Learn how I make Kofta Curry at home using chicken mince. (You can use lamb mince if you prefer).
I'll teach you how to make this curry so that your meatballs don't break while cooking and so that they are soft and tasty! I'll share the secrets that my mum shared with me on how to make this delicious curry. This Chicken Kofta Curry is great as a main course or even an appetiser (just make sauce thicker)! So what are you waiting for?...Press Play!!
Chicken Kofta Curry Recipe
Course: Main or Appetizer
Cooking Time: 40 Minutes (Approx)
Serves 2-3 People
Difficulty: Medium
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
500g Chicken or Lamb Mince
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
3/4 tsp Salt
1 Heaped TBSP Chopped Coriander
2 tsp Oil (for Meatballs)
Water to Shape the Meatballs:
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 tsp Malt Vinegar
Curry Sauce:
1/4 Cup Oil (for sauce)
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 Bay Leaves
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Cup Tinned Tomato, Crushed
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic-Chili Paste
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1 TBSP Tomato Paste
METHOD
Make the meatball mix:
Take a large bowl and add the ingredients for the meatballs:
500g Chicken or Lamb Mince (excess moisture removed, if any)
1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
3/4 tsp Salt
1 Heaped TBSP Chopped Coriander
2 tsp Oil
Mix this well by hand. You can cover this mix and leave it overnight in the fridge or make the meatballs right away.
To make the meatballs, use a 1" measuring scoop so that the meatballs are all the same size. To roll the meatballs and prevent them sticking to your hands, place 1/2 Cup Water and 1/2 tsp Vinegar into a bowl and mix it. Dip your hands in the water mixture and wet them slightly before you roll the meatballs. You'll notice the meat will not stick to your hands.
Tip: Don't make your hands excessively wet, just dampen them.
SAVE this vinegar water for the curry!!
Then prepare the sauce in shallow, wide saucepan:
Tip: The reason you want a shallow and wide saucepan is so that you can spread out the meatballs without them sitting on top of each other. That will help them to stay together without breaking!
Heat up the pan on a medium-high heat and add 1/4 Cup Oil to the pan along with 2 Cinnamon Sticks. Let the Cinnamon Sticks sizzle.
Then add 1 Medium Chopped Onion along with 1/2 tsp Garam Masala and 2 Bay Leaves.
Tip: I like to add Garam Masala instead of whole spices like Cloves & Cardamom Pods to the Onions because I don't like biting into the spices when I'm eating the curry. Cinnamon Stick and Bayleaves are large enough to pick out easily!
When the Onions turn a golden-brown colour, add 1 Cup crushed Tinned Tomatoes and the remaining spices for the sauce:
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic-Chili Paste
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
1 TBSP Tomato Paste
Stir the spices in and let the sauce cook covered, until the oil comes on top. Reduce the heat if needed.
Once the Oil comes on top, add the vinegar water from shaping the meatballs and stir it in. You can add more water if desired. Bring this to a boil.
Note: If you want to add potatoes to the curry, add them now and let them cook through before adding the meatballs. You can add 1-2 Medium Potatoes cut into
1 1/2" pieces.
Carefully add the meatballs to the boiling sauce, placing them close to each other but not on top, if possible. Shake the pan to make some space to add more of the meatballs.
Tip: Adding meatballs to a boiling sauce helps them stay together by quickly sealing the outside of the meatball so that they don't break.
Once all the meatballs have been added, let the curry cook, covered for about 5 minutes.
Then, if the meatballs look like they have cooked on the outside (the colour will have changed), gently stir the curry. Make sure you stir just to make sure the curry doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and to move the meatballs around a bit. Add more hot water if needed.
Tip: For a meatball appetiser, keep the sauce thick and dry. For a curry to have with rice or roti, add more water as you'll need more gravy.
Cover the pan and let the curry continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes.
Taste the curry and adjust the seasoning, if needed. I added a bit more vinegar as my onions were quite sweet.
Cover and let the curry cook for another few minutes, especially if any additional ingredients were added.
You can check if the meatballs are cooked by removing a meatball to a plate and breaking it. It should be cooked through after 15-20 minutes of cooking.
Turn off the heat and garnish the curry with Garam Masala and chopped Coriander.
Enjoy this Kofta Curry with a squeeze of fresh lemon and: Green Chutney, Naan or Roti and Rice.
