before eating the dish or else they will become soggy.
2. As cream and milk are added, the gravy becomes thick, so add water as per the consistency and boil it for 2 to 3 mins.
3. Taste and see, if any seasoning is required.
4. You can add the malai koftas in any gravy like butter panner or any creamy gravy which I have prepared earlier.
5. Add water as per the consistency of your gravy. If more water is added, the gravy becomes thin and it will take more time to cook.
6. Instead of saffron, you can adda pich of Biryani colour or orange colour to the flour.