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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.
Can I make this a day or two ahead of time? Thank you
Absolutely, Joann, this curry will taste even better the following day.
Hi! Which flavor of patak’s curry paste do you use? There are several options when I search, like byrani or vindaloo. Is yours “original hot”?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I actually wrote about what paste I used in Recipe Tips. So if you scroll up, you can see all kinds of useful information related to this recipe and nothing about my personal life I promise!
Can I cook this in a slow cooker?
Hi Helen, I haven’t tested this recipe in a slow cooker but I am sure it could be adapted to it.
Near the top of my 5 best curries. I made a few tweaks (not improvements, just tweaks). A few tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs to the meat ball mix,Pataks Madras paste, 2x tbsps crunchy peanut butter, 5x taps sugar. A really top notch recipe and my Great grandson (8 yrs) absolutely loved it and is pestering me for it again! Thank you
What a brilliant review, Martyn! Thank you
Delicious! Going on the meal rotation 🙂
Thank you so much, Kim! I am thrilled you enjoyed this curry!
Fantastic curry dish. We are huge curry fans but my husband is not fond of cilantro. However, using the stems cut finely in this recipe, the taste is very distinctive and he loved. Our favourite go to quick curry dish.
I am so pleased, Marjorie!! Thank you for this lovely review.
Also meant to mention, I use ground lamb and the flavours are outstanding
Lamb would be so tasty in this recipe. Great call, Marjorie!
We made this today and it was DELICIOUS! It was the first time my fiance has ever voluntarily eaten kale and that was HUGE for him. We took your advice and made it with the side of Nepalese red lentil dhal. The red lentils were also wonderful and different. This is actually one of our lunch meal preps for the week. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Comments like yours are the inspiration behind the reason why I blog, Stella! I absolutely love seeing people discover new things and enjoy them. Welcome to Vikalinka! 🙂
My family are big fans of Indian cuisine and absolutely LOVED this recipe. They raved about the sauce. I followed the directions as written except I substituted fresh spinach that I had on hand for the kale and used Patak’s Tikka Masala curry paste as I couldn’t find their Madras curry paste at either of my local grocery stores. It was easy to make, and tasted even better. It is supposed to feed 6-8 but my family of four adults could not resist and ate it all in one dinner. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for such a lovely review, Lori! So pleased you enjoyed it!
Can this recipe be made using the instant pot?
I am sure you can do it but I haven’t tested it myself, Ashley. If you do, let me know!
Used this recipe base last night for a delicious meal.
Made my curry paste, and used butternut squash instead of kale. Slow-cooked everything longer and used heavy cream at the end.
Making curry is fun…. sooo many spices!
Btw, the meatballs were a bomb…!
Happy you enjoyed it!
This recipe is amazing! This has become a family favorite. Thank you!
Thank you for a wonderful review, Carolyn!
Made this dairy free by substituting the yoghurt for an egg in the meatballs and using a bit of coconut cream instead of cream. It was really delicious, I would make it again.
Sounds delicious, Keely. My son recently went dairy free, so I am making similar substitutes lately!