By Zainab Shah
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
- Total Time
- 55 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- 4(528)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Kofta are delightful little balls of heavily spiced ground meat, most often beef or lamb. They exist on a spectrum of flavors and textures across multiple regional cuisines and even continents (and spelling variations exist). In Pakistan, they are tender and cooked in a spiced gravy. This kind of preparation makes them perfect to eat over basmati rice and roti, the gravy poured over the former or sopped up with the latter. Though traditionalists will say poppy seeds are a must, this chicken version makes allowances for what might be available. Gram flour acts as a binding agent and vinegar is a tenderizer. Make the kofta ahead of time (and the gravy, too, if you like) and freeze for up to three months. To cook from frozen, add the kofta directly to simmering gravy.
Featured in: 5 Festive Dishes for an Easy Eid Lunch
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings (18 to 24 kofta)
- 2pounds ground chicken
- ½cup chopped cilantro (optional)
- 3tablespoons gram flour or chickpea flour
- 2tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)
- 1tablespoon white or malt vinegar
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1½teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 1½teaspoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
- 1½teaspoons Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder (or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes)
- Vegetable or other neutral oil, for greasing hands
- ¼cup ghee or neutral oil
- 1large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
- 1½teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 1½teaspoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
- 1½teaspoons Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder
- 1teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4Roma tomatoes, finely chopped, or 1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2cups unsalted chicken stock or water
- 3Thai green chiles, sliced
- ¼cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)
- ½teaspoon garam masala
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
- Rice, roti or naan, for serving
For the Kofta
For the Gravy
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
386 calories; 25 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 820 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare the kofta: Mix all the ingredients for the kofta except for the oil until evenly distributed. (Do not overmix.) With oiled palms, gently form golf ball-size kofta and lay them out on a sheet pan making sure they’re not touching. If cooking right away, set aside while you make the gravy. (If freezing, place the sheet pan in a freezer for 3 hours or until the kofta harden, then transfer to a container and store for up to 3 months. If refrigerating, cover and chill overnight.)
Step
2
Prepare the gravy: Heat ghee or oil in a large pot on high for 30 seconds. Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step
3
Add red chile powder, cumin and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes jammy and the oil separates, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step
4
Add stock and green chiles and bring to a boil. (If you prefer a slightly thicker gravy, cook until slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes.) Stir in yogurt. Once the mixture is simmering, reduce heat to medium and gently lower the meatballs into the liquid. (They may not all fit in one layer.)
Step
5
Once the liquid returns to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the kofta are done (cut one open to make sure it’s cooked through), 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Top with poppy seeds (if using), garam masala and cilantro. Serve with rice, roti or naan.
Tip
- Once the kofta are in the pot, do not stir or stir gently once the meatballs are firm to reduce the chance of them breaking.
Ratings
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out of 5
528
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Cooking Notes
jdplondon
I made these and just used regular flour as I don't have garam or chickpeas. (I supposed I could have put some dried chickpeas through the coffee grinder but .. come on!)I amped DOWN the spiciness of the chiles and was glad to do it as I am not a burn-your-mouth-off kind of girl.Served on egg noodles instead of rice as that is what I had and it was great
Kathleen
I baked the chicken meat balls on the sheet pans at 350 degrees for 15 min. instead of freezing. I made the gravy while they were baking. Then simmered it all together on the stove top for another 15 min. Delicious.
Helga do Rosario Gomes
i have been making kofta for a long time although in Goa, India we just call them the 'unglamorized' meatballs. Even made them when I lived in Japan in the 90s and everyone loved them. My experience is that used canned tomatoes and some tomato paste is better than fresh tomatoes as the latter make the sauce acidic.
Helga do Rosario Gomes
We in Goa, India use eggs to hold our meatballs and it works really well. We dont use besan/chickpea
Julie Falsetti
I make this using shredded zucchini, squeezed dry (I use the juice in the sauce) mixed with chickpea flour, chopped chiles, and a little onion. I fry them and then put them in the gravy.Here is a link to my recipe: https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/life/food/2021/08/17/humble-zucchini-transforms-indian-delight/118438134/
Hannah
Flavors were really tasty. Next time I make I would use an egg in the meatballs - they ate a bit dry without one.
Paula
I made this with ground lamb. Substituted almond four as i did not have chickpea flour. Loved it. I also upped the spiciness as my husband and i like spicy especially with cumin and chili spices Will keep this on list of favorites
Madtowncook
I stuck to the recipe and this turned out so well! My spice tolerance is medium high and I did not find this overly spicy, probably because Kashmiri chili is a milder chili. It was easy to make a little chickpea flour by grinding dried chickpeas in a coffee grinder. The kofta held together well yet were tender and nicely flavored.
Matthew
I used normal flour instead of chickpea in the meatballs. The gravy/sauce was incredible, even though I had to use sour cream instead of yogurt. The meatballs were okay but seemed to lack flavor depth - next time I will up the pepper in them.
Emmie from Oz
I precook meatballs/koftas in the air fryer-15m at 180°C. Minimum neutral oil spray, turn half way through. Add to gravy to warm through.
SLMDarien
Followed the recipe exactly. The kofta was a bit dry but the dish overall was flavorful. Next time I will make the sauce well in advance and then puree it. I am adding an egg next time. Also, ground chicken can be hugely lethal if one does not make certain it is thoroughly cooked I added 15 minutes just to be sure.
Leanna
I have seen recipes for making zucchini meatballs, trick is to make sure zucchini is well drained of excess water.
Loring
Made this with my sister-in-law who found the recipe. This was a winner--aromatic, complex, and delicious. The gravy was more like soup, though, so we served it in bowls. Can't wait to make it again.
TaiL
Update: OMG, if you practice this you will find heaven. I have no words. But... I use fresh tomatoes. I used lamb instead of chicken and hit it on the HEAT, chilis and garlic. For us this was a pre-cook/ meal planning. I expect to eat this for four or five days with different iterations: cauliflower, rice, potatoes, whatever is on hand. But this was sublime. I've said it before, Zainab has my heart!
Michael C
Do you sautee or bake the meatballs first, or just drop them in the sauce?
TaiL
Drop them right in the sauce! And don't stir, the liquid is enough to cook them. I've tried lamb and am doing turkey tomorrow, this is a great recipe.
Glara Yi
Followed the recipe as is and it was an instant hit. Served with brown Jasmine rice
a rottman
For half recipe 1 can stock 1 can tomatoes and egg
Betty
Delicious! Beware, Kashmiri chiles are not mild and I would have reduced to 1 tsp. in the sauce, had I realized sooner. I added a bit of secret ketchup to round out the sauce. Used urfa biber chiles in the meatballs, which are a milder chile. The poppy seeds added a great texture and I would not skip them! Served with saffron rice, roasted cauliflower & delicata squash, cilantro and yogurt.
Michelle T
Excellent base recipe! As others noted, I added an egg to the kofta to help with binding, tripled the garlic ginger, and doubled the spices for the kofta. For the sauce I doubled the garlic ginger turmeric but kept the rest of the recipe the same. I also reduced the sauce longer than the recipe mentioned so the sauce wasn’t watery. I would add an extra 1-2 tomatoes next time for more sauce. Super flavorful and healthyish and my meatballs weren’t dry at all. Will make again!
Jane S
This was very disappointing - the sauce is very watery and just doesn't deliver any depth or complexity in flavor. The kofta balls were very bland also. I thought it was worth a try making this but just proved to myself that if you want good kofta you have to spend a lot more time making them. For those who had trouble finding ingredients, if you have an Indian food store remotely near you then that's the place to find all the slices, pastes, ghee and chickpea flour at incredibly low prices!
dave
This was nasty. No flavor, texture was bad and the sauce tasted like raw turmeric.
Doug C.
Made this for last night's dinner, and we liked it very much. Followed the recipe exactly except instead of gram flour or chickpea flour, I substituted a ½ cup of TJ's Japanese Style Panko Breadcrumbs that I had on hand, and added an egg to increase the firmness of the meatballs. Meatballs came out juicy and didn't fall apart when cooked in the sauce. The next time I make this I'll try cooking the meatballs in the oven to brown them before adding to the sauce.
Marianne D
I followed others' suggestions and baked meatballs on sheet pan for 20 minutes at 350, then finished cooking in gravy, which I made as directed. Delicious over rice. Will make again.
Triss Stein
Made this last night. Very tasty! I didn't have the special flour so used matzo meal. Sounds weird but worked quite well. And i used non-fat yogurt because I had some, and think the richer full-fat would add creaminess. And it was still delicious. Definitely will make again.
TiCo
This was a big hit! I substituted ground turkey because that's what I had on hand. I bet you could use ground pork, too.
TaiL
Yeah, I used ground lamb, bought deliberately, and we loved it! Last time we did it with ground turkey, also really delicious. Haven't tried pork or beef yet, but yeah! I think even tofu, which we like, might work.
barb
Excellent. I used regular flour and it was fine. Even better next day
Angie
Should the poppy seeds be white or blue?
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