The Best Vegan Malai Kofta
This creamy, Indian-restaurant-style vegan Malai Kofta is the perfect treat for a weekend dinner. Tofu and potato kofta balls are dunked in a silky and perfectly spiced tomato sauce. The recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and you can make it nut-free.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 258kcal
Equipment
- Small wok or saucepan or deep fryer
- Dutch oven or saute pan
Ingredients
For the vegan malai kofta:
- 16 oz super firm tofu (also called high protein tofu. Grate the tofu and then pulse five to six times in a food processor)
- ½ cup raw cashews (finely ground in a blender or food processor without adding any water)
- 1 medium potato (boiled, peeled and grated)
- 1 green chili pepper (like serrano or jalapeno. Deseed for less heat and mince really fine. Add more or less based on your personal preference)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated fine)
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- Salt to taste
- 32 golden raisins (optional, for stuffing the kofta dumplings. You can also use finely chopped nuts like pistachios or cashews)
- Vegetable oil for deep frying You need enough oil to immerse the balls, which are about 1.25 inches in diameter.
For the malai curry:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- ½ inch stick cinnamom
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic (minced or crushed into a paste)
- ½ inch piece ginger (finely grated or minced)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (use more or less based on your personal preference)
- ½ tsp (heaping) ground coriander
- 3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves, crushed in your palms)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
Make the kofta:
- Place the tofu, cashews, potatoes, cornstarch, minced chili peppers, ginger and salt in a bowl and knead until the dough holds together. The dough will be soft but it will hold together. Form 16 smooth balls with the dough. If you're stuffing raisins into the kofta dumplings, flatten the dough first in your palm a little, place two raisins in the middle, then shape into a ball.
- Heat oil in a small wok or saucepan, until a small piece of the kofta dough added to the oil sizzles immediately and rises to the top. Deep fry the kofta balls in batches on a medium flame until they are deep golden on the outside.
- Place the kofta balls in a large serving bowl.
Make the curry sauce:
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon
- Add the onions and saute until the onions are soft and just beginning to turn color.
- Add the ginger and garlic, saute for no more than 30 seconds, then add in the turmeric, cayenne and coriander powders. Stir to mix.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are pulpy and broken down, then add in the cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds and kasoori methi and mix well. Turn off the heat.
- Remove the entire mixture to the blender, add two cups of cold water and process to a really smooth paste. You can strain the sauce at this point for a really smooth texture or use as is.
- Add the sauce back to the pan and bring it back to a boil over low heat. If it's too thick to your liking, dilute with more water. Mix in the garam masala and add salt. Stir in the sugar if using, and turn off the heat.
- Pour the hot sauce over the kofta balls, and serve immediately.
Notes
- You want all of the ingredients in the kofta balls to be really, really creamy while remaining solid, so make sure everything is broken down really fine without using any water. I grate the tofu and then give it a turn in the food processor to make sure it's as smooth as possible. I really recommend using super firm tofu or high protein tofu for this dish if possible. Extra firm tofu is not as desirable, but if it's your only option, make sure you press out most of the water.
- You will need to process the raw cashews into a really fine powder. The cashews help add richness to the kofta balls, the richness khoya would bring, so try not to skip them. If you're nut-free, you can leave them out.
- Don't overwhelm the recipe with potato or cornstarch, as that will make the kofta balls tasteless. I use two tablespoons and that is more than enough to hold the kofta together.
- After adding the spices and cornstarch, the kofta balls should hold together firmly and shouldn't fall apart when you add them to the oil. Fry one ball first to make sure it holds, but if it doesn't, add more cornstarch and proceed.
- Koftas are often stuffed with a little surprise inside, like nuts or raisins. I added raisins because I like the bit of sweetness here, but if you want to add nuts, use chopped pistachios and/or cashews and you can certainly add both nuts and raisins.
- If deep frying scares you, you could put your kofta balls in an air fryer or the oven, but you won't get the same great crust or the flavor. My advise is to deep fry and eat in moderation. This is by no means an unhealthy recipe and it's filling, so I doubt you'll want to eat all of it at one go.
- The curry sauce that goes with the kofta is really simple to make, and it comes together quickly. You will need to process the sauce in the blender to make it really creamy, and then strain it for best results. I like the sauce thick, but you can thin it out to your liking and for an even smoother texture. Use water to thin it out.
- Serve the vegan malai kofta with a vegan naan or basmati rice of jeera rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 443IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 12mg