Kofta curry recipe with detailed instructions for melt-in-mouth kofta in spiced creamy gravy to be enjoyed with rice or hot Naan bread.
Kofta-h literally means pounded meat. Kofta is Persian words that mean meatballs. Although, vegetable balls and cream (malai) balls and paneer balls are a later adaptation of this dish.
Kofta curry is usually tomato-onion gravy further accentuated with yogurt or cream and aromatic Indian spices. Kofta means fried ball which could be of ground meat, vegetables, cottage cheese , grains or lentil and so on. The fried Kofta are further cooked in this gravy.
I have been testing this recipe again and again since I first posted in 2018. It was good then but as I raised the bar of my own standards, it was not the best in appearance.
And you could say I was obsessed and researched so much around as what ingredients are used in authentic and traditional version.
I found Kofta curry or Indian Pakistan meatball curry has many versions. But the basic gravy is onion and tomato based. The variation is addition of nuts, dairy like yogurt or cream or coconut cream.
Why try this recipe?
This is ground meat curry and it comes with burst of curry flavor with perfect consistency of gravy that covers the Kofta and has spicy, sour and savoury flavors.
The almond in the recipe help thicken the gravy without getting watery.
The blending of ground meat with bread for meatballs helps homogenizing the texture of Kofta making them soft and unlikely to break.
The technique of bhunna searing first and blending again makes the gravy smooth the flavor are accentuated.
The cooking time has been considered and organized in a way that you can make gravy and Kofta simultaneously in a pot with just one Extra vessel for blending.Â
Other ground meat recipes to look into are Chicken Kofta Curry,Mongolian Meatballs, Seekh kabab and Chapli kabab.
Ingredients
Ground meat
Onion
Tomato
Ground spices
Whole spices
Bread
Yogurt
Almonds
Remember, good kofta are those that are soft and juicy to bite and do not break easily while cooking.
How to make it?
Mix all ingredients of kofta in mince.
Also add soaked bread in mince.
Ground mince once more in a food processor. (I prefer adding herbs after grounding so the kofta keeps a natural color and don't turn green.)Roll out kofta meatballs from mince.
In a pan heat oil and fry kofta until color changes. Cover the lid and cook further for 2 minutes.
The meatballs have tighten and won't break now.
Transfer kofta in a bowl and set aside until we prepare the gravy.
In the same pan fry all spices and cashew powder (except tomato and yogurt). Fry for a minute on medium heat.
Mix in tomato puree. (I added Kashmiri chilli powder here as I forgot to add earlier) Cook tomato puree for 5-7 minutes until oil seperates.
Add kofta meatballs to the curry.
Also add ½ cup whipped yogurt.
Fry curry leaves in 1 tablespoon oil and pour over the kofta. Delicious Kofta meatballs Curry is ready to eat.
Expert Tips
Make ahead
Add boiled eggs
Gluten-free
Nut-free
FAQ
Hungry for more? Check these!
For meatballs
450 gram ground meat ( mutton or beef)
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 slices bread
½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoons corriander powder
1 teaspoon green chili paste
Salt
For curry
½ cup oil
1 cup sliced onion
8 almonds, optional
2 tomato
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1-½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoons corriander powder
1 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
½ tablespoons chili paste
½ cup water
¼ cup yogurt or coconut cream or cream
2 inch cinnamon stich
3. Cloves
5 peppercorn
1 black cardamom, optional
Step 1
Fry onion
Meanwhile, Mix ingredient of meatball and process through a food processor to ground.
Roll into ball and store in fridge.
When onion is golden and ground spices and tomatoes. Cover and cook until tomatoes are soft. Blend.
In same pan heat 2 tablespoons oil and add whole spices. Crackle and add blended gravy. Bring it boil. Then add chilled meatballs and let the curry simmer until seperate on the top.
Add water and yogurt.
Garnish ginger and cilantro. Drizzle butter or olive. Serve with naan.
📖 Recipe
Kofta Curry
Ingredients
For Kofta
- ½ kg ground meat, Beef, lamb, mutton
Spices
- 2 medium bread slices
- ¾ cup milk , to soak bread
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ tablespoon red chilli powder
- ½ tablespoon green chilli paste
- ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoon gram flour, or chickpea flour
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 fistful corriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoon oil to fry kofta
For gravy
- ¼ cup oil
- ½ cup cashew, powdered
- ½ tablespoon small green chilli paste
- ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ tablespoon red chilli powder
- ½ tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder, or paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium tomatoes, pureed
- ½ cup plain yogurt, whipped
Tempering:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 twigs curry leaves, (kari patta)
Instructions
For Kofta
- Soak bread slices in milk and squeeze off excess milk.
- Mix all ingredient of kofta and soaked bread in mince and grind all in a food processor.
- Roll out about 2cm round balls (kofta) from grounded mince. Heat oil in a pan and fry kofta until color changes. Cover the pan and cook further for 2 minutes. Now remove kofta in a bowl and set aside.
For gravy
- In the same pan, heat oil and fry all ingredients of gravy (except tomato puree and yogurt) for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Next, add tomato puree and cooks for 5 minute until tomatoes are cooked and oil separates.
- Add kofta and yogurt to gravy and simmer for few minutes.
Tempering
- Fry curry leaves in 1 tablespoon oil and pour tempering over kofta. Cover the pan.
- Kofta curry is ready to serve.
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