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Untold Recipes by Nosheen » Recipes » Pakistani Recipes

Kofta Recipe (Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry)

Modified: Apr 28, 2025 · Published: Sep 17, 2020 by Nosheen Babar · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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Kofta Recipe (Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry) is a popular, savory, and aromatic Pakistani curry made with succulent, juicy meatballs. This easy, foolproof recipe allows cooks of all levels to get perfect results every time.

A plated kofta recipe with a bowl of rice on nthe side.

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Kofta is a Persian term that means to beat or grind. Originally cooked and served on a skewer like a kebab in Persia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, Pakistani meatballs are cooked in a rich tomato and yogurt-based curry.

The beauty of this kofta recipe lies in its comforting simplicity and adaptability. The tender, juicy meatballs absorb the rich flavors of the gravy as they simmer, creating a dish greater than the sum of its parts. This ultimate Pakistani comfort food brings families together around the dinner table.

This kofta recipe is best enjoyed with naan, basmati rice, or chicken pulao. If you want to add a side, try easy moong masoor dal, kaali masoor ki daal, or mash ki daal.

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredient notes
  • Substitutions & variations
  • Kofta recipe video
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe FAQS
  • Other keema recipes you may like
  • Kofta Recipe (Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry)

Why you'll love this recipe

  • Authentic flavors: This traditional kofta recipe delivers the real taste of Pakistani home cooking with perfectly balanced spices.
  • No complex ingredients: This recipe uses very few spices and simple ingredients you should have no trouble sourcing at your local supermarket.
  • Straightforward recipe: This beef meatball kofta recipe is easy to perfect and requires no special techniques.
  • Freezer-friendly recipe: These beef meatballs are great to batch and freeze to use as needed for weeknight dinners.

Ingredient notes

The Koftas

Ingredients to make meatballs.
  • Beef: Use beef with at least 20% fat for juicy, flavorful koftas. The fat helps bind the meatballs and prevents them from being dry and tough.
  • Onions: Finely grated onion adds moisture and flavor. Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture before adding to the meat mixture.
  • Bread slices: These help as a binding agent, and I prefer them to the more traditional poppy seeds or chickpea powder as they keep the koftas soft.
  • Green chilies: I use whole serrano chilies for my beef meatballs. You can deseed them if you want the koftas less spicy.
  • Cilantro: A fresh green bunch of cilantro adds fragrance and flavor to the kofta recipe.
  • 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. Please refer to the recipe card for more details.
  • The spices: I use very few spices for the koftas, letting the fresh ingredients lead the way to add flavor and aroma to this kofta recipe.

The Curry

Ingredients to make a kofta curry.
  • Onion: A well-caramelized yellow onion provides the perfect base for this kofta recipe.
  • Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are the best for a curry as they're plump and juicy. If these are unavailable, use vine tomatoes, but make sure they are not too firm.
  • Yogurt: I like to use full-fat yogurt in my kofta recipe for a rich flavor and creamy texture.
  • Spices: A simple blend of four basic spices is all you'll need for this recipe.
  • Ginger: I love to add fresh grated ginger at the end, just like I do in my chicken karahi, my tawa-fried beef keema. It adds a pungent flavor that tastes delicious.

Please see the recipe d at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.

Substitutions & variations

  • Use different meat: Try ground lamb, goat, or chicken to make your kofta recipe. Since chicken has less fat and more moisture, I like adding an egg and two tablespoons of gram flour(chickpea powder) to prevent the meatballs from breaking.
  • Use a different cooking method: Instead of baking, the Koftas can be fried or poached directly in the curry.
  • Add eggs or potatoes: I love adding boiled eggs to my kofta recipe and have also tried it with quartered potatoes, as you would add to aloo gosht (Pakistani meat and potato curry).
  • 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 plain basmati rice instead of naan.
  • Make it dairy-free: If you're dairy-free, use coconut or cashew yogurt in place of dairy yogurt for the kofta recipe.

Kofta recipe video

Step-by-step instructions

Making the koftas

Blended ingredients to make Pakistani meatballs.
  • Step 1: Add all ingredients except the ground beef to the food processor and grind to a paste.
Meat mixture for a kofta recipe.
  • Step 2: Add ground beef to the mixture in the food processor and pulse just enough to combine.
Meatballs on a baking sheet.
  • Step 3: When shaping the beef meatballs, use equal portions of meat to ensure uniformity.
Baked koftas on a bakin g sheet.
  • Step 4: Bake the meatballs at 350 ℉ for 15 minutes to par-cook them before adding them to the curry.

Making the curry

Pakistani kofta curry in a cooking pot.
  • Step 5: Add the cooking oil to your pot and preheat. Brown the onions and then saute the garlic paste for 30 seconds. Next, add the tomatoes with 1 cup of water and cook for 15 minutes to allow everything to cook down. Dry out any excess liquid, add the green chilies, and saute for 30 seconds.
Yogurt being added to a curry recipe.
  • Step 6: Add the yogurt, a little at a time. Adding the yogurt all at once will cause it to curdle due to the temperature difference, so add two tablespoons at a time until it is fully incorporated.
Kofta recipe in the making.
  • Step 7: Add the baked meatballs, ginger, and 2 cups of water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meatballs being simmered in a tomato based curry.
  • Step 8: The curry is ready when the oil rises to the top. Garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Expert Tips

  • Don't overwork the meat: Mix the kofta ingredients just until combined. An overworked meat mixture will result in hard koftas.
  • Bread works best: I've tested this recipe with besan (chickpea flour), khus khus (white poppy seeds), and bread crumbs and found that bread slices are the most convenient and yield the best results.
  • Make a test meatball: Before cooking the entire batch of koftas, I cook a tiny one in my microwave to taste the seasoning and texture. This allows me to adjust anything I need before making the whole batch.
  • Baking is the best: I've tested this kofta recipe using various methods and found that baking takes the least effort and caramelizes the surface of the koftas just like the fried ones, giving them a more authentic flavor and texture. This step also helps the koftas hold their shape in the curry.
  • Use these kitchen hacks: Check out my easy kitchen hacks for cooking curries, and you can make a perfectly smooth curry base for your koftas in half the time.

Recipe FAQS

Why are my koftas breaking?

Make sure the meat mixture isn’t too moist. Squeeze the meat and onions to remove all the excess water before making the beef meatballs. If the mixture seems too wet, 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.

Why are my koftas hard?

The most likely causes are overhandling the meat, using lean beef, or overbaking the meatballs, which can dry them out. Please refer to all the tips above to ensure perfect results.

How do I store my leftovers?

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.

Pakistani kofta curry.

Other keema recipes you may like

  • A keema paratha with a spicy cooked ground beef filling.
    Keema Paratha (Ground Beef Stuffed Flatbread)
  • Dum Ka Keema (Smoked Ground Beef)
  • A ground beef recipe cooked as a stir fry is served with naan, onions, and limes.
    Keema (Tawa-Fry Ground Beef)
  • Aloo Keema (ground beef and potato curry) is plated on a stainless steel plate with sliced onions, a lemon and naan on the side.
    Aloo Keema (Ground Beef & Potato Curry)

Did you try this kofta recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Pakistani kofta recipe (beef meeatball curry).

Kofta Recipe (Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry)

Nosheen Babar
This Kofta Recipe (Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry) is a quick and easy curry prepared with baked juicy and succulent meatballs.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Pakistani
Servings 4 people
Calories 490 kcal

Ingredients
  

The Koftas (Meatballs)

  • 1 lbs ground beef (see notes)
  • ½ onion
  • ½ teaspoon garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 green chilies
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 slices white bread
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder

The Curry

  • ¼ cup cooking oil
  • 1 onions
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • ½ cup yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 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.
  • Add the ground beef and pulse just until all the ingredients are 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 medium brown.
  • Add the garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.
  • 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.

Video

Notes

Ground Beef: The beef must have 20% fat to help the koftas bind together and be juicy and succulent. 
Mixing the beef: Overhandling the ground beef can result in tough meatballs. 
Shaping the Koftas: To prevent cracks, use a little oil on your palms to help make the meatballs smooth.
Baking The Koftas: Don't bake them for more than 15 minutes, as overbaking them will dry them out.
Yogurt: It's best to have your yogurt at room temperature before adding it to the curry. Add only 2-3 tablespoons at a time; once the curry adjusts to the cooler yogurt, add a bit more, and so forth, until all of it is incorporated. The result will be a smooth and creamy curry.
Oil separating: This is a common term in South Asian cooking and symbolizes a complete and finished curry. Once all the ingredients (onions, tomatoes, etc.) become a homogenous mixture, with no visible pieces floating around, the oil rises to the top in a thin layer. This is a way of knowing it's time to turn the stove off. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 23gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 1093mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 727IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg
Have you tried this recipe yet?Mention @Untoldrecipesbynosheen or tag #Untoldrecipesbynosheen!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathleen Tariq

    July 10, 2023 at 9:49 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Nosheen Babar

      July 10, 2023 at 10:13 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Catherine Pandhiani

        November 11, 2023 at 1:24 pm

        5 stars
        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

        November 12, 2023 at 9:37 am

        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!

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Welcome to Untold Recipes by Nosheen!

Here, you'll find authentic Pakistani recipes inspired by my childhood—a curated space to explore nostalgic recipes for all aspiring home cooks. It's all here, from slow-cooked Mughal wonders to regional delicacies and street food favorites. I aim to make all the recipes approachable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced cooks alike.

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