Malai Kofta was the most searched recipe on Google globally in 2022 — beating out every other dish on Earth. That's not a coincidence. For vegetarians, Malai Kofta occupies the same prestige position as Butter Chicken does for meat-eaters: it's the indulgent, restaurant-worthy, celebration dish that makes guests forget they're eating vegetarian. "Malai" means cream, "Kofta" means meatball-shaped dumpling — so this is literally "cream dumplings" — and the description undersells how extraordinary the dish is when executed properly. Golden-brown, delicately spiced paneer-potato balls swimming in a velvety, pale orange cashew-tomato cream gravy that's rich enough to make you close your eyes.
The dish has two distinct components that are made separately and combined at serving: the koftas (dumplings) and the malai gravy (cream sauce). Most home cooks find the koftas intimidating — they worry about the balls falling apart during frying. This recipe solves that with a specific ratio of paneer to potato to cornflour that produces koftas which hold together perfectly every time. At Pick N Save, we stock everything for both components — nine different paneer options, cashew nuts in seven variants, cream, and every spice. We've been selling Malai Kofta ingredients to families in Harrow for wedding dinners, Diwali celebrations, and Saturday night feasts since 1999.
Boil 2 medium potatoes (Potato White 2kg) until completely soft — fork-tender, no resistance. Drain, peel while hot, and mash until completely smooth with zero lumps. Lumps in the potato will cause the koftas to crack during frying. Grate 200g of paneer (Homeville Paneer Block 1kg — use a quarter of the block) on the fine side of a box grater. The paneer must be finely grated, not cubed — grated paneer binds with the potato seamlessly.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed potato with the grated paneer. Add 2 tablespoons of cornflour (this is the binding agent that holds the koftas together during frying — don't skip it), 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cashew nuts (Fudco Cashew Nuts Jumbo 700g — for tiny pockets of crunch inside), 1 tablespoon of raisins (Fudco Green Raisins 700g — for tiny pockets of sweetness), ½ teaspoon of garam masala (TFS Garam Masala 100g), ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix everything with your hands until you have a smooth, pliable dough that holds together when squeezed.
Grease your palms lightly with oil. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball — about 3cm in diameter, slightly larger than a walnut. The surface must be completely smooth and crack-free. If cracks appear, add another teaspoon of cornflour to the mixture and re-roll. Let the shaped balls rest for 5 minutes — this allows the cornflour to absorb surface moisture and creates a better frying seal.
Heat sunflower oil (KTC Pure Sunflower Oil 5 Litres) in a deep pan to 170°C — slightly lower than bhaji temperature because koftas are denser and need longer to cook through. Gently slide 4–5 balls at a time into the hot oil. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning gently with a slotted spoon, until evenly golden-brown all over. The koftas should be dark golden — not pale (underdone) and not brown (burnt). Remove and drain on kitchen paper. The koftas can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature — they'll stay crispy.
Soak 50g of cashew nuts (Fudco Cashew Nuts Jumbo 700g or Fudco Broken Cashew Nuts 700g) in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and blend with 100ml of water into a completely smooth paste — no grit, no chunks. This cashew paste is the foundation of the gravy's silky texture. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter (Anchor Butter Salted 500g) in a pan over medium heat. Add 1 bay leaf (TFS Bay Leaves 50g), 3 green cardamom pods lightly cracked (TFS Green Cardamom Jumbo 50g), and 3 whole cloves. Let them sizzle for 15 seconds. Add 1 medium onion, finely diced (White Onions Prepack 4Kg), and cook for 4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste (Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g) and cook for 1 minute.
Add 200g of KTC Chopped Tomatoes (half a tin) or Cirio Passata (Cirio Passata Sieved Tomatoes 500g — passata gives the smoothest result). Cook for 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes break down completely. Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric (TFS Haldi Powder Rajapuri 100g), ½ teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli powder (TFS Kashmiri Mild Chilli Powder — for gentle colour without heat), 1 teaspoon of ground coriander (TFS Dhana Coriander Powder 100g), ½ teaspoon of sugar, and salt to taste. Cook for 2 minutes.
Now add the cashew paste. Stir well and simmer for 3 minutes — the gravy should turn pale orange and become noticeably silky. Add 100ml of double cream (Elmlee Double Creamy Taste 270ml) and stir until the sauce is a uniform, luxurious, creamy pale-orange colour. Taste — the gravy should be mildly spiced, slightly sweet, creamy, and smooth. If there are any lumps or visible tomato pieces, blend the gravy with a stick blender or in a regular blender and return to the pan. Malai gravy should be restaurant-smooth — no chunks, no texture, just pure silk.
Add 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves / kasuri methi (TFS Dried Fenugreek Leaves 100g) crushed between your palms — the same signature finishing touch used in our Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, and Dal Makhani recipes.
This is important: do NOT simmer the koftas in the gravy for a long time. The koftas will absorb the sauce, lose their crispy exterior, and start to disintegrate. Instead, arrange the koftas in a shallow serving bowl and pour the warm gravy over and around them just before bringing to the table. If you want the koftas partially submerged, ladle gravy around the edges so the tops remain golden and visible.
Garnish with a thin drizzle of cream in a zigzag pattern across the top, a scattering of finely chopped fresh coriander (Fresh Coriander Bunch), and a few slivers of pistachio (Fudco Pistachio Kernels 600g) or flaked almond. Serve immediately with Garlic Naan (the naan scoops both the kofta and gravy in one bite), basmati rice (Tilda Basmati Rice 5kg), or Cucumber Raita on the side.
Every single ingredient for this recipe is available at picknsave.co.uk with home delivery across London and the UK, or click and collect from our store in Harrow. Here's your shopping list:
*RI = Reference Intake. Values are approximate and may vary based on ingredients.
