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Meatball Curry - Indian Beef Kofta Recipe

Name: Meatball Curry - Indian Beef Kofta Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 10.6 ounces Ground Beef; ½ Teaspoon Salt; ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper; 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce; ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Ground (aka Curcuma); 1 Teaspoon Ginger + Garlic; ½ Teaspoon White Wine Vinegar; 1 Tablespoon Breadcrumbs; ½ Egg; 1 Onion; 1 Tomato; 1 Green Chili Pepper (fresh); 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil; 8 Curry leaves (or dried Curry leaves); 1 Teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds (dark variety); ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper ground; 1 Tablespoon Ginger + Garlic; ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Ground (aka Curcuma); 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds ground; 1 Teaspoon Cumin ground; 3 Tablespoon Tomato Puree; 2 cups Coconut milk; 1/2 Teaspoon Salt; 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper; Cilantro (aka fresh Coriander, optional)

Published: Sep 6, 2017 · Modified: Feb 10, 2021 by Helene Dsouza

Helene Dsouza

The meatball curry is my sister in laws creation. She adapted it from traditional Goan (Indian) preparation methods and made the Indian beef kofta curry even more delicious with a few tweaks. Instead of frying the meatballs, the meatballs are poached in the curry. Easy to prepare and so utterly delicious! See serving suggestions further below.

Total Time: 30 minutes

5 from 13 votes

Jump to Recipe

Who can resist a flavorful meatball curry?

Especially if the bright orange coconut curry has been enriched with aromatic spices and juicy beef meatballs.

A classic Asian Indian beef meatball (aka kofta) recipe for all those who love meatballs and spicy sauces! YUM

What are Koftas?

Koftas are meatballs prepared with meats such as Beef, Lamb, Pork or Chicken minced meat.

Kofta meatballs are part of various food cultures in the world.

You will find Koftas in the:

Balkan cuisine
Middle Eastern cuisine
Central Asian cuisine
South Asian cuisine

Therefore, you will learn that koftas exist in various ways and versions.

Most kofta meatballs are richly spices and include ingredients such as garlic or even ginger.

Some are treated like a kebab, other koftas are enriched by a spiced thick sauce, a curry.

How to make Meatball Curry?

The meatball curry recipe is straightforward and simple, combine all the meatball ingredients and then prepare the curry step by step.

You can prepare your own mince meat with a mince maker.

I talk about preparing meat mince from scratch in the Crépinette recipe.

This meatball curry was perfected by my sister in law who was so kind to let me share it with the world.

She had tried the old way by frying the meatballs first, however, the meatballs would end up a bit dry.

So, she developed a recipe, where the meatballs would literally get poached in the spiced curry so that the beef meatballs retain the shape + remain perfectly moist.

Another important point is the meat quality!

The quality of the beef cut makes a difference.

Ask your local butcher what he recommends.

TIP: Mixing Beef and Pork double ground minced meat, 50/50 results in soft, juicy and better-shaped meatballs.

To prepare the one-pot, meatball curry will take you about 3o minutes altogether.

10 minutes to prepare the meatballs and 20 minutes cook time altogether.

The Beef Kofta Curry makes a great lunch meal or I also enjoy it a lot as a weeknight dinner.

Remember, you can keep leftovers in the fridge, and when reheating, the flavors will be more intense, as it is with all good curries in this world.

Tools that I use to make this one pot kofta cury:

I really love my shallow Asian pans.

Those pans resemble a Wok but are smaller in size and therefore easier to work with and to store when not in use.

This includes pans such as the Balti dish or the Indian Kadhai pan.

A hard anodized kadhai pan such as this one from Futura works best for this particular meatball curry.

You can always pick a PFOA free non stick pan or a stainless steel kadhai.

Another option are those amazing le Creuset Balti pans.

Those come in different colors too and are going to last you forever.

A Balti dish can cook the curry evenly on all sides, and not just curry dishes.

You can use this pan even for western food preparations!

As a stirring and mixing spoon, use a bamboo wooden spatula such as this one from Helene Chen.

Those spatulas are the best cooking spatulas ever!

You must have noticed in my recipe video that I use these all the time.

The Bamboo spatulas are inexpensive, lightweight, easy to clean and don't scratch the pots (which is super important if you like to use PFOA-free nonstick pans)

How to serve the meatball Curry?

Some flatbread such as Chapati or Nan
over plain cooked rice
Bread rolls
Stuffed Okra
Crispy Bitter Melon Stir fry (healthy!)

Dear Reader, would you like to see more meatball recipes?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comment section further below!

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Comments

Anita says

March 25, 2020 at 2:11 pm

Brilliant, often make curries, but this was soo lovely, didn’t have curry leaves so substituted 1 tsp curry powder, will make this again and again.

Reply
- Helene Dsouza says
  
  March 25, 2020 at 2:39 pm
  
  Thanks for your feedback! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the curry as much as we do.
  
  Reply
Nisha says

October 18, 2018 at 3:20 am

Hi helen want tp know wat is substitute gr worcestershire saice. I hv all the other ingred. Im gng to try today. Plz reply

Reply
- Helene Dsouza says
  
  October 18, 2018 at 4:20 pm
  
  Hi Nisha,
  The Worcestershire sauce adds flavor so you could skip it but I think the meatballs taste boring without it. As a substitute, you can try to mix tamarind paste with a few drops of vinegar and soy sauce (more tamarind then the other ingredients to keep it on the thicker side). Looking forward to your taste experience feedback! 🙂
  
  Reply
Amy says

September 12, 2017 at 5:14 am

I love curries and I love meatballs but I have never had a meatball curry! This has got to change ASAP! Sounds fabulous!

Reply
- Helene Dsouza says
  
  September 12, 2017 at 12:07 pm
  
  Thnk you Amy, I think you will fall in love with this curry if you like curries and meatballs 😀
  
  Reply
Michelle says

September 09, 2017 at 10:52 am

Love spicy curries -- this sauce looks divine!

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Pamela says

September 09, 2017 at 6:58 am

This looks so wonderful. The meatballs have so much flavor added to them. Perfect! I am going to try to make this,

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Dahn says

September 08, 2017 at 11:07 pm

wow this looks amazing and your ginger garlic paste sounds wonderful too. I have to make this, I love curry

Reply
Kavey Favelle says

September 08, 2017 at 3:28 pm

My mum makes a fantastic kofte curry but hers is North Indian style of curry base, I have never tried the Goan version, so am bookmarking this to try soon!

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peter says

September 07, 2017 at 3:31 am

I would totally love to dig into this curry dish. So much flavor.

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Donna Bailey says

May 30, 2017 at 11:34 pm

Words fail me! This is the best kofta I've had.
Excellent recipe!

Reply
- Helene Dsouza says
  
  June 20, 2017 at 3:15 pm
  
  Hi Donna, thank you for your feedback. Happy to read that you enjoy the meatball curry as much as I do. 🙂
  
  Reply
Ash-foodfashionparty says

February 11, 2015 at 10:27 am

I love kofta curry. Your steps are so good. It's one of the best curries ever. Your steps are awesome.

Reply
easyfoodsmith says

February 08, 2015 at 5:32 pm

We do not eat beef so its going to be with lamb for me. I could eat spoonfuls of that delicious curry 😀

Reply
Purabi Naha / Cosmopolitan Currymania says

February 05, 2015 at 3:30 pm

Helene, my dear this meatball curry makes me feel as if I am sitting in a Goanese home and eating heavenly home-style curry! I loved the combo of tomato and coconut milk. Cleanliness is extremely important. Also, I like the fact that u have used very little egg and blended the mince. 🙂

Reply
Gingi says

February 05, 2015 at 8:32 am

This looks yummy! I want some!!! Thanks for sharing! - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

Reply
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says

February 05, 2015 at 1:54 am

Yum - I can only imagine how good this tasted - with all those spices in the curry and in the meatballs - this is sure to be intoxicating!

Reply
Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman says

February 04, 2015 at 8:11 pm

I do a lot of Indian cooking, but have never tried a goan curry before. I will definitely be giving this a go. Thank you!

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Nutmeg Nanny says

February 04, 2015 at 11:16 am

What a delicious flavor packed meal! Love everything you put in here...yum!

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mjskitchen says

February 04, 2015 at 9:19 am

Would love a of bowl of this with a side of flatbread! I've never had nor seen a meatball curry so I'm finding this to be quite creative as well as super tasty. Great recipe!

Reply
Sabrina Modelle says

February 04, 2015 at 8:01 am

I love Kofta. I haven't had any in a couple of years (since I've had to be gluten free)
I am saving this recipe and making some, for sure!
Thanks

Reply
Laura says

February 04, 2015 at 7:12 am

I love Goan curries--and I love meatball curries! So clearly I am making this!

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Kitchen Belleicious says

February 04, 2015 at 4:16 am

you can just see the flavor in that curry and the meatballs. It looks comforting and hearty

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nipponnin says

February 03, 2015 at 6:14 am

I love curry soup, and I love this recipe...so homey and soothing.

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[email protected] says

February 03, 2015 at 5:34 am

OMG, I have everything I need to make this, it's a sign, it's a sign! I'm pulling out the beef mince from the freezer the minute I hit SUBMIT! 🙂

Reply
Eva Taylor says

February 03, 2015 at 1:07 am

This is definitely a dish for the type of cold, snowy weather we are experiencing right now in Toronto. I do enjoy a good curry and your description sounds absolutely wonderful. The combination of spices must make the house smell incredible. I can't wait to try this one!

Reply
Ramona says

February 01, 2015 at 7:53 pm

I love meatball curries like this...just hand me a roti or naan!

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[email protected]'s Recipes says

February 02, 2015 at 12:50 am

The curry gravy sounds so good!

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padma says

February 01, 2015 at 3:58 pm

Loved the spicy curry...I also prepare a similar sort but with lamb...This looks delicious:)

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Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

February 01, 2015 at 8:14 am

Meatball curry? I had to say that twice to curb my excitement. What a brilliant idea. I often make my own mince but not often enough. Just thinking about cleaning the grinder encourages me to head to the butcher. I'm going to make these meatballs!

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Hotly Spiced says

February 01, 2015 at 3:19 am

I love the look of your meatballs and this is a curry that clearly has so much flavour. I'm picky about mince as well; I go to a butcher who minces it in front of me so I see exactly what goes into it xx

Reply
Choc Chip Uru says

February 01, 2015 at 1:34 am

Your curry is beckoning with that delicious flavour, Without the meatballs I would be dipping my naan all over the gravy 😀

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Reply
[email protected] Riffs says

January 31, 2015 at 10:57 pm

I love goat! Used to have it often when we lived in Texas, but in most parts of the US you need to search for it (although any Mexican market has it). Really good meatballs -- lotta flavor in these. Thanks!

Reply