Meat Ball Curry/ Indian Spiced Kofta Curry- Delicious Tomato Gravy

Today's recipe is a delicious meatball/ kofta curry that goes well with rice, pulao, or naan. Tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful, spicy, and delicious tomato-based sauce. Keema is essentially ground/minced beef, lamb, or chicken, and koftas and kofta curries are party favorites. Meatballs are comfort food in many cuisines, and there are so many variations. This curry is inspired by the Moghul cuisine. If you want to try something different for dinner, why not this kofta curry. It is a great dish to serve when you have friends over for dinner. Kofta curry is worth try-juicy meatballs and rich tangy gravy enriched with aromatic spices is a die for!

The first time I tried the kofta curry was in Delhi, and it was a rich curry with lots of fresh creams. The meatballs are cooked, over charcoal for a smoky flavor. So if you want that authentic flavor, try barbecuing the meatballs before adding to the gravy. I wanted to try my version of kofta curry and added cashew nut paste instead of cream. For a rich, creamy sauce, you can also add cream. Koftas are traditionally deep-fried before simmering in the curry, but you can also bake them in the oven. You can use minced mutton or beef or even try a vegetarian version of this curry with mashed potatoes, paneer, or any other veggies of your choice. The flavors and taste will tickle your taste buds. It is freezer friendly a great time-saver if you are planning a get-together. If you are making this recipe, please share your experience with me. Happy cooking!

Minced Meat/ Keema
The best meat to use is mutton, but you can also use beef. You can buy minced meat for the supermarket or request the butcher for minced mutton, lean with low-fat content. You can also use boneless mutton, and mince it at home. After forming the meatballs, you may cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for one or two hours or overnight.
Freezing the meatballs
Mutton meatballs are freezer-friendly, so make a large batch to enjoy and freeze the rest for later. You can make this ahead of time, and it freezes well and is a great time saver. Make meatballs, and coat with flour. Line them on a baking sheet and freeze them. Once it is frozen, transfer them into freezer-safe zip lock bags, and you always have meatballs handy and ready to fry and add into gravies. When it is time to fry, allow it to defrost for half an hour and then fry.

Meat Ball Curry/ Indian Spiced Kofta Curry- Delicious Tomato Gravy

Ingredients

To make the meat balls
Minced meat- 1 lb
Onion- 1 medium
Egg-1
Bread crumbs- 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
Minced green chili- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Butter- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves- 3 tbs

For the gravy
Onion-2 medium
Tomato puree- 1 1/2 cup
Tomato paste- 1 tbs
Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts- 10
Chill powder- 2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Meat masala- 1 tbs
Kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves- a pinch
Chopped coriander leaves- 3 tbs
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Butter- 1 tsp
oil
salt to taste

To make the sauce
Soak the cashew nuts for half an hour, and make a fine paste. Take four to five tomatoes and make a fine puree.
Heat oil in a pan, add the minced onions, and saute till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato paste and fry till the raw flavor disappears. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, sugar, and salt. Saute for a minute, and then add the cashew paste. Saute this in medium flame for 3-4 minutes and add the tomato puree. Saute for two minutes and add one cup of water. Simmer this medium for 7-8 minutes or till the oil separates. Meanwhile, make the meatballs/koftas.

To make the kofta
Into a mixing bowl, add the minced meat, onion, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, and pepper powder and mix well. Add one egg, bread crumbs, minced chili, one tsp of melted butter, and chopped coriander. Mix to form a uniform mixture and make small balls. Heat oil in a pan and fry the meatballs. You can either shallow fry or deep fry. Fry till all sides are slightly brown.

Add this into the simmering gravy. Mix in garam masala and meat masala.Cover and cook for 15 minutes or till the gravy, reaches the desired consistency. Add a tsp of butter and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.