Restaurant-style Malai Kofta Curry (Cottage cheese dumplings dunked in rich creamy gravy)

For paneer/cottage cheese – Alternately you may use store-bought paneer, crumbled –

 ½ cup
Milk – 1 litre
Vinegar/lemon juice – 3 tbsp

For kofta
Carrot – 1, big
Corn kernels – 3 tbsp
Coriander/dhania powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Dry mango powder/amchur – 1 tsp
Cumin/jeera powder – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Bread crumbs/soy granules – ¼ cup
Salt – to taste
To be soaked (30 mins)
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Badam/Almonds – 3
For curry
Tomatoes – 1/2 cup
Onion – ½ cup
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Cumin powder – 1tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Fresh cream – 2 tbsp
Kasuri mehi/dry fenugreek leaves – 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves – to garnish
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Procedure:

1. Boil the milk, remove from heat and add vinegar to it. You can see that the water separates, leaving the paneer. Strain the paneer from water and place in a separate large dish.
2. Blend together the carrots and corn into a rough paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. To this, add all the ingredients under ‘for kofta’ along with paneer.
4. Make round balls with this mixture and set aside. This recipe makes about 9-10 balls. Shallow fry the balls till they get a golden crust. Remove onto a tissue cloth. Koftas are ready.
5. To prepare the curry, heat oil in a pan and add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell disappears.
6. Then add the tomato, cumin powder, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and a pinch of salt. Cook covered for a minute. Let cool.
7. Once cool, blend the soaked almonds and fennel along with the onion-tomato mixture to form a smooth silky paste.
8. Add this into the same pan and add about ½ cup water. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
9. Add the cream, kasuri methi and desired salt. Simmer for another minute and remove from heat.
10. Just before serving, place the koftas in the serving bowl and pour the rich silky gravy over it. Garnish with coriander leaves.
11. Rich and restaurant-style paneer koftas are ready!!