Kofta Curry (2024)

Enjoy melt-in-the-mouth soft koftas in tangy spicy gravy. Make this easy and delicious kofta curry in under 40 minutes. So good and aromatic!

Kofta-h means pounded meat. Kofta is a Persian word that means 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 lentils, and so on. The fried Kofta balls 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 about what ingredients are used in authentic and traditional versions.

I found Kofta curry or Indian Pakistan meatball curry has many versions. But the basic gravy is onion and tomato based. The variation is the addition of nuts, dairy like yogurt or cream, or coconut cream.

Why try this recipe?

Other ground meat recipes to look into are Chicken Kofta Curry, Mongolian Meatballs, Seekh kabab, and Chapli kabab.

Ingredients

Below you can see a visual presentation of the recipe.

Remember, good kofta are those that are soft and juicy to bite and do not break easily while cooking.

How to make it?

The recipe is simple but I've still elaborated this recipe into 12 steps to make it easy to comprehend for juvenile chefs.

1. Mix all ingredients of kofta balls in the bowl. Grind the mixture in the food processor to form a fine and thick dough-like mixture.
2. Roll out 1-inch kofta balls from the mixture and store them in the fridge to firm up until needed. (Tip: You can shallow fry 1 kofta ball here to check its taste and firmness. Check the FAQ section for more tips.)
3. In a wok or wide pan, fry the onion on low heat until it starts to turn golden.
4. Add ginger, garlic, green chili, and soaked almond. Let it sizzle for a minute.

5. Now add ground spices and stir for a few moments until the onions are golden brown.
6. Then add the tomato chunks. Cover and let tomatoes soften on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
7. Cook tomato until melting soft and oil separates on the sides of the pan.
8. Remove from heat and transfer gravy with a slotted spoon to a bowl or food processor leaving excess oil in the wok. Blend the gravy until smooth and set aside. (watch video)

9. In the same wok heat the remaining oil and add whole spices.
10. Let it crackle and then add kofta balls in a single layer. Then cover the wok and let it cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes until the color of kofta balls change and they are firm to move.
11. Add blended gravy, yogurt, and water. Stir carefully and cover the pan again. Simmer on low heat until oil separates on top and the gravy reaches desired consistency.
12. Garnish with cilantro, and serve with basmati rice or hot naan.

Expert Tips

• Make ahead: You can make kofta balls ahead and freeze. Simply add frozen kofta to the freshly made gravy. You can make this kofta curry 24 hours ahead.
• How to store?: The kofta curry can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. It also freezes very well.
• Add boiled eggs: If you are a boiled egg lover, add hard-boiled egg quarters to the gravy. You'd thank me for the suggestion.
• Gluten-free: Switch bread in the kofta balls with 2-3 tablespoons of gram flour or chickpea flour.
• Nut-free: You can switch nuts with a little cream or just skip them.
• Dairy-free: Switch yogurt with coconut cream.

FAQ

If your kofta balls are not having as desired texture, check the whole FAQ section for tips and how to handle it.

Hungry for more? Check these!

If you try this Kofta Curry recipe, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos onFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest,andYoutube.

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