These sweet potato and paneer kofta balls make for a cozy little appetizer. They are soft on the inside with velvety sweet potatoes & creamy paneer, but have a light crunch on the outside when they're fried. They have a warmth of mild spices and heat from fresh green chilies. Pair with green chutney or tamarind chutney for the perfect holiday bite!

Sweet potato kofta stacked in a white bowl with brown rim. there's a bowl of green chutney at the back.

These sweet potato balls are so addictive! I didn't even plan for it, but they ended up being completely gluten free. No breadcrumbs, no oats, no all-purpose flour. If you have leftovers, try adding them into an indian curry masala sauce. They turn into a really cozy vegetarian curry!

I truly believe that sweet potatoes and indian spices work in the most beautiful way together. Think of sweet potato chaat or lentil patties made with sweet potato. These recipes have the nicest mix of natural sweetness and gentle heat.

To make these koftas, all you need to do is boil or roast the sweet potatoes until they are just soft but not falling apart. This helps keep the koftas from turning mushy. I like using a potato ricer to mash them, but a regular hand- held masher works too.

Then mix the sweet potatoes with grated paneer, plenty of chopped green chillies for heat, a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness, chopped cilantro, and a dash of garam masala & red pepper flakes. Gently mix it all together, roll into small balls and deep fry until they turn golden. That's it.

A side image of sweet potato balls with a cut up kofta to show the inside.

Tanvi's Tips

It's actually better to oven roast the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them because they hold their shape much better and don't soak up any extra water. Roasting also brings out their natural sweetness, which makes the koftas taste more flavorful.
If you do not have sharp indian green chillies on hand, use finely chopped serraro peppers.
Binding these kofta should not be a problem but, always test a small portion of the kofta mixture in hot oil. If the mixture is spreading in oil, add a bit more cornstarch.
Do not go overboard on spices, because that can easily overpower the gentle sweetness of potatoes.
You can shape the koftas a day in advance and deep fry right before serving.
Lastly, due to natural sugars in sweet potatoes, these koftas turn out darker in color as compared to regular potato balls.

Instructions

All ingredients for making sweet potato balls are placed in a shallow black bowl.

Add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Mixture for making sweet potato paneer kofta balls is ready.

Gently combine using a soft spatula to a homogenous mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Shaped round sweet potato koftas are resting on an oval bamboo plate.

Grease your hands lightly with oil. Take small portions(a cookie scoop works great!) and shape into round balls.

Deep fried sweet potato kofta balls are in a stainer over a hot pot of oil.

Deep fry on medium high heat in batches until golden and crispy!