Malai Kofta – Meatless Meatballs in Creamy Indian Sauce
Malai Kofta is a traditional recipe gets a makeover by using frozen meatless meatballs. Same rich and flavorful Indian spiced sauce but half the work.
Malai kofta, literally translates into meatballs in a creamy sauce. I have grown up eating meatless malai kofta which had koftas actually made of a mixture of potatoes, paneer, carrots and peas. My mom makes a killer meatless malai kofta and I have myself perfected the recipe as well. The key to this recipe is the tomato based sauce that is slightly sweet due to addition of honey or sugar but at the same time maintains the depth and flavor of rich, aromatic spices.
Jump to RecipeYou know that we are not a very big meat eating family. Our meals are mostly vegetarian with a balanced nutritious value. So when I heard about an opportunity to celebrate Earth Day with Gardein to highlight their meatless options, I wad excited to be a part of it. Being a part of the Meatless Monday team, I feel honored to share this recipe of malai kofta using Gardein Meatless Meatballs.
Earth Day
Though there is no doubt in my mind that as responsible citizens of this planet, we should consider everyday Earth Day, but a day specially recognized and set aside to celebrate everything about out beautiful planet deserves attention and respect. Study after study has shown how commercial production of meat is harming our environment. I have friends who are cattle ranchers and farmers and they have an exactly opposing thought process. I am still trying to figure out and research more this topic before reaching my conclusions.
Giving up meat one day a week should not be life changing for anybody though it can significantly help our environment. There are many other ways we can help our environment and earth along with giving up meat for just one day a week. It does not have to be a Monday if you think it is asking too much out of the first day of the week..ha ha.
Recycling and reusing is the most obvious and easiest way of helping our environment. Other things that we do as a family include using There are many other ways to support your environment and planet. It does not have to be complicated and anything major. Small, thoughtful steps make an impact. So do not wait, just spring into action! Make this meatless meatball malai kofta as a teeny tiny step towards celebrating Earth Day. This is my version of malai kofta and some purists might not agree with it. But this is how I roll…lol. I have adapted a traditional malai kofta recipe to the spices and ingredients easily available in the United States. It is important to choose the right cooking pot or pan. The gravy/sauce will cook for a long time until all the moisture is absorbed. So choose a heavy bottomed pan that distributes the heat evenly – non-stick or traditional is your preference. The sauce begins with whole spices like cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and aromatics like ginger garlic and onion. I always use fresh tomatoes and puree them in the blender to add to the onion masala, but if canned tomatoes are your thing, feel free to use them. After the onion tomato masala is bhoonoed (in other words all the moisture has cooked off), add heavy cream while stirring continuously. Make a silky sauce/gravy by adding milk and some water. Add the frozen meatless meatballs and cook for 10-15 minutes. Finish with garam masala and kasoori methi. You have a keeper on your hands! Malai Kofta is a traditional recipe gets a makeover by using frozen meatless meatballs. Same rich and flavorful Indian spiced sauce but half the work. Set a heavy bottomed/non-stick pan on medium high and add the oil. Once the oil is hot and shiny, add the whole spices (green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Add minced garlic and chopped onion. Add a pinch of salt. The salt helps to pull out the moisture from the onions and they cook faster. Mix. Cook until the moisture evaporates and add ginger. Cook the masala till it all comes together and the onions turn golden brown. If at some point, the masala starts sticking to the pan, sprinkle some water to loosen the bits and continue cooking. Add in turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and cayenne. Mix well. Add the pureed tomatoes and cook (stirring in between) until oil separates from the mixture, about 10 minutes. Slowly add the cream, stirring or whisking continuously. The idea is to gently bring the cream to high temperature so that it does not curdle or separate out. Once the cream is completely mixed in, add the milk, again stirring continuously. Add water to adjust the consistency. The sauce will thicken as it sits so factor that in. Now add salt, honey, ketchup, raisins and frozen meatless meatballs. Bring the sauce to a boil at high heat. Once it boils, lower the heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook for 15 -20 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through and softened. If you want to use ginger garlic paste, use 1 tbsp of it and add with the onions. If you are using canned diced tomatoes, I would suggest pureeing/blending them in a blender. You will need about 3-4 juicy tomatoes to get 1.5 cups pureed tomatoes. I hope you will give this recipe a try on this Earth day to cut out some meat without compromising on texture and taste of the meatballs. If you have other ways of celebrating Earth day or helping the environment, please feel free to leave it in comments below. Love – Vaishali.
Recipe Run Down
Here is a handy dandy printable:
Malai Kofta – Meatless Meatballs in Creamy Indian Spiced Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Notes
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Luna S
April 16, 2019 at 11:28 amLooking at them you wouldn’t even be able to tell those meatballs are meatless. This looks pretty good!
Vaishali
April 16, 2019 at 11:44 amThanks Luna, yes exactly. And the texture is spot on as well.
Ashli Ferguson
April 16, 2019 at 11:59 amMMMM this looks so good. I just ate and it made me hungry again haha
Vaishali
April 16, 2019 at 12:24 pmHa ha…thanks!
Cendu
April 16, 2019 at 12:52 pmOh wow!! I can almost smelll it! This looks so so good. The color is so rich and inviting. I would love to take a go at it.
Vaishali
April 16, 2019 at 12:56 pmThanks a lot Cendu. This is one of go to sauce recipe when I entertain. So rich and flavorful!
Ran | Travel & Lifestyle
April 16, 2019 at 3:50 pmLooks yummy! I’m not a big fan of non-meat food but I’d definitely try this out!
Vaishali
April 16, 2019 at 4:04 pmHi Ran, you can definitely use regular meatballs in this recipe..:) Thanks!
Lorita | Ting and Things
April 16, 2019 at 5:36 pmIf I didn’t read the title i wouldn’t be able to tell that these are in fact meatless meatballs! Pinning this for later!
Hackytips
April 17, 2019 at 9:04 amMeatless meatballs that sound funny 😀 These pictures are looking so yum making me hungry.
Hoang Vi Fessenden
April 17, 2019 at 10:27 amOh wow do you deliver?
Monidipa Dutta
April 17, 2019 at 11:34 amThe recipe sounds really great and truly it is worth a try. And I will give it a try.
Vaishali
April 17, 2019 at 6:17 pmThank You Moni. Please let me know when you try it..:)
Nursery Rhymes Girl
April 17, 2019 at 11:48 amI’m sure you can cook well. Plus, not every person can smile from bottom of their hearts like you.. I just saw your pic and just wanted to tell. Good luck with blogging 🙂
Vaishali
April 17, 2019 at 6:17 pmAww…your comment made my day. Thank You so much..:)
Maysz
April 17, 2019 at 9:44 pmThis recipe looks so delicious and makes me feel hungry 🙁 I would love to try to make this recipe.
blair villanueva
April 17, 2019 at 10:20 pmOhh dear this recipe is delicious I want more rice along with this! Yummylicious!
Neil Alvin Nicerio
April 18, 2019 at 4:54 amIt’s the first time that I have heard of this dish. I would surely love to taste it for myself. 🙂
Yonnah M at yonnahsays.com
April 18, 2019 at 8:00 amI have to pass this recipe on to one of my coworkers. Often times when she’s cooking for us there are some type of variations of meatballs added to the recipe.
Devyani
April 18, 2019 at 10:54 amThis looks soooo yummy. Now I just have to find someone who makes this for me haha
Glorious Heights
April 18, 2019 at 1:48 pmOh very nice.. love how you have added the sweet touch to it 🤗 will try them 👍🏻
Elizabeth O
July 23, 2019 at 10:29 pmThat looks yummy..Indian foods always sparks my interest.
Rahul Sangle
December 23, 2019 at 2:05 amI like the meatless meatballs usage you have made. I am a great fan of Malai Kofta and my mom used to prepare yummy dishes like that when I was a child. I never got a chance to learn those recipes. Thank you for sharing it here. I am going to give it a try. Hope it turns out as tasty as it seems.
Jamie Swifka
October 15, 2022 at 11:15 amQuick question for 1 tsp kasoori methi…..is this fresh fenugreek leaves or dried?
Thanks!
Vaishali
October 15, 2022 at 1:47 pmHi Jamie, thanks for your questions. It’s dried fenugreek leaves.