Easy Chicken Kofta Curry
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.
Servings: 6
Calories: 243kcal
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1.5 pound ground chicken thigh meat
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger or 1 inch knob of ginger
- 1/2 onion
- 1 green chili
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
For the Curry
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2-1 cup tomato sauce See note
- 1 Roma tomato small, crushed in food processor
- cilantro for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala for garnish
- 1/4 cup water optional, for consistency
Instructions
- In a food processor mince the onion till just chopped (avoid mincing it as onion releases a lot of water and prevent the kebabs from binding) and add that to the bowl of ground chicken thighs. In the same food processor bowl grind the green chili, cilantro and ginger ( if using whole ginger) . Add this to the bowl of chicken as well.
- Next, add the spices and the minced garlic to the bowl. Then, take a small bowl of water and dip your hands and make golf ball sized meatballs. Place on a plate and work your way through the whole mixture.
- In a medium sized saute pan, over medium high heat, add the oil and once shimmering, add the chopped onions and saute till golden brown. Once the onions are golden brown, add the garlic and all the spices.Saute for a minute, till aromatic and then add the tomato sauce and if using, the crushed tomato.
- Stir to combine ad then add the meatballs. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium low and let cook for about 15-20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, uncover the pan, increase the heat to high and swirl the pan to evenly coat the koftas with the curry. There may be some water released by the koftas. Let the moisture cook off and the oil rise to the top, abou If you prefer a saucier curry, add 1/4 cup water and adjust salt to taste.
- Once the oil separates, switch off the heat, garnish with chopped cilantro and garam masala and serve with white or cauliflower rice.
Video
Notes
- Tomato sauce (in the US) is canned, strained tomato puree, not Ketchup. It is also called passata. You can use 1/2 cup of passata and 1 fresh chopped Roma tomato for a chunkier curry or 1 cup passata for a quicker and easier dish.
- The key to juicy koftas is to use minced chicken 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 my local South Asian grocery store, but I figure you can ask most butchers to grind the thigh rather than the breast.
- Use water to coat your hands before handling the koftas, as the fat in the meat makes it super sticky.
- Rather than flipping the koftas in the sauce, swirl the pan back and forth. This ensures the koftas don't break apart.
Nutrition
Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 723mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 418IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
