FEELING HUNGRY? This time we will have paneer kofta curry, a delicious dish with paneer, potatoes and spices. Have you ever tried this paneer kofta curry? It is a very popular paneer dish. This is an excellent item for vegetarians. Not only vegetarians this paneer kofta curry is preferred by all food lovers who have ever tasted this.
Kofta means basically a round shaped food item deep fried in oil or ghee. Kofta can be made of various ingredients like vegetables, meat, fish, paneer etc. It is popular in various parts of India and its surrounding countries. Veg kofta like cabbage kofta is very popular in Northern India, you can see various non-vegetarian kofta dishes in West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar. Kofta or meatball is also preferred in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and south Indian states. Taste of those koftas may vary from state to state across the country. Some people prefer little sweetness in kofta whereas many people love to have hot and spicy kofta dishes. Do you know that this kofta is also preferred as a snack or starter? Yes, people love this kofta to eat with any gravy or curry. Deep fried crispy and delicious kofta is a mouth-watering item but still, people mostly use it in curry or gravy and have this as main course item.
Particularly paneer kofta is really an awesome item and if you not yet tasted this then must try this at a good restaurant or make it at home. If you want to enjoy paneer kofta as a snack then you can try this too. It is also super delicious and this paneer kofta is stuffed with dry fruits etc. Though if you do not want to add dry fruits then also it will work. Many people add dry fruits in curry or gravy but it is not necessary. You can make super creamy sweet paneer kofta curry or try spicy chilli flavored paner kofta curry. I personally like later one, that is spicy chilli flavored paneer kofta curry. Most people prefer to enjoy this with pulao or butter naan. But you can try this with any rice or Indian bread (roti, plain naan, paratha etc). Taste of paneer kofta at any roadside dhaba is most authentic and cost-effective.
Normally it cost around 150-250 Rupees (sometimes even more costly) at any decent city restaurant but you can have this item for 70-90 Rupees at a roadside dhaba. Roadside dhaba charges less for each plate of paneer kofta curry but that not means they offer something which is not delicious. It is delicious but ambience will be different and no AC will be there, haha.
I tasted paneer kofta curry a few years back in somewhere in Narela, Delhi. It cost 70 Rupees but it was just awesome. There was chaos inside that dhaba, everybody seemed too much busy and customers are busy with their food and service boys were running here and there. We asked a service boy to come, he just ignored us. Initially, nobody came to us to take the order. We waited 10-12 minutes then a person came and took the order. Then there was another pause for a few minutes. After 10-15 minutes thankfully they served the order but believe me that was so delicious, super rich and spicy paneer kofta I have ever eaten. You can smell this food from 50 mtr away from this place, haha. it seemed that butter & fresh cream were priceless for them (Price less means just priceless, 🙂 ). That dhaba was overcrowded and the food was awesome otherwise there was nothing in the name of customer service. They will notice you but will not greet you. When time will come they will take the order. But after so many bad things one good thing can help you to forgive all. In reality reverse generally happens but honestly saying, it happened and I did not have any complaint after having that meal.
After that, I tried different types of paneer kofta or paneer kofta curry in different restaurants and even in marriage receptions but I still can remember that taste.
There is another variation in paneer kofta where people add more cream and fewer spices. It tastes more sweet, sour and creamy. Almost white in color. That variation is probably called malai paneer kofta. It serves with butter naan or even plain naan.
Paneer kofta curry is very easy to make dish. If you can properly deal with its all ingredients then NOTHING TO WORRY. This kofta is very soft and juicy. Its list of ingredients includes paneer, potatoes, corn flour, ginger, cumin powder, coriander leaves, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Mix all ingredients, make round shaped balls and deep fried in oil. That’s all. Then you need to make curry for your kofta. Curry is prepared with chopped onion, ginger paste, finely chopped tomatoes, spices (cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, black pepper powder and kasuri methi), full cream milk, sugar, salt butter and oil.
Paneer kofta curry recipe
- Paneer - 150 gms
- Potatoes / aloo - 1 large size
- Corn flour - 2 tbsp
- Ginger /adrak -1 tsp, paste
- Cumin / jeera - 2 tsp, powder
- Coriander leaves / dhania patta- 2 plants, chopped
- Red chili - 2 tsp, powder
- Garam masala - 1 tsp, powder
- Salt - as needed
- Onion / pyaz - 2 medium size, chopped
- Ginger / adrak - 1.5 tsp, paste
- Tomatoes / tamatar - 1 medium size, chopped
- Cumin / jeera - 1.5 tsp, powder
- Red chili / lal mirch - 1 tsp, powder
- Black pepper/kali mirch - 1 tsp, powder
- Full cream milk - ½ cup
- Garam masala - 1 tsp
- Kasuri methi - 2 tsp, crushed
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Salt - as needed
- Water- as needed
- Oil - 1.5 tbsp
- Butter - ½ tbsp, melted
- Coriander leaves/dhania patta - for garnish
- Boil potato and peel its skin and mashed properly
- Now mix mashed paneer, potatoes, corn flour, ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander leaves, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt properly
- Prepare a proper mixture of all ingredients to make kofta
- Now make medium size round shaped balls with that mixture and deep fry those balls with refined / sunflower oil
- Heat oil in a cooking pot and add ginger paste and fry for just 1 minute
- Now add chopped onion and cook till color turns to light brown
- Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till it releases oil and become soft
- Now add all spices (cumin powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and garam masala), sugar and salt and mix with thick gravy
- Now pour half cup of full cream milk and boil, when it will absorb milk and gravy starts looking little creamy and shiny then add crushed kasuri methi and mix well
- Now add enough water according to quantity of curry you need and boil
- Adjust thickness of curry and add melted butter and coriander leaves, mix well
- Add fired kofta in the curry in curry boil for 2-3 minutes
- Switch of flame and cover the cooking pot for 15 minutes
- Now serve warm with roti (Indian bread) or rice
Did you like this paneer kofta curry? If yes then share your opinion below.
You can try some more paneer dishes – paneer do pyaza, palak paneer, sweet paneer curry, mushroom soup with scrambled paneer, paneer curry, achaari paneer, shahi paneer, kadai paneer, paneer butter masala, paneer masala, paneer bhurjee etc.
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