Delicious Pakistani Kofta
Ah! The kofta. What can be said about these delectable meatballs that are enjoyed the world over. They come in a variety of flavours, sizes, shapes in the many different cuisines which it forms part of. Be it the regions of South Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans or Central Asia, each and every one of them have their own twist on making koftas with their own unique blend of aromatic spices. Grilled, stewed, fried or being part of a rich curry, the variations of koftas are countless, each with their own distinctive taste that takes you to different places every time you savour them. which means "rissole", from the verb, meaning "to pound" or "to grind. Different regional languages have adopted the word with minor phonetic variation.
The word itself comes from classical Persian kōfta (کوفته), which means "rissole", from the verb, kōftan (کوفتن), meaning "to pound" or "to grind. Different regional languages have adopted the word with minor phonetic variation. Historians say kofta's origins can be traced to the Turko-Afghan conquerors in the 11th century. Soon enough it made the rounds to the regions of South Asia where it was adapted in many ways as part of Awadhi / Mughlai / Indian cuisine.
South Asian kofta dishes are usually made with either beef, chicken or lamb mince.which are then cooked with rich thick curries of which there are quite a lot of different variations. Not just that but even vegetarian versions exist too made with different vegetables so that the vegetarians aren't left out into enjoying this culinary favourite. There's even a version of Kofta dish called 'Nargisi Kofta' which is boiled eggs encased in kofta meatballs. Some say that the English 'Scotch Egg' was inspired by this popular dish.
This kofta dish that I made here is one of the more popular ones served in many households. The juiciness of the koftas in the rich dense gravy all encased in the spices that accompanies it is bound to make you smack your lips. Whether you eat it with naan as you break off pieces of it to dunk them into the gravy along with the koftas or have it with some fragrant rice, this is one dish you'll relish with every bite you take!
Here's the recipe:
Kofta Recipe:
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Ingredients:
For the kofta you'll need:
- 1 kg mince meat (Beef, chicken or lamb) finely grounded.
- 2 to 3 tbsp yoghurt whisked
- 4 to 6 green chillies chopped
- 4 to 5 tbsps of gram flour slightly roasted
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt (Or according to your taste)
- 1/2 bunch coriander finely chopped
- 1 egg
For the gravy you'll need:
- 250 gms yoghurt whisked
- 2 to 3 medium onions finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 bay leaves (Optional)
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp salt (Or according to your taste)
- 1 cup cooking oil or ghee
Preparation:
- First, we'll prepare the kofta meatballs. In a large mixing bowl add in all the kofta ingredients into the mince meat and mix it well with your hands until all of it is well incorporated.
- Take the kofta mixture and form them into meatballs. You should be able to get 25 to 30 meatballs or more from the mixture. Set them in the fridge for around 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a frying pan, add some cooking oil and fry the kofta meatballs in it on medium heat. Only cook them for a couple of minutes on each side. This will ensure that they don't break when we add them to the gravy later and then cook them fully then.
- Take the kofta meatballs out of the pan and set aside.
- Next for the gravy in a cooking pot, heat up the oil. Add in the bay leaves (optional), finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger paste and fry the onions until they're browned.
- Add in all the spices for the gravy, fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
- Next gradually add in the yoghurt and continue frying until the water in the yoghurt evaporates. You'll notice this when the oil in the gravy starts to separate and comes on top.
- Add in 1 to 2 glasses of water into the gravy, remove the bay leaves from it and cook on medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Once the gravy starts boiling, add the kofta meatballs and cook on low heat and bring to a boil again.
- Once you bring to the gravy to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for a further 30 to 40 minutes until the koftas are tender and the gravy becomes thick. If you feel the gravy is less then you can add a little bit more water and cook for a few more minutes until you reach the desired consistency.
- Lastly switch off the flame and let it sit for 5 minutes. Garnish the dish with chopped coriander and whole green chillies.
- Serve with fresh naan or rice and enjoy!
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The word itself comes from classical Persian kōfta (کوفته), which means "rissole", from the verb, kōftan (کوفتن), meaning "to pound" or "to grind. Different regional languages have adopted the word with minor phonetic variation. Historians say kofta's origins can be traced to the Turko-Afghan conquerors in the 11th century. Soon enough it made the rounds to the regions of South Asia where it was adapted in many ways as part of Awadhi / Mughlai / Indian cuisine.
Here's the recipe:
Kofta Recipe:
--------------------------------------------
Ingredients:
For the kofta you'll need:
- 1 kg mince meat (Beef, chicken or lamb) finely grounded.
- 2 to 3 tbsp yoghurt whisked
- 4 to 6 green chillies chopped
- 4 to 5 tbsps of gram flour slightly roasted
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt (Or according to your taste)
- 1/2 bunch coriander finely chopped
- 1 egg
For the gravy you'll need:
- 250 gms yoghurt whisked
- 2 to 3 medium onions finely chopped
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 bay leaves (Optional)
- 1 and a 1/2 tsp salt (Or according to your taste)
- 1 cup cooking oil or ghee
Preparation:
- First, we'll prepare the kofta meatballs. In a large mixing bowl add in all the kofta ingredients into the mince meat and mix it well with your hands until all of it is well incorporated.
- Take the kofta mixture and form them into meatballs. You should be able to get 25 to 30 meatballs or more from the mixture. Set them in the fridge for around 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a frying pan, add some cooking oil and fry the kofta meatballs in it on medium heat. Only cook them for a couple of minutes on each side. This will ensure that they don't break when we add them to the gravy later and then cook them fully then.
- Take the kofta meatballs out of the pan and set aside.
- Next for the gravy in a cooking pot, heat up the oil. Add in the bay leaves (optional), finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger paste and fry the onions until they're browned.
- Add in all the spices for the gravy, fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
- Next gradually add in the yoghurt and continue frying until the water in the yoghurt evaporates. You'll notice this when the oil in the gravy starts to separate and comes on top.
- Add in 1 to 2 glasses of water into the gravy, remove the bay leaves from it and cook on medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Once the gravy starts boiling, add the kofta meatballs and cook on low heat and bring to a boil again.
- Once you bring to the gravy to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for a further 30 to 40 minutes until the koftas are tender and the gravy becomes thick. If you feel the gravy is less then you can add a little bit more water and cook for a few more minutes until you reach the desired consistency.
- Lastly switch off the flame and let it sit for 5 minutes. Garnish the dish with chopped coriander and whole green chillies.
- Serve with fresh naan or rice and enjoy!
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