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.

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.
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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

- 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

- 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 don't eat dairy, use coconut or cashew yogurt for the kofta recipe.
Kofta recipe video
Step-by-step instructions
Making the koftas

- Step 1: Add all ingredients except the ground beef to the food processor and grind to a paste.

- Step 2: Add ground beef to the mixture in the food processor and pulse just enough to combine.

- Step 3: When shaping the beef meatballs, use equal portions of meat to ensure uniformity.

- Step 4: Bake the meatballs at 350 ℉ for 15 minutes to par-cook them before adding them to the curry.
Making the curry

- 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.

- 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.

- Step 7: Add the baked meatballs, ginger, and 2 cups of water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

- 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
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.
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.
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.
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Kofta Recipe (Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry)
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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.
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!