Potato-veggie-tofu dumplings baked crisp and drenched in a creamy tomato-cashew sauce, best served with naan or brown rice.
Have you ever had or made Malai Kofta?
If you aren’t familiar, malai kofta are Indian Dumplings in a Creamy Tomato Curry. Until recently, I had never tried this delicious dish. It’s more than likely because my husband and I didn’t really venture out for Indian food until after we transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle. Honestly, this is the best thing we ever could have done – it’s when we truly discovered the awesome food world we live in. I only thought I loved food before…
This decadent and delicious dish is typically comprised of deep-fried potato and paneer (cheese) dumplings submerged in a rich and creamy tomato-based curry sauce, reminiscent of my Chickpea Korma and Butter Chick’n recipes. Hailing from the Mughal era, royal Indian kitchens profusely used nuts, cream, butter, and dried fruit to create rich and luxurious dishes fit for kings and queens. And when you taste this, you’ll understand why.
So, I’m sure it will not surprise you to learn that “malai” means heavy cream. And as stated before, the deep-fried vegetarian “meatballs” traditionally contain paneer, which is an Indian cheese. This also explains why I never ordered them before. I have deliberately avoided dishes that contain paneer.
But this all changed when my husband sent me a text and asked if we could make Vegan Malai Kofta. You see, a friend of his posted a picture, and since my husband and I absolutely love Indian food, he thought we’d enjoy it. As it turns out, he was right. And even though I completely changed the dish, it is still absolutely delicious. One that we will make again and often.
Now I must state this very clearly – these are not traditional kofta, nor is the sauce. For starters, this fragrant and delicious dish is comprised of two distinctive components – the kofta or dumplings and the curry sauce. Like meatballs, falafel, or cookies, the kofta may take some time to prepare; but the results are definitely worth your time and effort. Pinky swear.
But before we get started, I don’t often take the time to talk about the kitchen appliances or tools I use to make my recipes. Instead, I simply assume you have access to the tools I have or at least something similar. I have an arsenal of trusty kitchen tools that I use on a frequent basis. So now I have to ask: what’s your favorite kitchen tool or appliance?
Mine is a toss-up between my Instant Pot, Vitamix (high-speed blender), and food processor. I use each one of these handy tools all the time and for a variety of reasons. This recipe uses the Vitamix, the food processor, and my newest kitchen toy. You see, my husband bought me a Ninja Foodie Air Fryer Oven for my birthday last month. It’s a cross between an air fryer, dehydrator, and toaster oven. I was excited to test it out with this kofta.
Now that we’ve talked shop, let’s shift our focus back to this kofta.
There are so many different ways to make these special dumplings or kofta. A food processor makes quick work of the potatoes, carrots, hemp hearts, peas, and tofu, producing a versatile and flavorful dumpling mixture. I just work in batches. First, I pulse the carrots and potatoes. Then I empty them into a large bowl and process the hemp hearts, peas, and tofu together.
If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. You can use a blender or chop it up by hand. It just may take a little longer and a little more effort. But that’s how you build strong muscles, right? When your ingredients are at the right consistency, toss in some flavor enhancers – lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, and garam masala. But that’s not even the fun part!
Once you have everything mixed up well, you’re going to divide the mixture into golf ball-sized rounds or oblongs, depending on your preference. Then you roll them in panko crumbs. Of course this step is optional, but it adds a nice crisp outer shell that stands in as a nice substitute for deep frying. If you’re like me, you try to reduce or eliminate unnecessary oils as much as possible. But that means baking falafel, “meatballs”, and kofta can sometimes be a bit tricky.
If you are able to use an air fryer, not only do the kofta cook faster and crisp up nicely, they also don’t dry out. The key is to cook them at a higher temperature so they aren’t baking for too long and crack. As you well know, deep-fried foods inherently stay moist and crisp. But since this kofta doesn’t contain any oil or cheese and are baked instead of being fried in oil, it is important to cook them just until they start to turn golden brown.
And if you don’t have an air fryer, your oven works just fine – I promise. It’s what I used before I had an air fryer. I assure you, it works. Just use the higher temp as instructed and keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out too much.
While your kofta are toasting up nicely in the oven or air fryer, a high-speed blender creates an incredibly smooth and creamy non-dairy tomato-based curry sauce. Instead of using a ton of cream or canned coconut milk, I opt for some soaked raw cashews and plain unsweetened plant milk. Any plant milk will do. The key is to soak the cashews for at least thirty minutes in hot water. That’s why I put it right at the front of the instructions. Start soaking while you’re prepping your kofta.
The results are a luxuriously creamy sauce. When you’re ready to serve, simply drench the kofta in some sauce and top with a little Easy Vegan Sour Cream or Yogurt. Either work great, though you may need to add a splash of milk to thin it out slightly. I like to then sprinkle a little chopped cilantro on top. Not only does it add color, it also adds flavor. If you don’t like cilantro, feel free to omit it or replace it with parsley.
This Vegan Malai Kofta is a great make-ahead meal since you can prepare the kofta and sauce separately. Then simply reheat in the oven or toaster for just a short stint while reheating your sauce on the stove. The key is to not store these together since the sauce will make the kofta soggy, instead of remaining slightly crisp. And that’s it!
I hope you enjoy this Vegan Malai Kofta as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Kofta/Dumpling Ingredients
- 1 pound yukon gold or yellow potatoes
- 1-2 carrots (1 cup)
- 16 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds) or cashews*
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ fresh lemon, squeezed (1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ – ½ tsp salt (optional)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup panko crumbs (optional)
Creamy Tomato Curry
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 10-20 minutes*
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 5-8 cloves garlic, chopped (2 Tbsp)
- 2 inch nub of ginger, chopped (2 Tbsp)
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp kashmiri chile powder**
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp – 1 tsp cayenne pepper***
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 – 1½ cups plant milk
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- ½ fresh lemon, squeezed (2 tsp lemon juice)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup Easy Vegan Sour Cream or Yogurt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, pour hot water over the ½ cup of cashews for the sauce. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan or small pot, bring water to boil. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes and carrots. Boil for about 6-8 minutes, until almost fork tender. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the cooked potatoes and carrots a few times until minced. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Back in the food processor, pulse the hemp hearts or dry cashews a few times until finely chopped. Add in the tofu and peas and process until almost smooth. The mixture consistency should resemble ricotta. Transfer to the bowl with the processed potatoes and carrots.
- Stir in the minced cilantro, lemon juice, garam masala, nutritional yeast, and cornstarch (or tapioca starch) and pepper. Mix together with your hands or a large spoon until a nice dough forms. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings and salt, if using, to taste.
- Shape the dough into 1 to 1½ inch balls.
- Roll the balls into panko crumbs, if desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, until golden. Alternatively, use an air fryer or convection oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
- Meanwhile, prep the sauce by sautéing the onion, cumin seed, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet over low to medium-low heat, until onion is translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add vegetable broth, water, or a little oil, to prevent sticking, as needed. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Blend the rinsed cashews, plant milk, tomatoes, sautéed onion-garlic-ginger mixture together in a high-powered blender (or food processor) until very smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender in the skillet or pot.
- Back in the skillet, heat the kasoori methi, garam masala, ground turmeric, kashmiri chile powder, ground coriander, black pepper, and cayenne for 20-30 seconds. Immediately pour in the blended cashew-tomato sauce, along with the maple syrup. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice and cilantro. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat.
Serve the Creamy Curry Sauce over the Baked Kofta, along with steamed rice and fresh naan or roti. Garnish with a little Vegan Sour Cream and chopped cilantro and Easy Vegan Sour Cream or Yogurt, if desired.
Notes
* I like using hemp hearts in the kofta and soaked cashews in the curry sauce, though cashews will provide the most neutral flavor. If you use cashews, please note that there are two sets of raw cashews in this recipe – ¼ cup dry raw cashews to make the kofta and ½ cup soaked raw cashews to make the creamy tomato curry sauce.
** Kashmiri chile powder is an Indian spice that adds great flavor, rich color, and a mild heat to this dish.
*** If you enjoy spicy food, amp up the cayenne. Otherwise, start with ¼ teaspoon and add more, if desired. I use ½ teaspoon.
– If you don’t have a food processor, mash the potatoes and carrots with a potato masher; finely chop the cashews and peas; and crumble the tofu with your fingers.
These koftas taste best fresh but you can make them and the sauce 1-2 days in advance. Simply store in the refrigerator separately. It’s important that the kofta is added to the curry right before serving. If you add the kofta to the curry sauce in advance, they may get soft.
I loosely adapted this from The Curious Chickpea. I added carrots and hemp hearts to the kofta. Then, I rolled them in panko bread crumbs and didn’t fry them. In fact, I didn’t use any oil or salt. For the sauce, I increased the cashews and use regular plant milk instead of canned coconut milk. The results are fantastic!
Vegan Malai Kofta (Indian Dumplings in Creamy Tomato Curry)
Equipment
- oven
- stove
- food processor or high-speed blender
Ingredients
Kofta/Dumpling Ingredients
- 1 pound yukon gold or yellow potatoes
- 1-2 carrots 1 cup
- 16 ounces firm or extra firm tofu drained
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup hemp hearts shelled hemp seeds or cashews*
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ fresh lemon squeezed (1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ – ½ tsp salt optional
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup panko crumbs optional
Creamy Tomato Curry
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 10-20 minutes*
- 1 large onion chopped
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 5-8 cloves garlic chopped (2 Tbsp)
- 2 inch nub of ginger chopped (2 Tbsp)
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp kashmiri chile powder**
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp – 1 tsp cayenne pepper***
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 – 1½ cups plant milk
- salt and pepper to taste optional
- ½ fresh lemon squeezed (2 tsp lemon juice)
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ cup Easy Vegan Sour Cream or Yogurt (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, pour hot water over the ½ cup of cashews for the sauce. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan or small pot, bring water to boil. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes and carrots. Boil for about 6-8 minutes, until almost fork tender. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the cooked potatoes and carrots a few times until minced. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Back in the food processor, pulse the hemp hearts or dry cashews a few times until finely chopped. Add in the tofu and peas and process until almost smooth. The mixture consistency should resemble ricotta. Transfer to the bowl with the processed potatoes and carrots. Stir in the minced cilantro, lemon juice, garam masala, nutritional yeast, and cornstarch (or tapioca starch) and pepper. Mix together with your hands or a large spoon until a nice dough forms. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings and salt, if using, to taste. Shape the dough into 1 to 1½ inch balls.
- Roll the balls into panko crumbs, if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, until golden. Alternatively, use an air fryer or convection oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
- Meanwhile, prep the sauce by sautéing the onion, cumin seed, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet over low to medium-low heat, until onion is translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add vegetable broth, water, or a little oil, to prevent sticking, as needed. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Blend the rinsed cashews, plant milk, tomatoes, sautéed onion-garlic-ginger mixture together in a high-powered blender (or food processor) until very smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender in the skillet or pot.
- Back in the skillet, heat the kasoori methi, garam masala, ground turmeric, kashmiri chile powder, ground coriander, black pepper, and cayenne for 20-30 seconds. Immediately pour in the blended cashew-tomato sauce, along with the maple syrup. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice, and cilantro. Adjust seasonings to taste. Remove from heat.
- Serve the Creamy Curry Sauce over the Baked Kofta, along with steamed rice and fresh naan or roti. Garnish with a little Easy Vegan Sour Cream or Yogurt and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Notes
- These koftas taste best fresh but you can make them and the sauce 1-2 days in advance. Simply store in the refrigerator separately. It’s important that the kofta is added to the curry right before serving. If you add the kofta to the curry sauce in advance, they may get soft.