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Chicken kofta curry or chicken koftay ka salan is a traditional Pakistani curry made of chicken meatballs that are simmered in an onion-based curry. Serve with pickled onions, and rice or roti.
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5 from 2 votes

Chicken Kofta Curry or Chicken Meatball Curry

Chicken kofta curry or chicken koftay ka salan is a traditional Pakistani curry made of chicken meatballs that are simmered in an onion-based curry. Serve with pickled onions, and rice or roti.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Chicken Kofta Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 250kcal
Author: Kiran

Ingredients

For chicken koftas / chicken meatballs:

  • ¼ kg boneless chicken cut into cubes
  • 2 medium onions cut into quarters
  • 1 inch piece ginger
  • ½ bunch mint
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 green chilli
  • 2 tablespoons chickpea flour, roasted also known as gramflour or besan
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder dhaniya powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder

For the curry / gravy:

  • 4 tablespoon oil
  • 2 onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoon yoghurt
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste

Instructions

Method for making chicken koftas/ chicken meatballs:

  • Place all the ingredients listed under the chicken kofta / meatball section in a food processor. Pulse for about 20 – 30 seconds till the chicken is turned into mince, and the rest of the ingredients are mixed together. Don’t process too much else the mixture will be too pasty.
  • Place the meatball mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Take the mixture out of the fridge and form meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Use a little oil to grease your hands to make it easier to form the meatballs. In case the mixture is too soft, add 1 – 2 teaspoons of roasted chickpea flour. Set aside.

Method:

  • Heat oil in big pot. Fry onions till golden then take them out leaving the oil in the pot.
  • Blend onions with yogurt in blender till a paste is formed.
  • Heat the leftover oil from the onions and add ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilli powder & salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the blended onion & yoghurt mixture. Cook on medium heat, and stir the mixture constantly till it turns a golden brown colour from an initial cream-ish colour. If the spice mixture is sticking to the bottom, add water in small increments. This process is called "bhunna" in Urdu / Hindi and is complete when oil can be seen on top of the masala.
  • Add 3 cups of water to the masala and let it come to a boil.
  • Once the curry is at a boil, add the chicken koftas / meatballs and cook for 5 minutes. Be careful while adding the koftas so that they don't break, and instead of using a spoon move the pot around using kitchen towel / pot holders to incorporate the kofta's in the salan/curry. The reason being that since the koftas are made from chicken, they are quite soft and prone to breaking, hence the best method is to swirl the pot around with a spoon only being used if required.
  • Cook on high flame for 10-12 minutes, then let it simmer for around 30 minutes till cooked. Gravy can be adjusted on personal preference - I prefer a thinner gravy, but quite a few people prefer a more thicker gravy.
  • Garnish with green coriander right before serving.
  • Serve with a simple salad of sliced onions, salt, vinegar and fresh coriander along with fresh roti and/or steamed rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal
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