Paneer Koftas
Paneer kofta is a delicious one of the popular north Indian kofta dish. Paneer koftas are made of paneer and stuffed with nuts then deep fried and then immered in spicy gravy prepared with onion, garlic, tomatoes and nuts.
Paneer kofta is served as a main dish and perfect for dinner parties, special occasion and traditional Indian festivals. Paneer koftas goes well with Nan, chapatti or parthas. Paneer is a traditional North Indian cheese and source of protein. It is a very important constituent of the North Indian cuisine. Therefore it would not be surprise if you are invited for dinner and paneer is a part of appetizer or the main course and the sweet dish.
Paneer kofta is served as a main dish and perfect for dinner parties, special occasion and traditional Indian festivals. Paneer koftas goes well with Nan, chapatti or parthas. Paneer is a traditional North Indian cheese and source of protein. It is a very important constituent of the North Indian cuisine. Therefore it would not be surprise if you are invited for dinner and paneer is a part of appetizer or the main course and the sweet dish.
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Ingredients for the paneer:
½ Gallon whole milk for paneer (see How to make paneer at home) 4 Tablespoons lemon juice 4 Teaspoons all purpose flour (maida) Ingredients for the filling: ¼ Cup crumbled paneer 1 Medium green chili- fine chopped (remove the seeds & membrane from chili) 1 Medium onion – fine chopped 12 Almonds or cashew nuts– fine chopped (raw cashews) ½ Tablespoon fresh fine chopped or grated ginger ½ Teaspoon salt or to your taste 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil Ingredients for the gravy: 2 Medium size onions 2 Teaspoon minced garlic 2 Medium size ripe tomato pureed or 2 tablespoons tomato sauce 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger 1 Medium green chili - chopped 3 Tablespoons plain yogurt 2 Teaspoons coriander powder ½ Teaspoon red chili powder ½ Teaspoon turmeric powder ½ Teaspoon garam masala powder or to your taste 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil 3 Tablespoons chopped coriander leaves 10 to 15 Cashew nuts -soaked or powdered (raw cashew nuts)- optional ½ Cup of whole milk 1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste Cooking measurement conversion Measurement conversion |
Paneer
Ingredient for stuffing
Onions, Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chili & Coriander
leaves 
Milk, Yogurt and Cashews
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Direction for stuffing:
1. In frying pan heat 1 tablespoon oil, add chopped onions and sauté them for 4 to 5 minutes or until they become translucent.
1. In frying pan heat 1 tablespoon oil, add chopped onions and sauté them for 4 to 5 minutes or until they become translucent.
Saute onions
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Onions become translucent
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2. Add, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped almonds or chopped
cashews and salt mix everything together with the onions.
3. Add crumbled Paneer and mix. Turn the stove off and let them cool down.
4. If you like to make stuffing little spicy add red chili powder or add any other
desired ingredients
cashews and salt mix everything together with the onions.
3. Add crumbled Paneer and mix. Turn the stove off and let them cool down.
4. If you like to make stuffing little spicy add red chili powder or add any other
desired ingredients
Add Green chilies, Ginger & chopped Almonds
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Add Paneer
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Mix Paneer with other ingredients
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Stuffing
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Directions for the Kofta Balls:
1. Make the paneer and knead it with the palm of the hand till it become soft, or
use the food processer to soften the paneer.
2. Once paneer become soft add all purpose flour and mix it in the paneer, if the paneer become too dry add few drops of water, the paneer should be soft and smooth.
3. Divide the dough roughly in to 18 to 20 parts without forming into the balls.
1. Make the paneer and knead it with the palm of the hand till it become soft, or
use the food processer to soften the paneer.
2. Once paneer become soft add all purpose flour and mix it in the paneer, if the paneer become too dry add few drops of water, the paneer should be soft and smooth.
3. Divide the dough roughly in to 18 to 20 parts without forming into the balls.
Knead the Paneer
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Knead the paneer & make a dough
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4. Take a portion of the dough and roll it in between your palms into a ball then with the thumb press into the middle of the ball and make a depression, with a spoon take some stuffing and fill it, then close it and roll in to a ball. Repeat it until you fill all the balls.
With the Paneer make the Balls
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Make a depression with the thumb
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Depression in Paneer ball
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Stuff the Kofta
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Paneer Ball stuffed with stuffing
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Close the Kofta Ball
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After stuffing roll & make it smooth
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Stuffed paneer balls
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5. Heat 3 cups of oil in a frying pan or a kadhi on medium high heat. In about
7 to 8 minutes oil will become hot, to test it drop a small piece of dough in the
hot oil if the dough start sizzling and comes up it means oil is hot enough, turn
the heat down to medium low.
6. Now gently drop 7 to 8 stuffed paneer ball in the hot oil, do not touch the balls.
7 to 8 minutes oil will become hot, to test it drop a small piece of dough in the
hot oil if the dough start sizzling and comes up it means oil is hot enough, turn
the heat down to medium low.
6. Now gently drop 7 to 8 stuffed paneer ball in the hot oil, do not touch the balls.
Heat the oil
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Drop the stuffed kofta balls in hot oil
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7. With the spatula flicker oil over the balls, in about 2 minutes the bottom of the balls start looking light brown then turn them around, and let them fry for 2
minutes and then flip them around. With the spatula keep flipping the koftas
around for 6 to 7 minutes or until the koftas become golden brown.
minutes and then flip them around. With the spatula keep flipping the koftas
around for 6 to 7 minutes or until the koftas become golden brown.
Fliker the Oil over Kofta’s
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Kofta Balls become light brown
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Turn the Kofta Balls to other side
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Kofta Balls become golden brown
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8. Once the balls become golden brown or the desired cooler take them off the oil
and place them in a plate over the paper towel so that extra oil could be
absorbed.
9. Turn the heat down because the oil is hot and you do not want the other batch
of balls fried quickly.
10.. Drop another batch of paneer balls then raise the heat a little. Repeat the
process until all the paneer balls are fried.
and place them in a plate over the paper towel so that extra oil could be
absorbed.
9. Turn the heat down because the oil is hot and you do not want the other batch
of balls fried quickly.
10.. Drop another batch of paneer balls then raise the heat a little. Repeat the
process until all the paneer balls are fried.
Take the fried Kofta Balls out of oil
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Place the fried Kofta over towel
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Directions for the gravy:
1. Soak Cashew nuts.
2. Use a food chopper or blender to mince the onions and garlic. Mixture should
be coarse.
3. On high heat add the oil in a wide nonstick frying pan, add minced onions and
garlic and sauté them while periodically stirring. Onions will have a lot of
water so for the first 8 to 10 minutes keep the heat high so that all the onion
water evaporates quickly.
1. Soak Cashew nuts.
2. Use a food chopper or blender to mince the onions and garlic. Mixture should
be coarse.
3. On high heat add the oil in a wide nonstick frying pan, add minced onions and
garlic and sauté them while periodically stirring. Onions will have a lot of
water so for the first 8 to 10 minutes keep the heat high so that all the onion
water evaporates quickly.
In a pan add Oil, minced onions & garlic & fry
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Onions become light brown
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4. While onion mixture cooks add the soaked cashew and yogurt in the
same food chopper or blender and grind them to a paste. Keep it aside.
5.. In the same Blender add Tomatoes and Puree.
same food chopper or blender and grind them to a paste. Keep it aside.
5.. In the same Blender add Tomatoes and Puree.
Soaked Cashew nuts
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Yogurt Cashew nut paste
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6. Once the onion water evaporated turn the heat down to medium and let the
onions fry for 8 to 9 minutes, frequently stir the onions.
7. Once the onions become light brown add Coriander powder, Red chili powder,
Turmeric powder and mix with the fried onions and fry for few seconds.
onions fry for 8 to 9 minutes, frequently stir the onions.
7. Once the onions become light brown add Coriander powder, Red chili powder,
Turmeric powder and mix with the fried onions and fry for few seconds.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder & red chile powder
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Mix the spices with fried onions
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8. Add Tomato Puree and Yogurt and cashew mixture to the the Onion Masala
and mix.
9. With the Tomato puree and yogurt onion masala become watery. Turn the heat
high for 2 to 3 minutes so that water evaporates quickly then turn the heat
down to medium, while keep string occasionally so that onion Masla does not
stick the pan.
and mix.
9. With the Tomato puree and yogurt onion masala become watery. Turn the heat
high for 2 to 3 minutes so that water evaporates quickly then turn the heat
down to medium, while keep string occasionally so that onion Masla does not
stick the pan.
Add Tomato Puree
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Add Yogurt, nut mixture
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10. Once all the water evaporated and you see the oil in the pan that means onion
masala is done.
11. Add 4 cups of water and salt and mix with onion masala, cover the pan and
cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
masala is done.
11. Add 4 cups of water and salt and mix with onion masala, cover the pan and
cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
Onion masala is done
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Add water and mix with onion masala
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Cover the Pan and cook the gravy
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Gravy is cooked
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12. Once gravy is cooked add ½ cup of milk and mix it well with the gravy and stir constantly for 1 minute so that milk blend in well with the gravy. Let the gravy cook for 8 to 10 minutes, while frequently stirring the gravy. Milk binds the gravy with onion masala
Add Milk in the gravy
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Mix Milk well in the gravy
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13. Add grated ginger, chopped green chilies and Garam masala in the gravy and
mix and let it cook.
mix and let it cook.
Gravy is cooked
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Add grated ginger, chopped green chilies and Garam masala
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14. Once onions and milk blend in together and you have the desired consistency
of the gravy add fried koftas in the gravy and mix, coat all the koftas with
gravy and simmer for 2 minutes, turn the heat off.
of the gravy add fried koftas in the gravy and mix, coat all the koftas with
gravy and simmer for 2 minutes, turn the heat off.
Gravy is ready
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Add fried Paneer koftas in the gravy
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Cover the Kofta’s with gravy
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Kofta’s are covered with gravy
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Cover the Pan & simmer
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Kofta’s are ready they are soaked in gravy
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15. Once koftas are soaked in the gravy and gravy becomes thick add little water
and give a boil, turn the stove off.
16. When ready to serve gently transfer the koftas into a serving dish and garnish
with coriander leaves.
Paneer Kofta
Tips:
1. If you do not have the time to cook everything in one day for paneer kofta then you can split the cooking process in two days by preparing kofta in one day and make the gravy other day. If you are cooking it for the party you can even make koftas’s in advance and freeze them, and the day you are going to serve mix them with gravy and heat.
2. If you have nut grinder then you do not need to soak the cashew nuts and
poppy seeds, grind them dry and make a powder then add in the onion masala.
3. Make extra paneer kofta and freeze them for later use.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
1. If you do not have the time to cook everything in one day for paneer kofta then you can split the cooking process in two days by preparing kofta in one day and make the gravy other day. If you are cooking it for the party you can even make koftas’s in advance and freeze them, and the day you are going to serve mix them with gravy and heat.
2. If you have nut grinder then you do not need to soak the cashew nuts and
poppy seeds, grind them dry and make a powder then add in the onion masala.
3. Make extra paneer kofta and freeze them for later use.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
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Other recipe:
Cabbage kofta (Bandh gobi) Lauki kofta (Bottle gourd, Ghiya)
Palak kofta (Spinach kofta) Masoor dal kofta (lentils)
Muttar paneer Palak paneer
(Paneer with green peas) (Paneer with spinach)
Paneer stuffed paratha Crumbled paneer curry
Cabbage kofta (Bandh gobi) Lauki kofta (Bottle gourd, Ghiya)
Palak kofta (Spinach kofta) Masoor dal kofta (lentils)
Muttar paneer Palak paneer
(Paneer with green peas) (Paneer with spinach)
Paneer stuffed paratha Crumbled paneer curry
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