Masala Kababs/Koftas
Amazingly soft, spicy and utterly delicious saucy kababs/koftas (meatballs)…perfect to have with plain rice or naans or even with spaghetti!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Kababs
- 500 gm lean beef mince no fat
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 small bunch coriander leaves with stems chopped
- 2 green chillies
- 1 slice bread soaked in milk
- 2 tbsp beaten egg optional
- 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
- 1 tsp. black pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp. tandoori masala
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. salt
Ingredients for Masala/Gravy
- 3 onions chopped finely
- 1/4 cup oil you can use up the one you fried kababs in
- 5 fresh tomatoes chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 cup yoghurt fresh and whipped
- 1/2 tsp. garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
- 1-2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. fresh methi/fenugreek leaves
- 1 tsp. red chilli powder
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- salt to taste
- chopped coriander for garnishing
Instructions
- For the KababsPut the chopped onion, coriander, ginger, garlic pastes and chillies in a processor and grind until smooth, try not to use any water for this. Next, add the minced meat and process together with the green paste until well combined and the mixture is very very smooth.Turn it out into a bowl, add the cumin, turmeric, tandoori, black pepper and salt. Mix well. Squeeze out the milk from the soaked bread then add the bread into the mixture. Discard the milk. Add the egg if you are using it. Knead the mixture properly for about 3-5 minutes until everything is very well combined. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.Shape the meatballs (make sure they are very smooth and round) and then lightly shallow fry them in very little oil preferably in a non-stick pan, just for a couple of minutes on each side. Drain and set aside. They will cook further in the gravy/masala, so don’t over-cook them at this point. If they crack a little bit during frying, don’t panic, they will be covered in gravy later so the small imperfections won’t show, just be gentle when adding them to the hot oil and lifting them out.For the Masala/GravyHeat the oil in a deep pot. Add the methi leaves, followed by the cumin seeds, cinnamon and cardamom. Once they splutter, add the onions and fry until golden brown. Next add the fresh tomatoes and fry until they dry up and all excess moisture is gone. Add the garlic and ginger pastes, followed by the tomato paste. Sprinkle salt, cumin, chilli, turmeric and coriander powders. Cook together until the oil is released from the sides. Then add the whipped yoghurt and cook until the gravy is thick and cooked through. Sprinkle the sugar and mix well.Next, add some water (about half to one cup…just enough to immerse the kababs in). Once the water simmers, reduce the heat to low and then gently add the fried kababs. Cover and simmer on low heat to cook the kababs through. Every once in a while, open the pot and gently swirl everything together so that the gravy coats the kababs and they get turned over so that they may cook evenly on all sides.Once the kababs are fully cooked, adjust salt, add the chopped green chilli and garam masala, garnish with coriander and serve!Enjoy 🙂
Notes
Tips#1
If the kababs are cooked and you have too much gravy, gently remove the kababs with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Simmer the gravy on its own until it reduces in volume to the consistency you like. Once ready, slip the kababs back in and give them a swirl. Done! 🙂
Tip#2
If you want a slightly smoother gravy, before adding the kababs into it, you can blend HALF of the gravy and then pour it back into the pot and add the kababs.
Assalamoalaikum we can make these koftas with packet mince meat too or we need fresh mince for it
W/Salaam, you can use packet or frozen mince meat.
Please help I have washed the
Please help I have washed the buch of coriander leave and put them in the blender and added all the ingredients including the mince but the mince has become too soft to make the balls I think I have left too much water in the coriander leave what shall I do ? Thanks
Add some breadcrumbs, it will
Add some breadcrumbs, it will help absorb the excess moisture.
Is that 1/4 chilli or oil? I
Is that 1/4 chilli or oil? I think 1/4 cup oil, right?
I have mincemeat which has lots of fat in it, will i be able to make it? Pls help what should i do, jazakAllah fauzia
Yes that was supposed to be
Yes that was supposed to be oil, thanks for catching the typo, I will fix it now. And yes you can make it with the mincemeat you have, I prefer lean meat coz it makes for healthier meatballs but the extra fat will make yours tastier. 🙂
Salams fauzia, jazakAllah for
Salams fauzia, jazakAllah for ur reply, i have a problem, everytime i follow anyy recipe of meatballs, the taste is good but somehow they lose their shape, although i make sure they dont have any cracks, the mincemeat is finely ground, but still when i cook them they change their shape, bumpy from the outside and no more in the shape of a ball, like some bubbly clouds, although i dont use a spoon, they still seem to be delicate..pls help :-/ where am i going wrong? Do i add the balls on simmering heat? Cuz i put them on medium high heat
W/Salaam, yes you add them to
W/Salaam, yes you add them to the gravy when it is simmering. Sometimes it is the fat-content of the mince that makes those bubbles. Try to get lean/low fat mince and see if that helps. Also do not squeeze them too much when shaping. Wet your hands and smooth them gently to a round shape, and refrigerate the balls for a few minutes before cooking, it will help them hold their shape better.
Salam,Fauzia
Salam,Fauzia
I have a general question regarding all of your recipes. When you mention 3-4 tomatoes in your recipes, what is the weight of these tomatoes? The ones I get here are quite big i.e. one tomato weighs around 130 gms.
W/Salaam, mine are
W/Salaam, mine are approximately 50-60gm. You can adjust accordingly, use 2 instead of 4. 🙂
Assalamu Alaikum sis
Assalamu Alaikum sis
Can i use some of bread crum instead of bread soaked in milk? PLEASE rply as soon as possible
W/Salaam, yes you can.
W/Salaam, yes you can.
salam Fauzia ,
salam Fauzia ,
Can we add chicken in this recipe instead of meat ?
Sadaf
W/Salaam, yes that is fine.
W/Salaam, yes that is fine.
Just another perfect recipe.
Just another perfect recipe.
Hi Fauzia,
Hi Fauzia,
Can we steam the kababas instead of shallow frying them? You are the best.
Hi, sorry but I have not
Hi, sorry but I have not tried steaming them. They should be fine though, give it a try. 🙂
Salam, how can I freeze
Salam, how can I freeze koftas? I mean kofta one day before n gravy on the same day.will it b ok to freeze or I can refrigerate it
If it is a day before simply
If it is a day before simply refrigerate in an airtight container. 🙂
Hi Fauzia
Hi Fauzia
Hope you are doing Great… I just tried this receipe and it turned out awesome .. everyone in my house loved it … i Just want to request if you could upload more of your receipes here… besides, one of my friend googled a website having your name on it…there are hunddreds of receipes… I just want to know if that belong to you…. please reply …
the URL is as below…
http://www.angelfire.com/country/fauziaspakistan/recipes.html
Hi, thanks! No I am not
Hi, thanks! No I am not Pakistani and that is not my page. Mine is this one only, Fauzia’s Kitchen Fun. 🙂