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 curry is great as an appetiser (less sauce) or as a main course (more sauce)! So what are you waiting for?...Press Play!!
Chicken Kofta Curry Recipe Serves 2-3 People Cooking Time: 40 Minutes (Approx)
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
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 by adding all the ingredients for the meatballs into a bowl and mixing it well by hand. You can leave this overnight or make the meatballs right away.
To make the meatballs, use a 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 water and 1/2 tsp Vinegar into a bowl. Dip your hands in the water and wet them slightly before you roll the meatballs. You'll notice the meat will not stick to your hands. 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 stay together and not break!
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 the chopped Onions 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. Stir it in and let it cooked, covered, until the oil comes on top. Reduce the heat if needed.
Once the Oil comes on top, add the vinegar water from rolling 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.
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 and not 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 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 sweet.
Cover and let it cook for another few minutes if anything was added.
You can check if the meatballs are cooked by removing one 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.
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