Chicken Kofta Curry

Name: Chicken Kofta Curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: indian
Ingredients: 400 g chicken mince (lean); 3 pcs onion (medium, 1 finely chopped for kofta and 2 finely chopped for gravy); 1 tbsp ginger (grated, divided); 6 pcs garlic (cloves, minced, divided); 2 pcs green chili (finely chopped); 3 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped, divided); 1 pcs egg (small, lightly beaten); 2 tbsp chickpea flour (for binding); 0.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp red chili powder (divided); 1 pinch turmeric powder (divided); 1 tsp coriander powder; 0.5 tsp cumin powder; 0.5 tsp garam masala (divided); 3 pcs tomato (medium, pureed); 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 1 pcs bay leaf; 0.25 cup yogurt (plain, whisked); 2 tbsp oil; 1.5 cup water (for gravy)

RATING

4.6/5(98)

TASTE SCORE

9/10

Tender chicken koftas simmered in a lightly spiced onion-tomato gravy make this curry rich, comforting, and perfect for a small meal spread with roti or rice.

PREP

25m

COOK

35m

SERVES

1 KATORI

314 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 10 STEPS

prep · ~5 min
Prepare the kofta mixture.
1.Add chicken mince to a bowl.
2.Mix in 1 finely chopped onion, half the ginger, half the garlic, green chili, 1 tbsp coriander leaves, egg, chickpea flour, 0.25 tsp salt, 1 pinch turmeric powder, 0.25 tsp red chili powder, and 0.25 tsp garam masala.
3.Mix well until the mixture holds together.
TIPIf the mixture feels loose, chill it for 10 minutes before shaping.
rest · ~10 min
Rest the kofta mixture.
Cover and rest the mixture for 10 minutes so it firms up and is easier to shape.
prep · ~5 min
Shape the koftas.
Grease your palms lightly with a few drops of oil and shape the mixture into 12 small round koftas.
fry · ~8 min
Shallow-fry the koftas.
1.Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
2.Place the koftas in a single layer and cook gently, turning often, until lightly browned on all sides and nearly cooked through.
3.Transfer them to a plate.
TIPKeep the heat medium so the koftas set without burning outside.
saute · ~9 min
Cook the gravy base.
1.Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a pan.
2.Add cumin seeds and bay leaf and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
3.Add the remaining 2 chopped onions and cook until golden.
4.Add the remaining ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
saute · ~8 min
Add tomatoes and spices.
1.Add tomato puree and cook until thick.
2.Add the remaining 0.25 tsp red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, remaining 1 pinch turmeric powder, and the remaining 0.25 tsp salt.
3.Cook until the masala looks glossy and the raw tomato smell is gone.
TIPStir often once the tomato goes in so the masala does not catch at the bottom.
simmer · ~5 min
Make the curry gravy.
Lower the heat and whisk in the yogurt. Add water little by little, stirring well, then bring the gravy to a gentle simmer.
TIPKeep the heat low when adding yogurt so the gravy stays smooth.
simmer · ~7 min
Simmer the koftas in the gravy.
Slide the koftas into the simmering gravy and cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes until fully cooked and tender.
garnish
Finish with garam masala and coriander leaves.
Sprinkle in the remaining garam masala and the remaining coriander leaves.
serve
Serve the chicken kofta curry hot.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

8 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Chill the kofta mixture if it feels sticky; cold mince shapes more cleanly and holds better in the pan.
2
Make all 12 koftas the same size so they finish cooking evenly during the final simmer.
3
Shallow-fry only until lightly browned and nearly cooked; overbrowning can make chicken koftas dry out later.
4
Use a wide pan and turn the koftas gently so they set without breaking before they go into the gravy.
5
Cook the onion-tomato masala until the oil looks glossy; that is the cue the gravy will taste rounded, not raw.
6
Whisk the yogurt smooth and lower the heat before adding it to prevent the gravy from splitting.
7
After adding koftas to the gravy, keep the simmer gentle rather than boiling hard, or they may toughen and crack.
8
This curry tastes even better after a short rest, as the koftas absorb some of the spiced tomato-onion gravy.