Pakistani Beef Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)
Beef Kofta Curry, or simply kofte, is a classic Pakistani curry made of tender meatballs simmered in a spicy, flavorful sauce. This recipe has all the traditional flavor of old-fashioned kofte but it’s made in an easier, more approachable way.
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“This is one of the most delicious dishes I have ever cooked. Didn’t change a thing! Thank you so much. This is going to be a regular addition to our family favourites.”
Michelle
Pakistani Food vs Indian Food
Sometimes I get asked about the difference between Pakistani & Indian food.
Truth is, cuisine is not national; a man-made border won’t suddenly make you eat differently than your neighbor. There is plenty of overlap.
That said, there are distinct differences by region.
The majority of the food I grew up eating – the kebabs, pulaos, biryanis, and kormas – is Moghul-inspired and more popular in Pakistan and North India. This cuisine also happens to be more mainstream here in the West.
There is much more to the subject, but it’s safe to say that beef – because of cultural and religious reasons – is more commonly eaten in Pakistan. And that’s why I often refer to many of my beef recipes as ‘Pakistani’.
How to make Pakistani Beef Kofta Curry
To make kofta curry, you prepare the meatballs and then set them aside while preparing the curry. Bring the curry to a boil, then lower the heat and add the meatballs. Cover, stirring once in between to ensure even cooking, and allow to simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
Koftas are traditionally deep-fried before simmering in the curry. In the interest of health and ease, I’ve omitted that step, relying instead on herbs and spices to give it vibrant flavor.
Speaking of spices, this recipe uses a fair amount of them. 50% of the ingredients are either whole or ground spices (yes, I calculated). But the spices are what give this dish so much flavor, not to mention differentiate this meatball curry from the rest of the world’s meatball dishes.
A few tips on Making this Kofta Curry:
- Use full-fat ground beef instead of lean. The extra fat helps them bind.
- Drain out any moisture from the ground beef (pat dry with a paper towel if needed).
- Substitute beef it with ground chicken or lamb. If it’s not holding up as well, try adding more chickpea flour or even breadcrumbs.
- Exactly as written, the recipe delivers tender, moist koftas. However, overmixing, overcooking, or overhandling can result in tough koftas.
- Reheating: Add 2-3 tablespoons of water before reheating on the stove or microwave as the curry thickens after cooling.
- Make-ahead: After forming the meatballs, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. You can even freeze them in an airtight container until you’re ready to cook the curry.
Variations
- How to add potatoes: Add 1 medium cubed russet potato toward the last 20-25 minutes (depending on how large they are cut) along with a bit of extra water. Cover and allow to simmer along with the koftas. And if you love potatoes as much as I do, check out my collection of 10 Pakistani and Indian Aloo (Potato) Recipes.
- Often, kofta curry is topped with boiled eggs, giving it a layer of hearty flavor. I like to boil them separately so that the curry isn’t infused with the scent of the eggs.
How to Double
To double the recipe, double the ingredients for the kofta and the curry except the water. Instead of doubling the water, use only 1.5x the amount. So you’ll add 3 cups of water instead of 4. (See more doubling tips in my FAQ). If you’re concerned the whole spices might be overpowering, start off with 1.5 times the original amount, then add more to taste.
What to Serve with this Pakistani Beef Kofta Curry
Since this is a ‘wet’ curry, you can pair it with either rice or roti, naan, or other bread.
More Beef Recipes:
- Easiest Instant Pot Beef Curry (Stew/Isto)
- Slow Cooker Nihari (Beef Stew) (I also have an Instant Pot version)
- Easy Pakistani Haleem (Beef & Lentil Stew) (Instant Pot)
- Shami Kabob (Instant Pot and Stovetop)
- Seekh Kabob (Ground Beef Skewers)
- Chapli Kabab
- Keema Matar (Ground Beef & Peas Curry) or Aloo Keema (Ground Beef & Potato Curry)
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments below and/or tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations! I love hearing from you!
Pakistani Beef Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)
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Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 small (120 g after peeling) onion, roughly chopped
- 1 green chili pepper (such as Serrano or Thai chili), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp mint leaves, optional
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp crushed ginger
- 1 lb ground beef, (preferably full fat)
- 2 tbsp gram flour (besan), sub chickpea flour
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the Curry
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 medium (3 small) tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 green chili pepper (such as Serrano or Thai), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 green cardamom pods
- 4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, crushed
- 3 tbsp plain, whole milk yogurt
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2-1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika powder (or Kashmiri chili powder), (optional – for color)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups water
- 1/4-1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1-2 tbsp cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Combine the onion, green chili pepper, cilantro, and mint (if using) in a food processor. Use the pulse function to chop so that the onions are finely chopped but not blended. You don’t want the onions to break down too much and release water. Add the rest of the ingredients listed under meatballs (including the meat) and process for 20-30 seconds or just until mixed.
- Using a bit of oil to grease your hands, form into meatballs about 1 ½ inch in diameter. You can also use a cookie scoop to make this go faster. It should make around 25 meatballs. Set aside.
Curry:
- Rinse your food processor. Use the pulse function to finely chop the onion. Remove and set aside. Next, blend the tomatoes and green chili pepper. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the whole spices and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring often, for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with 2 tbsp of water. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another 2 minutes, until the onions have deepened even more in color. Add the tomatoes and green chili pepper mixture, followed by the yogurt, spices and salt. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the mixture. Deglaze once again with 2 tbsp of water and continue to sauté until the oil separates again.
- Add 2 cups water and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Once it has stopped boiling, arrange the kofte in a single layer.
- Increase the heat to medium, cover and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and gently stir the kofte. Reduce the heat to low-medium. Cover and allow it to simmer for another 35 minutes, stirring once in between, until cooked through.
- Sauté to evaporate water to make the kofte to desired consistency. Taste and add salt, if needed. Sprinkle in garam masala and cilantro. Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha, or rice. hard-boiled eggs, if desired.
Notes
- Make-ahead: After forming the meatballs, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or even freeze them if you’d like to finish making the curry later.
194 Comments on “Pakistani Beef Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)”
Loved this recipe – very tasty and all the family gave it 5 stars, will be trying more recipes thankyou 🙂
Delighted to hear that! Thank you, Sam!
It’s like eating my moms koftas without the “hasbe zaiqa ” instructions she always gives ???? love that your recipes are so detailed and there’s NO salt to taste ????????
Haha! I can relate..very hard to decipher mom’s instructions. Glad I’m able to help. Thank you, Uzma!
Is there a chicken kofta version of this? Can I substitute the beef with chicken keema using the same recipe? My husband stopped eating red meat.
You could certainly sub with chicken. I’d add an extra bit of chickpea flour or breadcrumbs if it’s not binding as well!
Salaam Izzah, this recipe is the best! I found your blog through this recipe when I was searching for a recipe of Kofta curry. I have made it many times now and every time it’s a success! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes 🙂
W.S. Thank you so much, Dieuwertje! I’m honored!
Hi Izzah,
I made the kofta’s yesterday and the whole family loved it. I followed the recipe to the letter and it worked out perfect.
I think that there should be a little more explanation of which spices should be ground in a coffee grinder. The freshly ground spices gave a truly authentic taste.
Everyone, in our family loved the koftas and enjoyed it so much that there is nothing left.
Point noted. Thanks so much for your review!!
Lovely and tasty – it’s going in the favourite’s file! Love making curry, but tend to stick to curry pastes as a lot of recipes have not enough spice or too much. Even my daughter ate it, and she doesn’t like many curries! Mine didn’t look as red, but probably as tomatoes were the reddest! I used 1/4tsp cayenne in each half as wasn’t sure specifically what the red chili powder related to (I have paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne). Also use 1tsp dried coriander in each half, as my plant is dying back a bit now. I also didn’t have cinnamon sticks so used scant 1/2tsp of cinnamon powder, but I did try to keep it as close to the original recipe as I could, so I could rate it fairly.
oh this was delicious. I did add a bit of extra chilli as we like it hot, but loved the amazing flavours from the whole spices and the addition of mint leaves really gives it that delicious fragrant undertone. I didn’t have a bayleaf but I do keep curry leaves in my freezer so popped a couple of those in too. I do a lot of Indian/Asian cooking – as you say there isn’t suddenly a divide between some cuisines because of a land border! But this really is an amazing authentic dish, and will definitely be making it again.
So nice to hear that, Judy! Thank you so much for your review!
This turned out really tasty. I used ratio 3/4 lamb 1/4 beef because that’s what I had at home but it was as delicious. I am Iranian cooking for Pakistani husband (and guests today) and they all praised it. The best thing is my kids also loved it. May God bless you
This sounds scrumptious! I’m so glad they enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to review, Mina!
We made this recipe tonight, I have been looking at this recipe for weeks and was worried about the meatballs cooking in the curry.
We followed the recipe exactly, and it is without a doubt the single greatest curry we have ever made at home, and we cook a lot!
The meatballs are delicious and are cooked perfectly, they literally melt in your mouth, the curry itself is amazing, we served the kofta in bowls and served with a large bowl of rice with some breads.
I really can’t emphasize how good this recipe is, if you’re considering trying it, please please do, you will not regret it, and it will likely become a regular thing!
This is the nicest comment, Dale! I’m so honored and happy to see it. Thank you so very much for taking the time to review and share your thoughts. Made my day!
This was just as delicious as it looks! I did fry the meatballs for a couple of mins first just cuz I’m sicilian and that’s what we do lol. The spices and fresh cilantro knock it out of the park. I’m a newbie to this cuisine so thank you for an amazing recipe! I’ll definitely be looking for more so i can use the wonderful spices I’ve accumulated in my pantry.
Thanks so much, Joelle! Very glad to hear that. I do hope you try more!!
Loved the recipe! Turned out perfect! Taste was great!
Thank you, Sadie!
This was delicious my Pakistani husband from Lahore
Loved it have been making several of
Your recipes since we have been inside
Everyone has been great
So great to hear that, Jane! Thanks so much!!!