Chicken Kofta Curry

Tender chicken meatballs meet a fragrantly spiced, flavorful onion and tomato sauce (gravy) in this one-pot indian chicken kofta curry. This 2-in-1 chicken kofta recipe is so versatile! You can whip up these juicy koftas and serve them as a tasty snack or appetizer. Or transform them into a hearty main course by simmering them in a rich and spicy curry sauce.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings

Ingredients

For Chicken Kofta

1.5 tablespoon besan gram flour, substitute with oat flour
454 g (1 lb) ground chicken
2 tablespoon red onion finely chopped
3 teaspoon garlic paste can go down to 2 teaspoon if desired
1 teaspoon ginger paste
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon red chili powder (hot) or cayenne powder, adjust quantity to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
1.5 tablespoon plain greek yogurt or thick curd
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves finely chopped
5-6 fresh mint leaves finely chopped or ¼ teaspoon dried mint
1-2 green chilies (hot), adjust quantity to taste , finely chopped
1 +¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste

For Kofta Curry

4 tablespoon mustard oil or any cooking oil of choice
½ tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
¾ cup crushed onion
3 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder (hot) or cayenne powder, adjust quantity to taste
½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder (mild) for color
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
1 cup tomato puree simply blitz fresh tomatoes in a blender
1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
2 tablespoon yogurt whisked
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed between palms
2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Whole Spices

1 medium bay leaf
3 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick cassia bark

Instructions

MAKE CHICKEN KOFTA

In a small dry pan (4 inch), dry roast the besan on low heat. Keep a watchful eye and keep stirring every now and then since besan tends to burn easily. The besan will tell you when its roasted and that's when you will smell a wonderful nutty aroma and a pinkish brown color. Take the pan off the stove and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool down fully.
While the besan is roasting, I chop the onions, green chillies and fresh herbs.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, chopped herbs, ground spices, garlic paste, ginger paste, and green chillies(if using).
Using a silicone spatula, light handedly mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Don't squeeze the mince.
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Avoid using aluminiun foil, the koftas tend to stick.
Take a small portion of the mixture in damp hands and shape into a small round or oval-shaped kofta. Repeat with the remaining mixture, placing the shaped koftas on an a plate.
Tip - You could thread koftas on wooden skewers to make them look like kebabs - makes for an appetizing presentation.
Line the koftas on the baking tray, a little apart from each other. Spray with oil.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until nicely golden brown on all sides. No need to turn. Slightly adjust the cooking time depending on how large or small you made the chicken kofta. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 165F.
To Air Fry- Line koftas in a single layer on the the air fryer basket. Spray with oil. Air fry at 400F for 10-15 minutes, flip midway.
To Pan Fry - Heat up 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a 12 inch skillet on medium heat. Layer the koftas in a single layer. Let sear on low medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, flip and let sear on other side for 3-4 minutes. Cover for 2-3 minutes to make sure that they are cooked through.
For Making Kofta Curry - Let koftas stand while you make the gravy.

MAKE KOFTA MASALA(GRAVY)

In a heavy bottom cooking pot (I use enamaled cast iron 3 qt balti dish), heat up the mustard oil on low medium heat until it is a bit smoky.
Temper the hot oil with whole spices. Then,add the garlic paste and ginger paste. Fry for few seconds taking care not to burn.
Add the crushed onions next and for the next 6-8 minutes, fry them until browned.
To the browned onions, add all the ground spices (except garam masala). Add ¼ cup water and on low heat, fry the spices with onions. Frying onions and spices together with water blooms their flavor and the taste of the gravy is intensified.
Next, add the tomato puree and fry until you see tiny bubbles of oil separating. Takes about 3-5 minutes on low medium heat.
Add the beaten yogurt next and immediately stir for 1-2 minutes or until yogurt becomes part of the masala base. Continously stirring after adding it prevents the yogurt from curdling.
Fry the yogurt for 2-3 minutes or until you see that the oil separates again. At this point, add ½ cup of water to the masala base and bring to a slow boil.
Reduce to low flame and to the simmering gravy ,slowly add the chicken kofta in a single layer.
Chicken kofta cook in about 12-15 minutes. Let koftas simmer in the gravy on low flame.
Keep aside cooking spoon now. We are not going to stir the curry using a spoon. Rather, carefully pick up the cooking pot and swirl around to stir the chicken meatballs every now and then. This prevents the kofta from breaking and the swirling makes sure that they cook evenly.
Towards the last few minutes, cover the pot to make sure that they are cooked through.
At this point, if desired, add a splash of coconut cream, heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk for creamy curry meatballs.. Simmer for additional 2-3 minutes.
Finish chicken kofta curry with garam masala, crushed kasuri methi and chopped fresh cilantro leaves. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

TIPS FOR MOIST CHICKEN KOFTA

For a good part of my life, chicken koftas had a reputation for being dry and tough, but not any more! Finally I have figured out the secret to tender meatballs that are bursting with flavor at the same time. Here are my learnings as well as tips for whipping up juicy chicken koftas every single time!

Use dark meat - Purchase ground chicken from the store (I use 93/7 ground chicken available in meat aisle), or better yet, if you have food processor or meat grinder at home, make your own! I do it all the time! (cue spicy chicken burgers).Use boneless chicken thighs (if yours come with a bit of fat stuck on them, great!). Avoid using ground chicken breast for making koftas.
Do not overmix the ground meat mixture - Over mixing compacts the meat and the juices are squeezed out resulting in tough meatballs.
Be gentle while shaping the koftas- This is an extension of the previous tip. While shaping, smear water or oil on your palms to help it make easier to roll - the chicken kofta mix is a bit sticky. Light handedly, shape into round balls.
Test a sample - Once kofta mix is ready , take a small portion and cook it fully. Taste and then adjust the seasonings in the mix if needed. This makes sure that the koftas are perfectly seasoned.
Simmer gently - If you are making kofta curry, poach or simmer the chicken kofta in the gravy itself. Firstly, this reduces steps in the recipe and secondly, both the koftas and the sauce benefit from this process. As the koftas cook right in the sauce, their juices enhance the taste of the sauce and at the same time, the koftas absorb the flavor of the spices in the gravy.

SERVING & STORAGE

CHICKEN KOFTAS

Serve juicy meatballs as an appetizer/starter or snack with green chutney, mango chutney or sweet tamarind chutney.
You could parcel chicken koftas in a naan, plain parathas or pita with kachumber and a dash of spiced yogurt and squeeze of lime or lemon juice for a satisfying wrap.
These koftas are also great served with a side of grilled vegetables or baked potato wedges. Add cooked rice or bread along with a dipping sauce and you have chicken kofta bowl ready!
I often pair the chicken kofta with dal-chawal (lentils & rice) for a well rounded meal.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can freeze the kofta for 3-4 weeks. Either reheat frozen meatballs in sauce or in a 300F oven until warmed through. While re heating keep in mind that we don't want to cook the koftas further.

CHICKEN KOFTA CURRY

Indian flatbreads such as homemade roti, paratha or naan are my favorite to go along with the curry. You could make oats roti if you wish to keep the meal gluten-free.
If you are a fan of rice, serve chicken kofta curry over plain basmati rice, jeera rice or pulao such as keema pulao, egg pulao for a delicious meal.
Serve with raita, kachumber and chutneys to add fresh, cooling sides.
Store leftover kofta curry refrigerated for 2-3 days.

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