Malai Kofta in Appe Pan

Appe pan is a must-have in the kitchen these days, especially if you want to serve healthy yet yummy treats to your friends and family. I prepared the kofta balls one day in advance and kept them in the refrigerator in an air tight container and put them in the kitchen counter out from the fridge to bring them to room temperature 1 hour prior to making them.  It was quite easy to fry the balls in the lightly greased appe pan and all I had to do to uniformly brown the balls was to keep turning them on all sides. This was quite simple to do and I could do it alongside making the rich and yummy gravy. No deep frying involved and no compromise on taste as well!! If you are still considering buying the pan, then think no more. 

Ingredients 

For the koftas (makes 18-20)

350 gms paneer (I used homemade)

2 medium potatoes boiled and grated

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves finely chopped 

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1/2 tsp coriander powder 

1/4 tsp heeng 

Salt to taste

Oil to grease the appe pan

For the gravy

1 big onion chopped 

1" piece ginger chopped 

3-4 cloves garlic chopped 

2 medium tomatoes blanched (make slight cuts/insertions on the skin and boil for 5 mins. Remove from heat and once cooled, remove the skin and eyes)

8-9 cashews soaked

3-4 kashmiri whole red chillies soaked

1" piece cinnamon, 3 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 4 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds (I did 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp shahjeera or caraway seeds)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp roasted and crushed kasuri methi

2 tbsp cream plus more for garnishing 

Direction 

Start with making the koftas. Crumble the paneer with your hands if using homemade or grate them finely if using store bought. Add all other ingredients except the oil and mix well. Taste the koftas for adequate seasoning keeping in mind that the gravy will have salt as well. If you are making the balls in advance, then keep them in an air tight container in the refrigerator until further use. Else, just keep them aside for a while as you prepare for the gravy. 

Heat oil in a pan and add the whole garam masala and let it splutter. Add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and fry till soft. Remove from heat and let it cool. In a grinder, blend together the blanched tomatoes (skin removed) and the fried onion mix and the soaked cashews and kashmiri whole chillies. Make a smooth paste and keep aside. 

Now grease the appe pan and heat it. Add the balls to each pocket and fry them on a low heat uniformly on all sides by turning them carefully without breaking. 

While making the koftas, start preparing the gravy. Heat oil (just 1 tsp is sufficient) and add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the spice paste and saute on medium flame till oil starts appearing from the sides. Add the dry spices and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. The gravy should not be too thick nor too thin as it will dry up when cooled down. Add the crushed kasuri methi and cream and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as required. I like to add a dash of sugar at the fag end. You may skip this step. Remove from heat and transfer to the serving bowl. Now add the fried koftas to the gravy and let them soak the gravy for at least 30 minutes. Serve hot garnished with some more cream.