Chicken Kofta Curry – Easy Weeknight Recipe

Ok guys so today I have a super simple recipe for you! This chicken kofta curry is something you can whip up on a week night and because we believe in maximizing our time in the kitchen here at Eat.Drink.Pure, we are going to talk about how to meal prep this recipe too!

Growing up, I don’t remember having Koftas (meatballs in curry), let alone chicken koftas all that often, possibly because they are so labor intensive – It was always something we ate at dinner parties and on special occasions.

But in this recipe as with many of my recipes, I have made the labor intensive kofta, a more doable weeknight meal!

What’s in chicken koftas?

The koftas of my childhood were made out of ground beef, never chicken but here I am using chicken simply because, well I wanted to. This also helps keep red meat consumption low.  You can, of course use ground beef, lamb or even turkey if you wish.

• ground chicken –  I make it with thigh meat because it adds to the juiciness in the koftas and although you can use breast meat, I would highly recommend you use thigh meat.
• onions, green chili and cilantro – Although not authentic, I do feel that that the addition of these ingredients gives the chicken more flavor. 
• tomato sauce or puree – Again, not traditionally used but I wanted to omit dairy and so in came the tomato thanks to its sauciness. 
• spices – We’re keeping it simple with red chili powder, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. Garam masala on top is optional. 

How to make koftas

Making the koftas is pretty simple. Just take a handful of the ground chicken mixture and form into a ball the size of a golf ball. Now it may get sticky so just wet your hands before you start. 

The key to get juicy koftas is to ensure the cut of chicken is minced thigh meat. I have tried it with minced breast meat and it’s just not as juicy as the ones made with thigh meat. I picked up the meat at a local Middle Eastern grocery store but I figure you can ask most butchers to grind the thigh meat instead of the breast.

Try it for dinner tonight, you won’t be sorry you did! If you do, make sure to let me know how you liked it and whether it beats beef koftas or not in the comments below! 

More quick weeknight recipes

One Pan Sumac Chicken 

Hara Masala Chicken Curry

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Yield: 6

Chicken Kofta Curry

Print

A twist on a Pakistani classic! Juicy meatballs in a tomato based curry. Tangy, hearty, and with minimal cooking involved, this version of koftas may just be your new way to eat ground chicken!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken thigh meat
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 onion
• 2 green chillies
• A handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• FOR THE CURRY
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1/4 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• Small handful cilantro, chopped for garnish
• 1 green chillie, julienned for garnish
• 1/4 tsp garam masala for garnish

Instructions

1. In a food processor mince the onion and then the green chillies.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix all ingredients and form into meatballs the size of golf balls.
3. Keep aside.
4. In a medium sized saute pan, over medium high heat, heat the oil and fry the onions.
5. Once the onions are golden brown, add the garlic and all the spices.
6. Saute for a minute and then add the tomato sauce.
7. Fry some more till the oil rises to the top.
8. Add the meatballs and gently stir to coat them in the sauce.
9. Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium low.
10. Let cook about 20 minutes.
11. Once the meatballs are cooked through, increase the heat to high and stir fry the curry to let some of the water released by the koftas cook off and the oil separate.
12. Switch off the heat, garnish with cilantro and julienned green chillies and serve with boiled rice or cauliflower rice.

Notes

• Although you can serve koftas with either rice or naan (flat bread), my family prefers to eat gravy based dishes with rice.
• Bring this already fabulous dish up a notch by adding boiled eggs sliced in half and call them lazy man's nargisi kofte?

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