Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)

Kofta curry can be made in many ways. They can be made with animal protein like lamb or vegetarian with paneer which is an Indian cheese. They are usually fried ahead of adding to the curry base, however, below is my low-fat version of this comforting curry made with ground turkey that is every bit flavorful!

Serve this dish with white basmati rice and/or naan and a side salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and raw onions.

Yield: Serves 3-4

Difficulty Level: Easy

Prep Time: 30 minutes (includes chill time for meatballs in fridge)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Kofta

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 onion, grated and liquid removed

1/2 large jalapeno, minced and optionally seeded

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons Apple Cider vinegar (any vinegar will work OR 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice)

1 egg

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

For the Curry

Whole Spices

6 black peppercorns

6 black cloves

1 bay leaf

4 green cardamom

1 black cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

Other Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 inch ginger, grated

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted*

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roasted*

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1 tablespoon dried Methi leaves*

1/2 cup non-dairy yoghurt*

1/4 cup neutral oil

2 cups water

1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro for garnishing

Instructions:

For Kofta

1.In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, though do not overmix as this will toughen the meat.

2. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to form the meatballs of equal size.

Fill a small bowl with some water to wet your fingertips and pat the meat to form smooth and even meatballs. You should be able to form about 23-25 golf ball sized meatballs. Lay the balls on a cookie sheet, evenly spaced and chill in refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet and place on counter a few minutes before adding to curry base.

For Curry

1. Heat a large pan on medium-high heat, add the oil and all the whole spices and sauté 1-2 minutes.

2. Add onions and cook till slightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and cook until it softens completely and breaks down, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Add garlic and ginger and sauté about 1-2 minutes, ensuring the garlic does not burn.

5. Add all other spices, except the dried Methi leaves, sauté for 30-60 seconds before adding the water and bring to roiling boil.

6. Add the yoghurt, mix well and cook 1-2 minutes on medium heat and bring to a roiling boil.

7. Place the meatballs gently into the curry, one at a time and evenly spaced. With a spoon pour a little curry over the meatballs to ensure all sides are covered, then place the lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

8. Turn off heat. Crumble the dried Methi leaves with your fingers and sprinkle over the curry, stir together so it is mixed well, cover with lid again and let it stand about 5 minutes before serving.

*Tips:

1. Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds together in a small non-greased pan over medium to medium-high heat. This should only take 2-5 minutes. Shake the pan around so the seeds can roast on all sides. Once the seeds start to change colour and become slightly brown and the aroma is released, turn off the heat and transfer to mortar and pestle and grind to an almost fine powder. See pictures below.

2. Look for non-dairy yogurt that has no sugar added, otherwise, cooking the curry base with yoghurt that has any amount of sugar added will result in a sweet rather than a savory curry.