If you’re planning to have a family dinner and searching for a protein-rich side dish to serve with rice or biryani, you’ve got the right place! You won’t need to order any special or high-end ingredients for the recipe as it’s based on some simple items.
Although I can’t promise that it’s a time-saving recipe as a side dish, it’s super easy and perfectly suitable as a healthy addition. Let’s get into the details!
What Is Chicken Kofta Curry?
In Indian, Pakistani, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines, chicken kofta is a popular dish.
This traditional dish can be made from chicken keema mixed with aromatic spices, fresh herbs, and a binding agent like bread or biscuit crumbs. This mixture is then shaped into balls (kofta) or patties (kebabs) before cooking.
Chicken kofta itself is too dry to eat with rice or other dishes. There comes the importance of its curry. The spicy, thick gravy adds delicacy to the kofta and makes it more suitable to eat with whatever you want.
How to Make Chicken Kofta Curry
To make Chicken Kofta Curry, start by mixing chicken keema with aromatic spices, fresh herbs, and a binding agent like biscuit crumbs.
Shape the mixture into kofta balls and fry them until golden brown. For the gravy, sauté spices in hot oil, add onions and tomatoes, and blend in garlic, ginger, and spice pastes. Combine with fried koftas and simmer until the curry reaches the desired consistency.
Enjoy hot with rice or bread!
Chicken Kofta Curry Recipe
Servings: 6, Prep Time: 25 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes, Course: Appetizer, Side Dish Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Ingredients
- Chicken keema (minced chicken): 400 gm
- Garlic paste: 1 tablespoon+1 tablespoon
- Ginger paste: 1 tablespoon+1 tablespoon
- Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon+1 teaspoon
- Red chili powder: 1 teaspoon+1 teaspoon
- Black pepper: ½ teaspoon
- Hot spices powder (garam masala): 1 teaspoon
- Green chili, chopped: 1 tablespoon
- Onion, chopped: ⅓ cup+½ cup
- Coriander leaves chopped: Handful
- Biscuit crumbs: ½ cup
- Salt: to taste
- Cashew nuts: 7-8
- Raisins: 1 tablespoon
- Milk: ¼ cup
- Fried onions: 2 tablespoons
- Yogurt: ⅓ cup
- Oil: ½ cup+⅓ cup
- Ghee: 1 tablespoon
- Cinnamon sticks (medium-sized): 2 pieces
- Bay leaves: 2
- Cardamom pods: 4-5 pieces
- Cloves: 4-5 pieces
- Star anise: 1
- Black cardamom pod: 1
- Tomato, cubed: 1
- Hot spices powder (garam masala): 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
- Water: 1 cup
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
Directions
Let’s Prepare Chicken Kofta First
- Take 400 gm chicken keema in a bowl. Be ready to add quite a lot of ingredients in the next step!
- Add 1 tablespoon of garlic paste, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon of hot spices powder, 1 tablespoon of green chili, ⅓ cup of chopped onion, handful coriander leaves, ½ cup biscuits crumbs, and salt according to your taste. Biscuit crumbs will work as a binding agent here, you can use breadcrumbs or roasted besan (gram flour) if you want.
- Now, mix all the ingredients with your hand or a silicone spatula. Handle the mince gently; don’t squeeze it. Squeezing the mince will make the kofta’s texture dense and tough.
- Once you’re done, set the chicken aside.
Do Some Blending Work
- Take 7-8 cashew nuts and 1 tablespoon of raisins in a small bowl. Then, blend these with ¼ cup milk. Although many people skip the milk part, I prefer adding it as it creates a smooth and creamy paste which blends perfectly into the curry.
- Grab another small bowl and put 2 tablespoons of fried onions and ⅓ cup of yogurt in it. I love the addition of yogurt for its tangly flavor and how it balances the sweetness of the fried onions. Now, blend them smoothly. Set aside, we will get back to it later.
Fry The Koftas for The Curry
- And, it’s time to get back to the chicken keema. Grease your palms with oil and make medium-sized kofta balls just like the picture below.
- Repeat the process to make all the kofta balls. Before preparing the gravy, we will fry the koftas first. Frying the koftas will add a rich flavor to the curry and prevent it from breaking apart while dealing with the next steps.
- Pour ½ cup oil into a frying pan and heat it. After that, gently place the kofta balls in hot oil on medium flame. I use a spatula to flip and fry both sides of the koftas gently.
- Koftas should turn a brown colour when they’re fried perfectly. Remove them from the oil using a spoon.
Final Steps for Making Chicken Kofta Curry
- Now, it’s time to prepare the gravy, meaning we’re near the end of the recipe. Pour ⅓ cup of oil into a frying pan and heat it to make the curry.
- Add 1 tablespoon of ghee, 2 pieces of medium-sized cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 4-5 pieces of cardamom, 4-5 pieces of cloves, 1 star annies, and 1 black cardamom to the hot oil. You can skip the ghee if you want to lower the calorie count. I prefer adding it because of the rich and nutty flavor ghee offers.
- Then, add ½ up of the chopped onions to the oil and cook until they’re softened. When you notice the onions becoming soft, add 1 tomato cubes to the pan and cook 2 more minutes on medium flame.
- After 2 minutes, add 1 teaspoon of hot spice powder, 1 tablespoon of garlic paste, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add a little bit of water and mix them well with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Now, add the two types of paste to the curry you prepared earlier. The cashew nut paste and the fried onion paste. Pour some water and cook until the oil separates. Continue cooking until the curry gets a perfect consistency.
- Once the curry gets the thickness as the picture, add the fried kofta you set aside earlier. Then, cover the pan with a lid so it takes less time to cook. Let it cook for around 3 minutes on medium flame.
- Get back to the curry after 3 minutes and mix again with a spatula. Add one cup of water and 1 teaspoon of sugar as the final ingredients. A small amount of sugar will enhance the flavours of the spices and give the curry a sticky texture.
- Cook for 7-8 minutes on medium flame.
- Add 4-5 pieces of green chilies and 1 tablespoon of ghee to add flavor. This is the final step, I promise! Cover the pan and cook for 2 more minutes on low flame and the delicious chicken kofta curry is ready to serve!
Serving Ideas for Chicken Kofta Curry
Serve these juicy meatballs as an appetizer or snack with sweet tamarind chutney, mango chutney, or green chutney. The dish is so versatile that you can even wrap chicken koftas in pita bread, You can wrap chicken koftas in naan, plain parathas, or in naan.
My favorite way to enjoy the dish is as a side course with polao or biryani. They also pair well with baked potato wedges or with grilled vegetables.
Chef’s Tips
- For juicy koftas, use minced chicken thigh meat. I always prefer thigh meat for koftas over dry breast meat.
- Before shaping the koftas, grease your palms with oil. If you don’t want to add this extra oil, just wet your palms with water. This helps manage the stickiness due to the fat content in the meat.
- Please be extra careful while flipping the koftas in the gravy. You can gently shake the pan or use a spoon carefully to prevent it from breaking.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
| Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
| Calories | 229 kcal | |
| Protein | 25 g | 50% |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 72 mg | 24% |
| Fat | 9 g | 14% |
| Sodium | 178 mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 543 mg | 15% |
Note: Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. This nutrient information is estimated using an online calculator. I am not a certified dietitian. If you have any dietary concerns, please consult with an expert for an accurate estimation.