Kofta curry is a delicious dish of succulent grilled or broiled beef meatballs in a rich, creamy and spicy sauce. It is full of fragrant Indian spices and makes a great weeknight dinner. This low carb meatball curry is also freezer friendly. Great tips for lightening it up also included.
Celebrate your Indian experience with our popular Easy Biryani and Chicken Korma.
Kofta Kebabs
Kofta kebabs are grilled meatballs that are popular in the Mediterranean, Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. They are made with ground meat, fragrant spices and herbs.
Here in this kofta curry recipe I have broiled them for ease of preparation. Also, the process of grilling or broiling imparts a nice flavor. Some fat is also released out of the meatballs. And the rapid cooking process makes the meatballs juicy.
Many traditional recipes use cream to add richness to this gravy. But I use yogurt instead of cream to achieve a rich consistency for this meatball curry.
How To Make Kofta Curry
- Combine all the kofta (meatballs) ingredients and knead well into a smooth mixture for 3-4 minutes. Set it aside.
- Sauté chopped onions over medium heat until golden brown. Add ginger and garlic paste and stir for 2 minutes. Then add the spices (garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder), salt and stir well.
- Next, add the chili peppers, tomato paste and stir 2 minutes, followed by adding the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the whipped yogurt thoroughly and add the fenugreek leaves, which give a distinctive taste to this dish. Add 1 cup of water and let it simmer about 20 minutes, until some oil surfaces on the top.
- Shape 16 smooth and cylindrical (or round) koftas and broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes on both sides. Alternatively the koftas may also be grilled or barbecued.
- Add the koftas to the gravy. Adjust seasoning and gravy consistency as needed. Increase the heat until it starts bubbling and then simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and a drizzle of cream.
Pro Tips
- One key step I often use while making meatballs is to add grated onion. This imparts a nice onion flavor and also makes them soft and moist. Some recipes also use grated zucchini to keep meatballs juicy.
- The beef meatballs should be broiled or grilled quickly at high temperature to brown the meat well on the exterior. If it is not done at the right temperature and it takes too long, then the meatballs can become dry.
- Make sure that the tomatoes are well cooked before adding the yogurt. Otherwise the yogurt will curdle and the gravy will not be smooth and will look messy.
- I like to use creamy whole milk yogurt. Be sure to use grass fed dairy products whenever you can, that way you get more of the CLA that I talk about in this post below.
- The gravy in this beef meatball curry recipe is pretty rich and creamy with the addition of yogurt. But if you want to add a richer flavor for special occasions, then you could drizzle some ghee or cream on the top, just at the end of the cooking process.
- Replace the breadcrumbs with chickpea flour to make gluten free kofta curry.
- If you wanted to make these koftas on stove top, then try using a cast iron skillet and drain the fat.
What Type of Meat to Use for Making Koftas?
Koftas are basically meatballs and so are made with ground meat, most often ground lamb. But using a combination of ground lamb and ground beef is also common. They are then combined with grated onions, spices and herbs.
Using beef and lamb, combines the robust flavor of beef with the tenderness of lamb. On the blog I have a creative Mediterranean meatball dish that you make like - Creamy cauliflower stuffed meatballs. And then these Spicy meat and potato patties.
What to Serve with Kofta Curry?
Kofta curry is typically served with steamed rice or flatbreads, salads and yogurt. But you can serve them with brown rice, couscous, quinoa and other grains. Koftas can be used to make wraps, sandwiches and filled pitas with salad vegetables and other dips.
Make Ahead and Meal Prep
The meatballs (koftas) can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw the koftas and follow with rest of the recipe. The kofta mixture can be made ahead during the day and refrigerated, so you can just grab it to cook at dinner time.
Nutrition Facts and Benefits
Meatball curry has an extensive list of ingredients. But the two main ingredients I will elaborate about are beef and tomatoes.
I have used 90% lean beef and the broiling or grilling process will also help drain off some of the fat. Beef is a very good source of protein, some of the B vitamins (B12, Niacin, B6), zinc, selenium, phosphorus and a good source of iron.
I would suggest using grass fed beef for its relatively superior nutrition quality, as it is richer in CLA (conjugate linoleic acid) and omega-3 fats.
Research has shown that CLA is associated with several health benefits such as - prevention of cancer, reducing fat mass and increasing lean body mass, improved blood glucose tolerance, inflammatory system support and cardiovascular health. However, when it comes to red meat, moderation is recommended.
Tomatoes are a treasure house of antioxidants - a rich source of vitamin C, beta-carotene and several phytonutrients. And are well known for being an outstanding source of lycopene and its association with cancer prevention.
More Tomato Based Stews:
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Kofta Curry (Meatball curry)
Ingredients
KOFTA KEBAB
- 1 pound ground beef (90% lean meat, 10% fat)
- 1 onion medium, grated
- 1 egg large
- 4 tablespoons bread crumbs or chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon mint fresh, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry mint)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala or tikka masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander ground
- 1 teaspoon turmeric ground
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
CURRY
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion medium, chopped
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander ground
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust per taste)
- 1 chili pepper chopped (jalapeno or cayenne or serrano)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1½ cups crushed tomatoes *
- 1 cup yogurt whole, whipped
- 2 tablespoon fenugreek leaves chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried leaves)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
- Cilantro chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for kofta (meatballs) in a mixing bowl. Mix and knead it well for 3-4 minutes. Let it rest as you prepare the curry.
- Heat the olive oil in a cooking pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste and stir for 2 minutes. Add the tikka masala, chili powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well.
- Then add the chili peppers, tomato paste and stir 2 minutes. Next add the crushed tomatoes and stir it in.
- Add the whipped yogurt and stir thoroughly. Add the fenugreek leaves, which give a distinctive taste to this dish.
- Then add 1 cup of water and stir (adjust the water as needed). Let it simmer about 20 minutes, until some oil starts surfacing on the top.
- Meanwhile, shape 16 smooth and cylindrical (or round) koftas and set aside. Place the koftas on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil it on high for about 3 to 5 minutes on both sides.
- The broiling time may differ with each oven, so make sure to check initial progress. Alternatively the koftas may also be grilled. The koftas do not have to be completely cooked in this process as they will cook further in the sauce.
- If necessary, you may use a blender and process the sauce. Add the koftas to the sauce. Adjust seasoning and consistency as needed.
- Increase the heat to medium high and once the curry starts bubbling, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves on the top. You may drizzle cream or whipped yogurt on top.
- Serve this beef meatball curry with rice or flat bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you prefer to use fresh tomatoes for the gravy, chop and puree 1 pound of fresh tomatoes with the skin and seeds, along with 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
- If using fresh tomatoes, you may skip addition of water in the recipe, and add the yogurt only after the tomatoes are very well cooked. Otherwise the yogurt will curdle and the gravy will not be smooth. I prefer to use grass fed whole milk yogurt.
- You could also try using tomato paste (1/2 cup double concentrated good quality tomato paste + 2 cups water).
- Use grated onion or grated zucchini for soft, juicy and moist meatballs.
- Meatballs should be broiled or grilled quickly at high temperature to only brown the meat well on the exterior. If it takes too long, then the meatballs can become dry.
- For a richer flavor or special occasions, drizzle some ghee or cream on the top, at the end of the cooking process.
- Replace the breadcrumbs with chickpea flour to make gluten free kofta curry.
- If you wanted to make these koftas on stove top, then try using a cast iron skillet and drain the fat.
Nutrition
This post was first published on January 25th 2016 and has been updated with improvements in recipe, formatting, tips, and additional enhancements.
Lawrence Moore
I made this exactly to your recipe, and the family loved it! I invited my mother over (a Kofta Curry Connoisseur!) and she was very impressed. It will become a regular addition to our dinner menu. Thank you Roxana
Roxana Begum
So happy you liked it :)
Anonymous
I am in the process of making this recipe. I have used perhaps dome different ingredients for the kofta itself as I was googling several recipes. I find your instructions are the best and I love the fact that you give options. I'd love a vegetarian version as well. Will let you know how I get on.
Roxana Begum
Thanks. Will try to post a vegetarian version.
Anonymous
These turned out so nice. There was plenty of the curry to pour over white rice. I would back off on the chili powder and the addition of the chopped jalepeno if you do not like hot and spicy things, this was borderline too spicy for us. But I think this is genuine spice level for Indian ctyle dishes. Thanks for the clear instructions.
anne thomas
hi i made this dish today the flavour was great but the yoghurt separated -how do i avoid this i used tin tomatoes thanks anne
Roxana Begum
If you used canned tomatoes it should not have happened. Try using thick and creamy yogurt and if needed blend the gravy a little. Or try adding the whipped and smooth yogurt first to the sauteed onion-spice mixture, cook it over low heat and add the pureed tomatoes little by little.