Kofta curry is a meatball curry where Koftas are balls of minced meat slow-cooked with the curry to perfection. I have tried many kofta recipes, but koftas would turn out garlicky, hard, and tasteless. After many failed attempts, I finally found the one that is soft, not garlicky, and a perfect marriage of flavors. Who doesn’t love a spicy meatball curry, in a bit of tangy sauce.
Ingredients for Easy Kofta Curry
Minced Meat
To make koftas you can use any meat of your choice beef, lamb, or even chicken. My personal favorite is beef. I like to use 90% lean and 10 % fat for this recipe. I used finely minced meat as we say in Pakistan “machine ka keema”.
Onions
Take one medium size onion, and use a grater or food processor to mince it. Squeeze all of the extra water from the onions before adding to the meatballs. For gravy, I also used minced onion but no need to squeeze water out of the onions for gravy.
Dry roasting chickpea flour
Chickpea flour (besan) acts as a binding agent and helps keep the koftas together. Add chickpea flour to a pan without oil or any liquid. Roast it on medium-low heat while stirring constantly until it starts changing color and you can smell the aroma. Take it out of the pan and let it cool down before adding to the minced mixture.
Ginger garlic paste
I always use homemade ginger garlic paste for all of my cooking. The store-bought desi brand can also be used but I don’t recommend one that comes with vinegar.
Whole spices
I used whole spices for this recipe, I have dry roasted the spices before grinding them to enhance the flavor but you can also use spice powder if you don’t have whole spices.
Tomatoes and onions
Tomatoes give the gravy a tanginess while onions give it the sweetness. Onions in koftas make the koftas soft not chewy and hard.
How to freeze koftas?
Once the meatballs are ready. You can freeze them in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen transfer into a ziplock. You can keep koftas in the freezer for up to three months. Once ready to eat, simply make your gravy, add your frozen koftas, and cook on the low flames. They will thaw and cook at the same time.
What to serve with kofta curry?
Kofta curry tastes good with almost any side dish, whether it be fragrant rice, soft roti, or warm naan, each bringing their unique charm to the meal. My personal favorite is white rice or Tarka rice, as the lightness of plain white rice complements the richness of the curry beautifully, allowing the flavors to shine through without overpowering the dish. Additionally, the aromatic Tarka rice, with its subtle hints of spices and herbs, enhances the overall experience, creating a delightful balance that satisfies the palate and makes every bite a true delight.
Easy Kofta Curry
Ingredients
Ingredients for koftas
- 2 lbs Minced meat
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
- 8-10 Whole red chilies add more if you like spicy
- 1 whole black cardamom
- 5-6 Cloves
- 3 Inches Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Chickpea flour (dry roasted)
Ingredients for gravy
- 1 medium Onion minced
- 3 oz Tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup Water
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Cayenne pepper powder (red chili)
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 cup Oil
- 1 tsp Ginger paste
- 1 tsp Garlic paste
Garnish
- Cilantro sliced
- 2-3 Green chilies sliced
Instructions
Make spice mix
- Dry roast your whole spices in a pan for a few minutes until they are fragrant and then grind them.
Make koftas
- With the help of a grater, grate your onion and squeeze all of the water out.
- Dry roast your chickpea flour until it’s fragrant on medium-low heat and let it cool down.
- Mix spices, onion, chickpea flour, and salt into your minced meat. Knead it really well and shape it into 1-inch meatballs.
Make gravy
- To make the gravy, grate a medium size onion.
- Add oil and fry onions for couple of minutes until they are light golden brown.
- Add ginger and garlic paste, spices, and tomato sauce. Cook for a few minutes and add water to make the gravy.
- Add in koftas. Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Gently stir koftas occasionally as they are cooking.
- Garnish with cilantro and green chilies.
Video
Notes
- To stir koftas I usually don’t use a spoon, instead I use a kitchen towel to hold the pot from handles and carefully swirl it around to move the koftas.