Mutton malai kofta is made with meat balls of minced mutton mixed with ground bread and a variety of spices. These balls are then fried and cooked in a creamy gravy comprising yogurt, cashew nuts, melon seeds, onions, ginger, and lots of other spices. The steps to make mutton malai kofta at home are meticulous and easy to follow, as you will find in my recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Mutton malai kofta is a nutritious and popular dish.
- Serve it with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, pulao, tandoori roti, chapati or paratha.
- Mutton malai kofta tastes creamy, spicy, and savory.
- Other similar recipes are chicken kofta, chicken malai kofta, egg kofta, and egg malai kofta.
The Ingredients: slices
To make the kofta:
- 500 grams mutton (minced)
- 4 slices bread (torn)
- 6 pieces green chilies (broken in half)
- 8 cloves garlic (deskinned, whole)
- 1 piece ginger (1-inch size, peeled, diced roughly)
- Coriander leaves (a fistful)
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 pieces onions (medium-sized, finely chopped, juice squeezed out)
- Cooking oil as required to deep fry
To make the gravy:
- 1 cup yogurt (dahi)
- 12 pieces cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp melon seeds (char magaj)
- 1 piece ginger (2-inch size, peeled, diced roughly)
- 12 cloves garlic (deskinned, whole)
- 5 pieces green chilies (whole)
- Coriander leaves (a fistful)
- 20 pieces mint leaves
- ¼ cup water
- 1 piece onion (medium size, sliced roughly)
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 4 pieces green cardamoms
- 4 pieces cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon (1-inch stick)
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds powder
- 1 tsp chaat masala powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves (dry, crushed)
To add a smoky flavor:
- 1 piece burning charcoal
- 1 tsp cooking oil or ghee
This recipe was given by a woman I met during my morning walk. We talk about health and food usually and one day she told me to try this dish. When I asked for the recipe, she was glad to narrate it to me.
I tried it the next weekend. My husband said it was refreshing, and the boys called it “morning energy.” Now, it is our weekend wellness and nutritious meal. That brief friendship reminded me that health is not just steps—it is stories, laughter, and shared recipes.
How to Make Mutton Malai Kofta? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: In a chopper or a mixer, take 4 slices of bread (torn), 6 pieces of green chilies (broken in half), 8 cloves garlic (deskinned, whole), 1 piece of ginger (1-inch size, peeled, diced roughly), and a fistful of coriander leaves. Grind them coarsely.
Step 2: Now, take 500 grams of minced mutton in a mixing bowl and add the spicy bread crumbs to it. Also, add ½ tsp of garam masala powder, 1 tbsp of fresh cream, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix them all very nicely. Then, add 2 pieces of onions (medium-sized, finely chopped, juice squeezed out). Mix it nicely.
Step 3: Make the kofta balls and keep them on a plate aside for some time to set properly.
Step 4: In the meantime, heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in a frying pan on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, put the kofta balls in it carefully. Flip and fry them until they turn nicely crispy and brown. Remove them on a plate and keep them aside.
Step 5: To make the gravy, take 1 cup of yogurt (dahi), 12 pieces of cashew nuts, and 2 tbsp of melon seeds (char magaj) in a grinder, make a smooth free-flowing paste, and keep it aside.
Step 6: Now, in a grinder, take 1 piece of ginger (2-inch size, peeled, diced roughly), 12 cloves of garlic (deskinned, whole), 5 pieces of green chilies (whole), a fistful of coriander leaves, 20 pieces of mint leaves, ¼ cup of water, and 1 piece of onion (medium size, sliced roughly). Grind them into a fine green paste.
Step 7: Now, heat ¼ cup of cooking oil in a kadai or any deep-bottom utensil on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, put 4 pieces of green cardamoms, 4 pieces of cloves, and 1 piece of cinnamon (1-inch stick). Stir and fry them for about 30 seconds.
Step 8: Then, add the green paste and the white paste you had made earlier along with 1 tsp of white pepper powder, ½ tsp of garam masala powder, 1 tsp of cumin seeds powder, 1 tsp of chaat masala powder, 1 tsp of salt and mix everything nicely. Cover and cook it for a minute on a low flame for 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 9: After 6 minutes, remove the cover and add the fried kofta balls to it. Mix them with the gravy nicely. Cover it again and cook on a medium flame for about 10 minutes.
Step 10: Finally, after 10 minutes of cooking, add ¼ cup of fresh cream and 1 tbsp of fenugreek leaves (dry, crushed) to it. Mix nicely and let it come to one boil. Switch off the flame of your gas stove.
Step 11: To add a smoky flavor, place a small stainless-steel container with burning charcoal and a teaspoon of cooking oil or ghee in it and cover the kadai. Leave it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cover and take out the bowl of charcoal carefully.
Step 12: Your tasty and spicy homemade mutton malai kofta curry is now ready to enjoy. Take it out in a serving bowl and serve it hot with any Indian bread or rice dishes.
Recipe Card
Mutton Malai Kofta
Ingredients
To make the kofta:
- 500 grams mutton minced
- 4 slices bread torn
- 6 pieces green chilies broken in half
- 8 cloves garlic deskinned, whole
- 1 piece ginger 1-inch size, peeled, diced roughly
- Coriander leaves a fistful
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 pieces onions medium-sized, finely chopped, juice squeezed out
- Cooking oil as required to deep fry
To make the gravy:
- 1 cup yogurt dahi
- 12 pieces cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp melon seeds char magaj
- 1 piece ginger 2-inch size, peeled, diced roughly
- 12 cloves garlic deskinned, whole
- 5 pieces green chilies whole
- Coriander leaves a fistful
- 20 pieces mint leaves
- ¼ cup water
- 1 piece onion medium size, sliced roughly
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 4 pieces green cardamoms
- 4 pieces cloves
- 1 piece cinnamon 1-inch stick
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds powder
- 1 tsp chaat masala powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves dry, crushed
To add a smoky flavor:
- 1 piece burning charcoal
- 1 tsp cooking oil or ghee
Instructions
- In a chopper or a mixer, take 4 slices of bread (torn), 6 pieces of green chilies (broken in half), 8 cloves garlic (deskinned, whole), 1 piece of ginger (1-inch size, peeled, diced roughly), and a fistful of coriander leaves. Grind them coarsely.
- Now, take 500 grams of minced mutton in a mixing bowl and add the spicy bread crumbs to it. Also, add ½ tsp of garam masala powder, 1 tbsp of fresh cream, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix them all very nicely. Then, add 2 pieces of onions (medium-sized, finely chopped, juice squeezed out). Mix it nicely.
- Make the kofta balls and keep them on a plate aside for some time to set properly.
- In the meantime, heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in a frying pan on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, put the kofta balls in it carefully. Flip and fry them until they turn nicely crispy and brown. Remove them on a plate and keep them aside.
- To make the gravy, take 1 cup of yogurt (dahi), 12 pieces of cashew nuts, and 2 tbsp of melon seeds (char magaj) in a grinder, make a smooth free-flowing paste, and keep it aside.
- Now, in a grinder take 1 piece of ginger (2-inch size, peeled, diced roughly), 12 cloves of garlic (deskinned, whole), 5 pieces of green chilies (whole), a fistful of coriander leaves, 20 pieces of mint leaves, ¼ cup of water, and 1 piece of onion (medium size, sliced roughly). Grind them into a fine green paste.
- Now, heat ¼ cup of cooking oil in a kadai or any deep-bottom utensil on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, put 4 pieces of green cardamoms, 4 pieces of cloves, and 1 piece of cinnamon (1-inch stick). Stir and fry them for about 30 seconds.
- Then, add the green paste and the white paste you had made earlier along with 1 tsp of white pepper powder, ½ tsp of garam masala powder, 1 tsp of cumin seeds powder, 1 tsp of chaat masala powder, 1 tsp of salt and mix everything nicely. Cover and cook it for a minute on a low flame for 5 to 6 minutes.
- After 6 minutes, remove the cover and add the fried kofta balls to it. Mix them with the gravy nicely. Cover it again and cook on a medium flame for about 10 minutes.
- Finally, after 10 minutes of cooking, add ¼ cup of fresh cream and 1 tbsp of fenugreek leaves (dry, crushed) to it. Mix nicely and let it come to one boil. Switch off the flame of your gas stove.
- To add a smoky flavor, place a small stainless-steel container with burning charcoal and a teaspoon of cooking oil or ghee in it and cover the kadai. Leave it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cover and take out the bowl of charcoal carefully.
- Your tasty and spicy homemade mutton malai kofta curry is now ready to enjoy. Take it out in a serving bowl and serve it hot with any Indian bread or rice dishes.
