Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)

If you ever crave for a world-class, authentic tasting Kofta Curry, you got to try this recipe. Meat koftas aka meatballs are simmered in a super flavorful and delicious curry. Whether you are trying to impress your friends or want to treat your family with a delightful curried dish, this is going to win you all the points.

About Kofta Curry

In this post, I share my treasured authentic recipe to make the best – soft, succulent and delicious koftas. The curry is splendid – slightly spicy and finger licking good. My recipe is pretty basic and you get the best Kofta Curry if you follow it precisely including the quantities.

The secret to an amazing meat kofta curry is in sautéing and browning the onions well. You want the onions to caramelize and cook to a jammy consistency for a great texture & a super delicious aroma. The slow cooking of meatballs in the curry keeps them succulent & prevents them from turning chewy & rubbery.

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This step also gives time for the onions to cook down further and retain a slight texture in the curry. And that’s the beauty of this dish. Most Indian traditional dishes have a textured sauce and not every curried dish is made to a super smooth and silky sauce. However if you fancy smoother curry, separate the koftas when they are cooked through and blend the sauce.

Ingredients & Substitutes

• Meat: I use lamb/ goat mince (keema) for this recipe but you can also use ground meat of your choice. If you use ground meat you don’t need to pulse the meat mixture in a food processor, just use your hands. But if you use minced meat, use a food processor or a onion chopper to get it finer. If you are using ground chicken I have separate tips below in the expert tips section.
• Onions: Onions are the heart of a good kofta curry. I prefer using red onions or a mix of yellow and red onions rather than using only yellow/ brown onions here. I find the yellow onions to be sweeter and not great to make this kind of a spicy curry.
• Tomatoes & Yogurt: Meat Kofta Curry is not a tomato based curry so we use a small amount of tomatoes. For the tang and richness we also use a small amount of plain yogurt that isn’t too sour. However you may substitute yogurt with the same amount of tomatoes but be sure your tomatoes are not too sour. To use canned tomatoes, use a brand that doesn’t include citric acid.
• Ground Spices: You need only basic ground spices like Kashmiri/Indian chili powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder & ground black pepper. There are no substitutes for any of these spices except for chili powder which can be substituted with paprika or cayenne.
• Whole Spices: I love using a few whole spices because they make a difference to the end result. If you don’t like to pick your spices from the curry, feel free to omit them. Black cardamom imparts a smoky and earthy flavor while the green cardamoms produce a slight floral aroma.

Binding & Fats

• Binding ingredient: Traditionally raw gram flour aka besan is used for binding. Since bread crumbs are a universally accepted binding ingredient used in meatballs, feel free to use them. I was not deep frying my koftas so I used powdered roasted chana dal (bhuna chana dal/chutney dal). If you want to use besan, roast it well on a low flame until nutty and aromatic. Cool down and use.
• Egg & oil: I use these 2 ingredients to increase the fat content in the meat kofta mixture. This way they don’t dry out or turn chewy even if you overcook the meatballs. It is very important to use these ingredients in small quantities. Too much is going to loosen the mixture.

Love Creamy Richness?

Traditionally many people use white poppy seeds paste for a slightly rich curry. It is worth noting that a kofta curry is not a super rich and creamy dish like a Butter Chicken or Chicken Korma. However this seed paste also impart a thicker consistency to the curry else most recipes yield a runny salan.

Where I live poppy seeds are not available so I do mine with a few overnight soaked almonds or almond flour. While cashews are not traditionally used, I found that using 2 parts almonds and 1 part cashews impart the same flavors & texture as poppy seeds. However you can simply omit that part or replace with a splash of heavy cream or coconut cream in my recipe.

Photo Guide

How to make Kofta Curry (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

Before you begin to make the dish, decide if you want to use the creamy ingredient. Omit this step if you are using heavy cream or coconut cream. If nuts or seeds are your choice, soak 15 almonds or whole cashews or a mix of both or 3 tablespoons of white poppy seeds in ½ cup boiling hot water. While the kofta curry simmers at step 21 , drain the water and blend in a small grinder with ¼ cup water.

To save time, prep up for the curry and begin to cook while you prep up the ingredients for the koftas simultaneously (section 2 – step 12).

Make the curry

1. Prepare the following ingredients to make the curry.

• Fine chop 1 large onion to make 1½ cups (200 grams, or use 3 to 4 small onions)
• Peel & fine grate ¾ inch ginger to make ¾ tablespoon (10 grams) (or use 1½ tbsps ginger garlic paste)
• Peel and crush/ grate 3 to 4 cloves of garlic to make 1 tablespoon (12 grams, omit if using gg paste)
• Slit or chop 1 green chili (Indian/ Thai chili or serrano pepper, may omit)
• Puree 1 medium tomato to make ½ cup (125 grams, may puree canned whole peeled tomatoes with no citric acid)
• Fine chop 2 tablespoons coriander leaves/ cilantro
• 1½ to 3 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder (I use 2 tsps deseeded homeground)
• Measure – ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala, ¾ to 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, ¾ teaspoon sea salt.
• Optionally use 1 black cardamom, 4 green cardamoms, 4 cloves and ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera
• Measure ⅓ cup (70 grams) thick plain yogurt (not sour)

2. On a medium flame heat 3 to 4 tablespoons oil (45 to 60 ml) in a deep pot or a kadai. Add the whole spices. When they begin to sizzle a bit, add onions and saute for 10 minutes without burning.

3. Turn down the heat to low and continue to saute for another 3 to 4 mins, until deep golden/ brown but not burnt. Pour 3 tablespoons water and mix well. Saute until the onions look jammy, for another 3 mins.

4. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilies. Saute on a medium heat until aromatic, for another minute or 2.

5. Stir in salt, chili powder, garam masala, cumin powder and coriander powder.

6. Pour the tomato puree and mix well.

7. Cook until thick, for 3 to 4 mins.

8. Lower the flame and stir in a tablespoon of the cooked masala in the whisked yogurt and mix well.

9. Pour it into the pan and cook until it blends well with the rest of the ingredients.

10. Saute this masala for another 3 mins and pour 2 to 2½ cups water. I use 2½ cups but use lesser if you are in doubt.

11. Bring to a rolling boil and simmer for 5 mins. (Meanwhile, continue with the kofta steps below. If your curry is ready and has been simmering for 5 mins, turn off the stove until your meatballs are ready.)

Make the Koftas

12. Prepare the following to make the koftas

• 250 grams minced meat/ keema (may use ground, I use goat/ lamb here)
• Chop (small piece of onion) to make 2 tablespoons (20 grams or use 2 tablespoons strained grated onion, optional, do not use more)
• Peel and slice 2 garlic cloves – 8 grams
• Peel and slice ½ inch ginger – 5 grams (optional, omit if you don’t like)
• Chop 1 small green chili (omit for low heat option) 3 grams
• Pat dry 2 tablespoons coriander leaves with a paper towel – 5 grams
• Pat dry 2 tablespoons mint leaves (optional) 5 grams
• Measure 2 teaspoons oil
• Use only 2 tablespoons egg from 1 whisked egg
• ⅓ teaspoon sea salt (more if you think it requires)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder flakes or use powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala or ground pepper
• Measure ¼ cup bread crumbs or use 2 to 3 tablespoons roasted chana dal powder (21 grams) – use only as required

13. Add onion, ginger garlic, green chili (optional), mint and coriander leaves to a food processor or a onion chopper. Pulse a few times until slightly coarse. Don’t overdo. Your aromatics are ready. I am using a food processer here if you are using ground meat (not keema) you may do this on a chopping board and transfer to a mixing bowl.

14. Add the ground spices, meat, 2 tablespoons whisked egg and salt. If you are using ground meat, you may wear gloves and simply mix through the meat and aromatics in a large bowl, using your hands.

15. Be careful not to overwork at this stage else you will have tough and dense meatballs. Pulse/mix until well combined and comes together.

16. Add the bread crumbs or flour and mix well just until combined.

17. The kofta mixture will be still sticky and moist. But if you think it is loose and does not hold shape, add more bread crumbs or flour. If your meat is too moist or you made a mistake and used more egg, you may need more crumbs or flour which is again going to make dense balls.

18. Grease your hands generously and divide to 12 equal portions. Roll to kofta/ balls brush them with oil.

19. Here you have 3 options – deep fry or shallow fry, air fry or oven bake. You are not going to cook the koftas fully here. You will perform one of these tasks to bring out the flavors and to firm up the koftas. This way they won’t disintegrate in the curry. The koftas will finish cooking in the curry. It is essential not to fully cook the meat when you are frying/ or baking.

• Option 1 – frying. Heat ¼ to ½ cup high smoke point oil on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, slide the koftas and fry them for 6 to 7 mins. Remove them to a plate. Make sure the oil is hot, else the koftas will get stuck to the pan.
• Option 2 – Preheat your air fryer for 2 mins. Spray the basket with oil, place the kofta in the basket and brush them with oil. Air fry at 380 F/190 C for 10 to 12 mins, as per your preference. Shake the basket, halfway through.

Make Kofta Curry

20. Your curry should be hot, cooked down for at least 5 to 7 mins before you add the koftas. Reduce the flame to low and add the hot koftas to the simmering curry.

21. Mix gently, cover and cook for 25 to 30 mins on a low heat, stirring at 5 to 7 mins interval.

22. Your koftas actually shrink when you air fry or oven bake but they bounce back and turn fluffy & soft after cooking.

23. Stir in the almond cream/ khus khus paste / coconut cream or heavy cream. Start with lower amounts 2 to 3 tablespoons and increase as per your preference. I used only 3 tablespoons at this stage. You don’t want the milky/nutty flavor to shine through so simmer for another 3 to 4 mins or until thick.

24. Taste test and adjust salt. For extra heat you may add more black pepper. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Kofta Curry is best eaten with basmati rice or Naan. If you plan for a elaborate meal, this Masoor Dal or Aloo Gobi, Carrot Halwa, Lassi and Kachumber will round up the meal.

Expert Tips

• Make sure your meat is free from excess moisture. Excess moisture in the meat can disintegrate your koftas. If you try to combat the excess moisture with more flour, your koftas are likely to come out tough. So use more bread crumbs instead.
• Adding too much egg or oil is likely going to loosen the kofta mixture. So add only 2 to 3 tablespoons (at max) whisked egg per 250 grams. I small egg per pound of meat works well for me.
• If you want to use coconut milk, use equal parts (1 to 1.25 cups) thick/canned coconut milk and water. In this case, omit heavy cream or coconut cream.
• To use ground chicken or keema, follow the same recipe. But use slightly less amount of water while making the sauce. Air fry the koftas only for 5 mins. Simmer the sauce for 15 mins and then add the chicken koftas. Cook them only for 10 mins in the curry.

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