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This Indian-inspired kofta curry aka meatballs in curry sauce need nothing else but plain basmati rice and a big spoon! Tender and moist and packed with incredible flavour, these are meatballs taken to the next level!
Serve this flavour packed meal with our simple and easy flatbread!
I’ve always been a firm believer that food should be fun, easy (most of the time), and off the scale flavourful. These meatballs in curry sauce combine all three!
I make curries often, and usually with chicken breasts or chickpeas and butternut squash. This time I wanted to change things up.
Kofta Curry Recipe
Fun fact. Meatballs are called “kofta” in India, and they are shaped more like mini sausages than our meatballs.
The recipe I am sharing today was adapted from one of my favourite writers, the very inspirational Madhur Jaffrey. I did take some liberties with the original, and I might’ve inadvertently combined two different regions of India in one recipe.
When my creative juices start flowing, I get carried away. It’s okay, we love unity, right?!
What is pretty special about this recipe are the meatballs themselves. They are spiced with an array of warm Indian spices like cumin, coriander, cloves, ginger, cinnamon etc. Flavour galore.
I am talking flavour here, not heat. That’s the curry’s job!
The sauce is all about the thoughtful spices and BOLD flavour notes. I also finished it off with just a splash of single cream to tame the heat just a little.
I also added in a bunch of chopped kale for some extra nutrition and colour! Feel free to use spinach, peas, green beans…anything you like!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you getting nervous here about your ability to pull off a real Indian taste, don’t be. I will teach you how to cheat! I use Patak’s curry pastes in most of my curries. It’s my favourite brand and no, I am not working for them. However, if you can’t find it or have another brand you love, go for it. Using a paste means you don’t have to keep a wide array of spices at hand when get the urge to make a curry.
- For this recipe I used Madras Spice Paste, which is quite hot. So if you are not a fan of spicy food, I would recommend finding a mild curry like Tikka Masala. For an easy homemade curry recipe, take a look at my Simplified Cauliflower and Potato Curry.
- I used ground pork for my version of the kofta curry as it is readily available but using ground lamb would be more authentic. To ensure your meatballs are as flavourful as they should be, check that your spices are up to date!
- If you prefer to keep this curry dairy free, substitute cream with coconut cream. Delicious!
Serving suggestions
As I mentioned earlier, this kofta curry is perfect with plain basmati rice or cauliflower rice if you want to keep it low carb. Naan or any flatbread will be also delicious.
I personally love making this Nepalese Red Lentil Dhal or my Perfectly Spiced Baby Potatoes (Aloo Chat) and serve it alongside the meatballs.
Storage and leftovers
As good as a curry is when fresh from the stove, it might be even better the next day. The extra time gives flavours the chance to meld and intensify, making the whole thing even more of a delight.
Store leftovers in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container for up to 3 days. You can either reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven at 160C/320F for 15 minutes covered with a lid or foil.
Due to the cream in this meatball curry, I wouldn’t freeze it. Dishes made with dairy products have the tendency to become grainy and water after thawing, which alters the texture of the dish.
Favourite Indian Curries to Try
- Butter Chicken (Video Included)
- Chicken Korma
- Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
- Indian Mulligatawny Soup
Indian Spiced Meatballs in Curry Sauce
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1kg/2 lbs lean ground pork, or lamb
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated or 1 tsp dried ginger
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp This is an affiliate link.nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the curry sauce
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp cilantro stalks, chopped
- 3 tbsp Indian curry paste, not sauce
- 400g/14 oz This is an affiliate link.canned chopped tomatoes
- 250ml/ 1 cup water
- 10g/1 cup black kale/cavolo nero or spinach, chopped
- 125ml/1/2 cup light cream/single cream, or coconut milk
- 1 tsp This is an affiliate link.garam masala, optional
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine pork, ginger, cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and plain yogurt.
- Roll into golf ball-sized meatballs and brown in 1 tbsp of vegetable oil until golden but not cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Discard excessive fat but leave approximately 1 tbsp in the pan. Add onions, garlic, ginger and chopped cilantro stalks and cook over low heat without browning for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add curry paste and stir for a minute, then add canned tomatoes and water, stir to combine, return the meatballs to the pan, and spoon some curry sauce on them to coat them, then turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add chopped kale and any other vegetables if using and cook uncovered for 10 minutes longer, stirring once in a while to avoid burning. In the last few minutes add light cream and taste for salt, add more if necessary. (I add no salt to this sauce as Patak’s curry pastes are quite salty already!)
- Sprinkle with garam masala and chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with basmati rice, naan and/or lentil dhal for a low carb version.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit with everyone in my family. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
My pleasure, Manisha, so pleased you enjoyed it!
Hi
I don’t use shop bought pastes or sauces as I don’t like all the preservatives etc. What are your thoughts on à substitute made fresh?
Aside from that it sounds a really lovely recipe and I’d go for the minced lamb. Looking forward to trying it
Hi Paul, you are definitely more than welcome to make your own curry from scratch or use this recipe as a guide.
Made these 29/07/2022 not sure why one person said the recipe was rubbish and watery as this was not the case with mine in fact it turned out delicious I followed the instructions to the t the only thing I didn’t do was put any cream inn as I thought it tasted nice enough so why alter it but that’s my preference I didn’t cook the meatballs straight away once I mixed all the ingredients I let them stand so all the spices and meat have chance to infuse themselves together. I also did the same when added the meatballs to the sauce cooked as instructions and then turned the heat off and again left the dish to stand for half hour again this is my preference. Served with basmati rice and flat bread with garlic butter on my son really enjoyed it too. Thank you for sharing this recipe I will definitely be adding to my favourites list and making it on a regular basis 😊😊😊😊
Thank you so much for your feedback, Bev. It’s greatly appreciated.
Rubbish recipe, wayyy to watery. Either two much water or not lobg enough to cook down. Colour was terrible. Much better just using another curry recipe but with koftas instead of meat.
I try a new recipe every Sunday night and this was the one I chose for last night and it was incredible! I followed the recipe exactly, used ground lamb & Pataks garam masala paste. The flavors of the meatballs & curry were so yummy. Served with bamati rice. Can’t wait to have it for dinner again tonight. Thank you, Julia for another great recipe!!
Thrilled with this outcome, Janice! Thank you so much for your comment.
We made these meatballs to pair with a tomato chutney we bought from a local Indian food vendor. Even without the curry sauce, the meatballs are heavenly. Next time, we’ll make the curry sauce 🙂
What a great idea to serve these with a chutney! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the meatballs!