This Kofta Curry Recipe (Pakistani Meatballs) is an easy version of a popular spicy curry made with succulent, juicy meatballs. Traditionally made with beef and individually fried, my kofta baking method is much easier and healthier.
Kofta is a term used for meat that has been pounded and ground and is believed to to be a part of ancient Persian and Arabic cuisine. Originally cooked and served on a skewer like a kebab, in Pakistani cuisine, kofta refers to meatballs cooked in a rich curry.
The beef kofta curry recipe is the most popular, but the chicken kofta curry and lamb kofta curry are also fairly popular, especially with those who don’t like beef. The curry can be enjoyed with roti (plain flatbread), basmati rice, chicken pulao, a side of moong masoor daal, or some easy eggplant curry.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Delicious recipe - This kofta curry recipe is packed with juicy and delicious meatballs that you won't be able to stop eating.
- Easy recipe - This kofta curry recipe is so easy, both in terms of the process and the ingredients needed, that it will definitely be on your weekly menu.
- Can be made gluten-free - A small change in one ingredient makes this kofta curry recipe gluten-free.
- Can batch the meatballs - This kofta curry recipe is great to batch and freeze for later. I always make extra meatballs as they come in useful later.
Ingredient notes
The Koftas
- Beef - I use 80% lean beef for my kofta curry recipe. The meatballs need some fat to help bind them.
- Onions - Onions add flavor and moisture, helping tenderize the meat. I like to use yellow onions for their neutral taste.
- Bread - Bread slices work beautifully as a binder, and since most of us have them lying around at home, it's one less ingredient to source.
- Green chilies - I use whole serrano chilies for my koftas. These can be deseeded for less spices based on preference.
- Cilantro - A fresh green bunch of cilantro adds fragrance and moisture to the meatballs.
- Ginger & Garlic - I usually have homemade ginger and garlic paste at home. If you don't, add a few cloves and a small peeled piece of ginger directly to your food processor (details in recipe card).
- The spices - I use a few basic powdered spices in the koftas. They're supermarket staples; you won't have any trouble sourcing them. The full list is in the recipe card.
The Curry
- Onion - A well-caramelized yellow onion provides the base for this kofta curry recipe.
- Tomatoes - Roma tomatoes are the best for a curry as they're plump and juicy. The tomatoes pictured here are vine tomatoes and are my go-to if the supermarket is out of Romas.
- Yogurt - I like to add a combination of tomatoes and yogurt to my kofta curry recipe, although some people make their kofta curry with only yogurt. I've tested it both ways and found that it has a richer flavor and color with the combination.
- Spices - Once again, the spices here are simple. I don't like to use whole spices as you have to pick them out of the curry throughout the eating process. I find that all the fresh ingredients used provide tons of flavor without all the extra seasoning.
- Ginger - I always add ginger at the end of some of my curries, like my chicken karahi, my tawa fry beef keema, and this kofta curry recipe. I like the pungency it adds to the curry, and adding it early reduces the bite.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Try different meat - The koftas can also be made with Lamb, mutton, or chicken. The chicken ones are a little tricky due to the lack of fat, but some added fat and binding agents could help.
- Use a different cooking method - The Koftas can be fried, braised, or poached directly in the curry instead of being baked.
- Swap the boiled eggs - I love boiled eggs in my kofta curry recipe, but quartered potatoes like you would add to aloo gosht (Pakistani meat & potato curry) also taste delicious.
- Make it gluten-free - Add two tablespoons of chickpea flour (gram flour) instead of the bread slices to make the koftas gluten-free, and enjoy with rice.
- Soak the bread - Many kofta curry recipes suggest soaking the bread in milk or water and then wringing it dry before adding it to the meatballs. This is done to make the koftas softer. I don't do this as I find mine soft enough for my liking, but it's an option to try if your test meatball seems hard.
Step-by-step instructions
The Koftas
- Make the Kofta Mixture - Add all ingredients except the ground beef to the food processor and grind to a paste. Start with the hardest ingredients, like the onion, green chilies, whole garlic, and ginger, and then the softer ones. Once everything is ground to a paste, mix the paste with the ground beef by hand. Mix until everything is incorporated, making sure not to overwork the meat. Set the mixture aside for about half an hour.
- Shape the kofta balls - Make sure you take equal portions of meat so that your meatballs are uniform. Oil your hands so the meatballs are smooth and don’t crack as they cook.
- Bake the kofta balls - Bake the meatballs so they're par-cooked. Remove and separate the ones you need to add to the curry.
- Batch and Freeze the meatballs - Batch the remaining meatballs, place them in Ziploc bags, seal them, and put them in the freezer to use later.
The Curry base
- Saute the onions - Add the cooking oil to your pot, and turn your stove on high. Add the chopped onions and start to cook them.
- Brown the onions - Once the onions are golden brown, add the garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
- Add the fresh tomatoes - Add the chopped tomatoes and cook the mixture on high until the tomatoes start to water.
- Cook down the curry ingredients - Add some water and all the powdered spices, cover, and cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes.
- Dry out the curry - Once the onions and tomatoes seem cooked through, uncover the pot and turn up the heat to dry out any excess water.
- Add the yogurt - Next, add the green chilies and the yogurt, a little at a time. Adding in all of the yogurt at once causes it to curdle, so add in a few tablespoons at a time, giving the temperature of the curry time to adjust, and fry till you have a thick, creamy gravy.
- Saute to a puree - Continue to saute the mixture at high heat so the onions and tomatoes break down completely to a pureed consistency. This is called 'bhunna' in Pakistani cooking terms.
- Saute till the oil separates - Continue this process till the mixture is reduced to about 1 cup, is slightly darker, smells roasted, and the oil has separated.
The final curry
- Add in the meatballs - Add just 2 cups of water so the curry doesn't burn, and then add the par-baked meatballs. Stir gently to coat with the curry, making sure not to break them.
- Add the ginger - Add in the ginger, scattering it over the koftas as evenly as you can, and add another 2 cups of water.
- Add water - Bring the curry to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs. After 10 minutes, check to see if the oil has slightly risen to the top. This indicates that the curry is the right consistency. If not, turn up the flame and cook uncovered till the oil rises or 'separates.'
- Garnish - Add the halved boiled eggs to your serving dish along with the kofta curry if you're going that route. Garnish with some Cilantro leaves, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Always use 80% meat - The 20% fat helps bind the koftas and makes them juicier.
- Don't overwork the meat - I never add it to my food processor, as this toughens the koftas. Once my mix-ins are ready, I do a quick mix by hand and then set the marinated meat in the fridge for a minimum of half an hour.
- Bread works best - I find that chickpea flour toughens my meatballs. So unless I need to make them gluten-free, I stick to using bread slices. I've tested with khus khus (white poppy seeds) and bread crumbs as well and find that bread is the most convenient and yields the best results.
- Make a test meatball - Before cooking the entire batch of koftas, I always cook a tiny one in my microwave to taste the seasoning and texture. This allows me to adjust anything I need to before I make the entire batch.
- Baking is the best - I've tested cooking my koftas using various methods and find that baking takes the least effort. It also gives the koftas a decent amount of caramelization, not as much as if they were fried, but more than if they were poached in the curry. This adds to their flavor and texture and allows me to batch-cook and freeze them.
Recipe FAQS
Make sure there isn’t too much moisture in the meat mixture. Drain all the excess water from the meat and onions by squeezing them before you start making the koftas. If the mixture still seems too moist, add an extra slice of bread or a tablespoon of chickpea flour to absorb the excess moisture. When cooking the curry, don't stir the meatballs too much.
Mix the meat and other ingredients just until combined. Over-handling the meat can result in hard meatballs. Similarly, not enough moisture in the meatballs can make the meatballs tough. Grind and add ¼ onion or a little bit of cilantro to add back the necessary moisture. Not enough fat in the meat can also result in hard meatballs. This is why a minimum of 20% fat is recommended. Last of all, don’t overbake the meatballs, as this can dry them out.
Any leftover kofta curry can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and microwave.
Other recipes you may like
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Kofta Curry Recipe (Pakistani Meatballs)
Ingredients
The Koftas (Meatballs)
- 2 lbs ground beef (see notes)
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 green chilies
- ½ cup cilantro
- 2 slices bread (see notes)
- 2 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
The Curry
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 onions
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 4 roma tomatoes (see notes)
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 green chilies
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
The Koftas (Meatballs)
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Put the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, and cilantro in a food processor and grind to a paste.
- Add in the bread and powdered spices and pulse till everything is well mixed.
- Mix the ground beef and all of the above ingredients in a large bowl by hand just until combined (see notes).
- Let the mixture marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Shape the mixture into 24 equal meatballs and place them on a baking tray (see notes)
- Bake them for 15 minutes (see notes).
The Curry
- Heat the cooking oil.
- Dice the onions and saute them till they are a dark medium brown.
- Add the garlic paste and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot and fry just till they start to release water.
- Add all of the spices and some water, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, let the water evaporate, and add the green chilies.
- Start roasting the mixture and add in the yogurt, a few spoonfuls at a time (see notes).
- Once you have a thick, puree-like consistency to the curry and the oil has separated, add 2 cups of water (see notes).
- Add the koftas and ginger, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (see notes).
- Uncover and cook on medium heat until the oil separates and rises to the top of the curry.
- Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve.
Kathleen Tariq
I am American and my husband is Pakistani. We actually live in Hattiesburg MS! You are right, there are not many easy to follow Pakistani recipes online. I made this tonight for my husband and it came perfect! He loved it! Please keep posting more!! I wish there were more Indian/Pakistani grocery stores around us!
Nosheen Babar
Hi Kathleen! I'm so glad you liked the recipe and it worked for you. I know the spices are a problem depending on where you live. Amazon is the easiest and quickest option and one I use myself often. A few other online stores I love are Spicewalla, Diaspora, Burlap & Barrel, Curio Spices and The Spice House. You can check them out at your convenience!
Catherine Pandhiani
Good morning!!
I have made this recipe several times now and my whole family loves it.
My husband originally from Hyderabad, Pakistan and I'm originally from Terre Haute, Indiana. Now we both live in California.
Thank you for suggesting buying spices online because when I visit my hometown there is no spice store so I bring them with me.
Nosheen Babar
Thank you for trying my recipe Catherine and I’m so glad you and your family enjoy it. Sourcing the spices online is definitely a game changer!