Kofta curry, a comforting Pakistani lamb meatball curry

Why you will love this Kofta Curry

Lamb kofta curry is a saucy, spicy Pakistani meatball curry. You know it’s a good day when you see kofta on the dinner table, it does not take long for everyone to take their seats.

This authentic kofta curry is one of my childhood favourites, it is comfort food at it’s finest. The mince lamb gives a lovely richness to the dish, but you can always change the lamb for chicken mince if you want a leaner curry .

This curry always felt like a treat growing up and my children also love this curry and see it just the same as I did as a child. Breaking apart those tasty meatballs with a roti/ chapati is exciting, along with soaking up that spiced meatball gravy; adding a boiled egg into the mix takes this dish to another level. You can of course eat this Pakistani meatball curry with rice, I would probably pair it with a matar pilau, this makes a lovely backdrop to the meatballs.

The history of the Kofta Curry Recipe

Kofta curry, like Nihari has Mughal influence/ origins. That in itself tells you this is a curry not to miss. The curry has of course evolved over time, some people like to fry the meat balls before adding them into the masala (base of the curry), others add boiled eggs and some do not. There really is no right or wrong way, it’s personal preference and what your household prefers. I have kept recipe simple, it really is an easy lamb kofta curry to make.

Final tips for making perfect meatballs

Ideally when making this Pakistani meatball curry, I would let the mince lamb marinate with the spices overnight (just as you would do with a kebab mixture), as it allows more time for the spices to infuse the mince which in turn adds a depth of flavour of the koftas. As I generally prepare the mince the night before cooking, I will also cut the onions and garlic and ginger and keep it all in the fridge in air tight containers. It just cuts down on the preparation required on the day, you can get straight to cooking.

The addition of boiled eggs is optional, however it really does elevate the dish to another level and the children find it exciting cracking open an egg with their meat balls.

Do not be tempted to reduce the onion quantity in the masala, this makes for a lovely thick masala base which is very much needed with kofta curry. I would also keep a close eye on the masala whilst the koftas are cooking, it can dry out and will need more water adding to the pan. Start with 100-150ml at these points.

When making the up the meatballs, the mince may stick to your hands. A way to avoid this is to wet your hands with cold water before you start to shape the mince in your hands. This makes the meatball preparation much smoother.

I would serve kofta with chapati/roti or with matar pilau, they will compliment the koftas beautifully!

See my video on Instagram or TikTok to see how to make this dish!

Ingredients for lamb kofta curry

Time 45 minutes

Feeds 4

Ingredients for curry base/masala

• 2.5 medium onions
• 2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped (3, if you prefer it spicier)
• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

Ingredients for meatballs/kofta

• 500 grams lamb mince
• 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger
• Optional, add half a finely chopped onion, make sure you squeeze out water from the onions first
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 2 slices of wholemeal bread, crusts removed

Method for lamb kofta curry

Method for masala base

1. Finely chop the onions, I like to use my food processor as it saves time. Heat 4 tablespoons of rapeseed oil to a saucepan, then add the onions and cook on medium heat.

2) Keep regularly stirring the onions as they brown. Make sure the onions don’t burn. They should be brown in around 15 minutes.

3) Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, cook for approximately 2 minutes or until the garlic ginger smell has faded.

4) Then add the tomatoes and green chillies to the pan. Stir for a minute or so.

5) Then add the salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, paprika powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Again stir through and cook for 2 minutes.

6) The masala mixture will be quite dry, add 150ml of water and turn to the heat down slightly, and let it simmer for 10 minutes with the pan lid on. Keep checking the masala mixture and stirring, once is starts to dry out, add another 150ml of water and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Method for mince lamb mix

7) Whilst the masala mixture is simmering, you can prepare the kofta mix (if you haven’t already done this the night before). Get a large bowl and add the mince lamb, spices, garlic, ginger and fresh coriander.

8) Then add the wholemeal bread. Make sure the crusts are cut off, then soak the bread in water one slice at a time. I usually use a food container to do this. Don’t leave the bread in the water too long, otherwise the slices will start to break.

Once the slice has been soaked, carefully wring off the water before adding the bread to the mince. The bread helps the kofta bind and not break when you cook them.

9) Once the bread has been added, mix everything in the bowl thoroughly. I use my hands to do this.

10) Next you will need to make the koftas. I like to mould them in my hands and set them to one side, ready to be cooked in the masala. Grab a generous tablespoon of the mince mixture and mould into balls in your hands.

Ensure the balls and firmly rolled into a ball in your hands, again this helps to minimise the chance of the koftas breaking during cooking. If you find the mince is sticking to your hands, you can dip your hands in warm water then mould the kofta balls.

Method for combining masala and koftas together

11) Add the kofta balls carefully to the masala in the pan, let them cook for a few minutes, until you can see the mince is browning on the top side of the koftas. Then carefully flip the koftas over, so the raw mince side is now cooking in the masala. Let the koftas cook for a few minutes on this side.

The masala will start to dry out as the koftas cook. Add around 200 ml of hot/boiling water to the pan, cover with the pan lid and turn the heat down. Cook for around 10-15 minutes, keep checking the pan on an adhoc basis. You may need to add more water if the pan masala is drying out.

Once the koftas have cooked, add the garam masala powder and more freshly chopped coriander. Serve with boiled eggs and chapatis, enjoy!