The inspiration for this recipe comes for a dish I always order at a dosa cafe in Calgary called Malai Momos. Crispy vegetable spring rolls are the base of this appetizer, which get smothered in a thick, creamy, flavourful yogurt and cream sauce. There'll be no leftovers with this one.
Malai Spring Rolls
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20-25 minutes Yield: 20 rolls
INGREDIENTS
20 frozen vegetable spring rolls, prepared according to package directions
3/4 cups plain 6% yogurt
1 tsp white sugar
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste
2 tbs ghee
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp kathoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 dried red chili, broken in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp garam masala, plus a sprinkle more for garnish
1/4 cup heavy cream
32 g processed white cheese (like laughing cow) or cream cheese
Kashmiri chili powder for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Whisk yogurt, water, sugar and salt in a bowl. Set aside until ready to use. Prepare the spring rolls according to package directions (you can do this while you make the sauce).
Add the ghee to a medium sized frying pan and heat over medium low. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves, fenugreek leaves, dried chili, garlic, and garam masala. It needs to sizzle right away, so don’t add until the oil is hot. Temper for 1-2 mins, stirring the whole time to ensure the spices don’t burn, then add the heavy cream. Cook down another 1-2 mins until thickened, then stir in the processed cheese until it just melts.
Add the yogurt mixture and stir well to combine. Cook on a low for about 10-12 minutes, stirring often. It should thicken up significantly - once it can coat the back of a metal spoon, it’s ready.
Lay your spring rolls out on a serving dish, and cover generously with the Malai sauce. If there is any sauce left, you can serve it on the side.
NOTES
Don’t use any yogurt less than 6%. There’s a good chance the sauce will split.