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Skull Shaped Malai Kofta dish by Dakota-Delights. Jasmine rice topped with tomato curry and golden potato paneer shaped into a skull on the top. In a white bowl on a copper table.

Skull Shaped Malai Kofta

A festive take on the classic Indian dish! Soft, skull-shaped kofta simmered in a rich, creamy curry. Sweet and seasoned! Perfect for a Halloween dinner or a themed party.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Fall, Vegetarian, Winter
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 36 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 6 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 chef knife
  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 large pan
  • 1 medium pot
  • 1 blender
  • 1 strainer

Ingredients

For Curry

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or olive)
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cardammon (green)
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds / shahi jeera (whole)
  • 6-7 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 ¼ tbsp ginger (rough chopped)
  • 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
  • 1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomato with green chili (or 1 can tomatoes and 1 whole chili)
  • 1 c water
  • ⅛ c cashews (whole or chopped)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp neutral oil (avocado or olive)
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ¼ tsp chili powder (kashmiri / korean flakes / or regular)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp honey
  • ⅛ tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 pinch cardamom powder
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream / half & half

For Kofta

  • 2 russet potatoes (chopped into quarters/eighths)
  • 1 c paneer (grated)
  • 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
  • 1 ½ tbsp cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 green chili or ¼ green bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1 tbsp cashews (chopped)
  • 1 tbsp golden raisen (chopped)
  • 1½ tbsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp white pepper powder
  • ¼ tsp cardamom powder

Optional Garnish

  • black sesame seeds
  • yogurt
  • cilantro

Instructions 

  1. Prep ingredients. Boil 2 russet potatoes until fork tender (approximately 12 minutes)
  2. While potato is boiling, heat 1 tbsp neutral oil on medium. Add 1 whole bay leaf, 1 whole cinnamon stick, 4 whole cardammon, 3 whole cloves, 1 tsp caraway seeds / shahi jeera. Let spices sizzle for about 30 seconds to activate.
  3. Add 6-7 cloves garlic, 1 ¼ tbsp ginger , 1 large yellow onion to seasoning mix. Sauté for 2 minutes, do not brown or fully soften the onion.
  4. Add 1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomato with green chili, ⅛ c cashews, and 1 c water. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until the onion, tomato and chili is fully softened. Let cool for 10 minutes. [1]
  5. While curry cools for 10 minutes, peel and mash your potatoes. Add 1 c paneer, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 ½ tbsp cilantro, 1 green chili or ¼ green bell pepper, 1 tbsp cashews, 1 tbsp golden raisen, 1½ tbsp cornstarch, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white pepper powder, ¼ tsp cardamom powder. Mix all ingredients until combined. Be careful not to overmix. [2]
  6. If you are like me and don't enjoy deep frying, Preheat oven (Preferably on air fryer setting) to 375 °F
  7. Shape 9 koftas into skull shape. Use your finger to press eyes into the balls, use your finger and a fork or toothpick to create inverted triangles for noses.
  8. Air Fry: 10 minutes, rotate pan, 10 minutes, switch to broil (low) for 4 minutes for attractive golden tops.
    Fry: Heat neutral oil (ideally avocado oil, peanut oil for cost efficiency) to 350 °F . Above 375 your kofta will break. Fry 2-5 minutes until golden brown
    Bake: As a last resort you can totally bake the kofta on 400 °F. cook for 15-30 mins.
  9. Remove cinnamon stick from curry. Blend curry sauce until smooth. In the same pan you started the curry turn heat on medium and add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tsp neutral oil. Allow butter to melt and add sauce back to pan, pouring over a strainer. Mix for approximately 2 minutes.
  10. Add 1 tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp honey, ⅛ tsp garam masala, 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves. Cook 2-3 minutes.
  11. Reduce heat to med-low. Add 3 tbsp heavy cream / half & half. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle 1 pinch cardamom powder over the top.
  12. When kofta is done cooking add black sesame seeds to the eyes and nose for depth/decoration.
  13. Pour curry over plate or onto rice, add a drizzle of plain yogurt or tzitziki if you want to be fancy. Add kofta to top, sprinkle cilantro over the top if desired.

Notes

  1. Allow curry to cool before placing in blender so you don't leech microplastics into your food.
  2. Overmixing the kofta can result in overly dense and chewy koftas. Plus, it's time consuming for no reason.