Chicken Kofta Coconut Curry
Chicken Kofta Coconut Curry
Ingredients
Chicken Kofta (Meatballs):
- 2 lbs ground chicken (thighs preferred)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 green chilies, minced (adjust to preference)
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 1 egg
- 1 slice bread
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- oil as needed for frying meatballs
Curry:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 8 whole black peppers
- 1/4 cup onion paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz. can)
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1/2 cup basil leaves loosely packed
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Chicken Kofta (Meatballs):
- In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients under "Chicken Kofta (Meatballs)" except the bread, milk, breadcrumbs, and oil.
- In a separate bowl, soak the bread in the milk. You can add a bit more milk if necessary to make the bread soggy. Then tear up the milk-soaked bread into tiny pieces and add to the mixture.
- Combine everything well, adding more breadcrumbs if necessary to help make the mixture easier to roll.
- Do a taste test: fry a pinch of the mixture and adjust seasonings if necesary.
- Using oiled hands, pick up about 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Either shallow fry or deep fry the meatballs until they're browned all around. If shallow frying, move the balls around the frying pan to brown evenly. Set aside.
Curry:
- In a pot, heat the oil and sauté onions until golden. Add the whole spices: bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, and whole black peppers.
- Add onion paste, ginger paste, and garlic paste, along with the powder spices: turmeric, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the mixture. You can add a splash of water to prevent this curry paste from burning.
- Stir in tomato paste, coconut milk, and chicken stock (or water).
- Dscard the outer brittle layer of the lemongrass. Cut the inner layers into long sticks and bruise them with a knife. Add to the sauce.
- Nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Add basil leaves on top, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes for the meat to cook through.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with white rice.
About Chicken Kofta Coconut Curry
This dish is a special one because although it has the familiar feel of a curry, it still has a touch of something unique and exotic. It’s perfect to serve to guests for a “wow” reaction, or to enjoy at home when you’re looking for something just a bit special.
What is Chicken Kofta?
Chicken kofta translates to chicken meatballs. But in true South Asian fashion, it’s flavored with a myriad of spices and flavor enhancers. There is no key ingredient here that makes it taste so flavorful. It’s truly a team effort by all the individual ingredients to come together and create this deliciousness.
How to Make Soft Koftas
Nothing ruins a good meatball dish more than dry, tough, and dense meatballs. Here are some things you can do to ensure your meatballs are soft:
•Choose fatty meat. Ground chicken thighs work well for this, or use a combination of thighs and breasts.
•Add milk-soaked bread. You’ll see in the recipe that a milk-soaked slice of bread is teared into tiny pieces and added to the kofta mixture. These fluffed up pieces of bread in turn make the koftas soft and fluffy.
•Use mayo in the mixture. This is essentially fat, which keeps the koftas from drying out.
Don’t Skip the Taste Test!
Just trust me. Taking the time to test a small piece of your meatball mixture will ensure that you’re happy with the final outcome.
To Deep Fry or Shallow Fry?
This one is totally up to you. I personally avoid deep frying whenever possible, so using less oil is my go-to when making meatballs. Just note that if you deep fry, the meatballs will brown nice and evenly, whereas if you shallow fry you will have to actively move the balls around to ensure even browning. This recipe makes about 32 meatballs.
The Curry
The curry base is straight forward and similar to most South Asian curries, except for the addition of coconut milk, lemongrass, and basil. These ingredients really set this dish apart from the rest! If you don’t have lemongrass or basil on hand, don’t worry–you will still get amazing results. The coconut milk, however, is a must!
Once the meatballs are in, simmer for 10-15 minutes so that they really absorb the flavors of the sauce and finish cooking through. Garnish with fresh herbs and you’re done!
And Finally…
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating and comment below. And stop by my Instagram to say hello!