Keto Vegan Malai Kofta

Malai kofta is the crown jewel of vegan North Indian starters, but it's usually made with paneer and potatoes—both verboten on keto. This version swaps cauliflower and zucchini for the potato, almond flour for breadcrumb binder, and plays up the cashew-cream sauce to compensate for lost richness. The result is lighter but still deeply satisfying, with a different (and arguably more elegant) texture profile.

Squeezing your vegetables is critical. Wet koftas will fall apart in the oven or turn mushy in sauce. Use a clean kitchen towel or nut milk bag to extract maximum moisture. The flaxseed mixed into the binding works as a binder in place of eggs, giving you structure without animal products. Almond flour provides toasty depth and fat that mimics how paneer feels on the palate.

Cashew cream might seem like cheating on a vegan diet (it's basically vegan cooking cream), but it's not starch-dense and fits keto math if you portion it carefully. If you can't source or don't want cashews, use 100 ml more coconut cream and blend it with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for umami. These koftas are best eaten fresh from the oven while they still have a tender bite; leftovers soften further but remain delicious reheated gently on the stovetop.