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Chicken Kofta Curry

This recipe is for all the Kofta Curry fans out there! These chicken mince meatballs are super moist and tender on the inside with a perfect crisp outer layer. The satiny smooth and luscious gravy includes tomatoes, onions, fresh ginger and garlic, cumin, coriander, garam masala, Kofta seasoning and a hint of jalapenos. Simmered and gradually spiced, with deep fried meatballs added and submerged in the gravy, soaking in all the indulgent flavors and finally baked with ghee for the ultimate taste and presentation. This recipe will have you randomly craving Kofta Curry!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Mince Marination Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Desi, Hyderabadi, Indian, Pakistani
Keyword: Chicken Kofta, Minced Meatballs, Butter Koftey, Kofta Curry
Servings: 8
Author: Afreen Sayeed

Ingredients

For Chicken mixture

  • 2 lbs chicken mince
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger paste
  • 1 tsp fresh garlic paste
  • 1/2 cup fried onions
  • 2 tsp Shan masala packet *Kofta seasoning mix
  • 1 tsp coriander powder *coarsely ground
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 cup coriander leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • Canola oil *as needed for deep frying Koftey

For Gravy

  • 2 tbsp grape seed oil
  • 1/2 red onion *chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh garlic paste
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger paste
  • 3 medium tomatoes *chopped
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
  • 2 tsp Shan masala packet *Kofta seasoning mix
  • 1.5 tsp coriander powder *coarsely ground
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 jalapeno *deseeded and chopped
  • 1 cup fried onions
  • 2 cups plain yogurt *whisked
  • 1 cup coriander leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
  • 3 tbsp ghee *clarified butter
  • water *as needed

Instructions

For Chicken mixture

  • Rinse and completely drain chicken mince (keep under sieve for at least 45 minutes-1 hour to allow for removal of all moisture. Place chicken mince in a large mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, fried onions, ginger/garlic paste, Shan Kofta seasoning, coriander and cumin powder, Kashmiri Lal Mirch, Kosher salt, garam masala and freshly chopped coriander leaves. Mix well to incorporate all seasonings into chicken mince. Set aside and let marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

For Gravy

  • On medium high, heat 2 tbsp grape seed oil in a cooking vessel (that you can place in oven later on, as final curry will be baked). Once oil is hot, add chopped red onions and saute for 8-10 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add ginger/garlic paste, mix well and continue to saute for 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, mix well, cook for 4-5 minutes, turn heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Uncover, stir well, turn heat to medium and now add remaining spices (Shan Kofta seasoning, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and Kosher salt). Mix well, add 1-2 tbsp water, as needed, to prevent burning of spices. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add deseeded, chopped jalapeno, fried onions and whisked yogurt. Mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water. Turn heat to medium low, cover pot and simmer gravy for an additional 15-20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend simmering gravy into a smooth consistency.

For Frying Meatballs

  • Remove marinated chicken mince from fridge and let rest for 10-12 minutes at room temperature.
  • Grease palm of hands with oil and form chicken mince mixture into meatballs (medium-sized as they will shrink when deep fried). Place on sheet pan/tray until ready to fry.
  • Heat Canola oil in large wok/frying pan (enough for deep frying) on high heat. Once oil is hot, turn heat to medium high and carefully add 5-6 meatballs at a time, being careful not to overcrowd wok. Fry for 2-3 minutes (untouched) on medium high heat, then turn heat to medium, turn meatballs and continue to deep fry for an additional 8-10 minutes, until meatballs are a light golden brown (turning as needed). Place fried meatballs on a paper towel lined sheet pan (to remove excess oil). Fry remaining meatballs in batches. The chicken mince mixture will make approximately 20. Let slightly cool.

For Final Curry assembly

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Carefully add fried meatballs to simmering gravy. Bring curry to a gentle boil, turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Turn off heat, add 3 tbsp of ghee on top of curry, cover pot and place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for 5-7 minutes, uncover and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
  • Fabulously delicious and scrumptious Chicken Kofta Curry is now ready to serve. Tastes amazing with plain Basmati rice, parathas or even Garlic Butter Naan. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.