Vegetarian Kofta Curry

By Tejal Rao

Updated September 15, 2020

  • Photograph by Heami Lee Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(1,849)
Comments
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Kofta curry — a saucy dish of gently spiced meatballs — is often made with meat. But this one, based on my grandfather’s, swaps in a mash of beans. Bound with bread crumbs and seasoned with ginger, garlic, green chile and herbs, it’s a variation full of flavor and texture. Have it with some flatbread and some sliced cucumber in yogurt, or spooned over a bowl of rice. It’s also delicious in a sandwich the next day. Note: To make it with lamb, as in his original version, substitute 1 ½ pounds ground lamb for the beans. Soak the bread crumbs in ½ cup whole milk first, then squeeze out any extra liquid before adding them to the mixing bowl.

Featured in: I Think of My Grandfather Every Time I Make Kofta

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

  • 2 green chiles (such as jalapeño or serrano), stems removed

  • 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 4 spring onions or scallions, trimmed and chopped

  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish

  • 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved for garnish

  • ½ cup bread crumbs

  • 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala, plus more for garnish

  • ½ teaspoon red chile powder

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed

  • ½ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

  • 1 medium white onion, finely chopped

  • 8 to 10 ripe Roma tomatoes (about 3 pounds) or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

50 grams carbs; 40 milligrams cholesterol; 509 calories; 18 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 31 grams fat; 15 grams fiber; 763 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 13 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the garlic, ginger and green chiles in a food processor, and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Put half the paste into a large bowl. Set the rest aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add the beans, spring onions, fresh herbs, bread crumbs, egg, garam masala, chile powder and salt to the large bowl with the paste. Mix well with a fork, mashing up the beans as you go into small pieces.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on the pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, ginger and chile paste, and sauté until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes, purée them until smooth in the food processor. Stir the tomato purée or crushed tomatoes, coriander and cumin into the skillet, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  5. Step 5

    Add the kofta to the skillet, and turn the heat to low. If necessary, add enough water for the liquid to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meatballs, then simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kofta are warmed through and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a light dust of garam masala and some extra herbs.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,849 user ratings
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Comments

Mary O

I haven't made the recipe yet, but there was no place to compliment Tejal Rao on her beautiful remembrance of her grandfather, a man who took his time to do every little task with love and care. It made me tear up, it was so lovely. I'll make this recipe, but first I had to say thank you.

Deb

I believe you can use ground flaxseed meal w/a bit of water for the egg replacement in this recipe. It’s stated on the Bob’s Red Mill pkg, bottom right.

Maren Gesine

If I used one bunch of cilantro and mint from my vegetable store I'd end up with probably 2 cups cilantro and 4 cups mint... I assume this is not what is intended here. Better give a rough measure.

Liz PL

Loved this! It took me a lot longer than an hour, primarily because the garlic, ginger and jalapeno never really became a paste but I was dedicated to the effort. It was delicious anyway. I cut the jalapeno and upped the ginger, just for personal preference. Maybe that is why I never got to a paste? Will definitely make this again, but will try in the summer with fresh tomatoes. I just couldn't lose the 'canned tomato' taste in 20 minutes of cooking and needed to get dinner on the table.

EatBakeLove

Couple changes I made: - Use red beans, cooked on the stovetop w/ 1/8 tsp baking soda to soften. - Doubled all spices and aromatics except garlic and mint. 2 eggs, but keep breadcrumbs the same. - Baked in a little more oil, for a little longer with good olive oil. - For sauce, doubled the onions and cooked (whole) coriander and cumin with onions for and with the tomatoes a dozen raw cashews soaked in hot water. Once tomatoes were cooked, added 1+ cup water and cooked, then blended with a hand blender before adding koftas. - Along with garam masala add dried fenugreek leaves at end.

Vada

Hmm. I loved the story about Tejal’s grandfather. Thank you for sharing this with us. On a positive note, the balls held together nicely throughout the process. The sauce was more like a pasta sauce and very thick. I had to question the scant amount of spice indicated. One teaspoon of garam masala? And half a teaspoon of chili? That is nothing. It was okay but for the amount of work involved, I had hoped for more.

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