Wednesday 24 February 2016

Malai Kofta: A Classic Mughlai Vegetarian Cuisine

The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur after defeating Ibrahim Lodi, the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. The Mughals ruled over India till 1857.  The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II was deposed by the British and exiled him to Rangoon(now known as Yangon, the capital city of  Myanmar) in 1857.  With this the Mughal empire came to an end in India. However, the Mughals have made immense contribution to Indian art, architecture, sculpture, and cusines.

The Mughlai cuisine has occupied a special place in the cuisine map o India. There are a wide range of Mughlai cuisines, which have been relished by the food lovers over the ages. Initially the cuisines were widely available in north Indian states. Now one can find Mughlai cuisines in any part of the country.   The tastes of Mughlai cuisine vary from extremely mild to spicy, and are often associated with a distinctive aroma and the taste of ground and whole spices.

 One such classic Mughlai vegetarian cuisine is Malai Kofta. Malai means cream. Koftas mean fried paneer and dumpling vegetables and creamy tomato gravy.  Malai Kofta is a tasty food item quite apt for parties and special occasions. It can be taken with roti, fried rice, jeera rice, chaptis. 

 The preparation of Malai Kofta is very simple. It takes less time. It can be made with different vegetables. Here is step by step guide how to make this food item.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

How to Make  Malai Kofta Gravy
Ingredients
 Six large non-sour tomatoes  
Four medium onions
Six cashew nuts, (nuts to be soaked in water for 15 minutes to 20 minutes)
Two-inch piece of cinnamon
Two cloves
Half teaspoon cumin seeds
One tablespoon green chilli ginger paste (freshly made)
One teaspoon coriander powder
Half teaspoon red chilli Powder
Two teaspoons sugar
Salt to taste
Three tablespoons oil

Ingredients for Kofta:
 Three large potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)
Eight to ten cashew nuts, roughly chopped
Fourteen to sixteen golden raisins or black raisins (However, not necessary. You can take for added falvor)
One-fourth cup homemade fresh cream, freeze for 6 hours
Four tablespoons corn flour
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


Video Guide on Malai Kofta




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