This flavorful and comforting beef kofta curry is great to make when you want something that is tasty, comforting and warming at the same time. Making this beef kosta curry is easy to make and can be adapted according to taste and preferences. You do need a few different spices and condiments, which you can find in most larger super markets and grocery stores. It comes together in This coconut curry comes together in just 30 minutes and is really easy to make. Make it for meal prep purpose, a weekday meal or weekend dinner. This curry is gluten and dairy free.
Warming, comforting, easy to make and incredibly versatile. I will never get sick or tired of curries. Not only are they easy to make, versatile and incredibly tasty. They’re also very wallet friendly, great to make when you’re cleaning out the fridge, want to make a big batch of food or meal prep and suitable for all kind of food preferences and allergies. This curry is made with a base of different spices and tomatoes served with beef kofta (meatballs). This curry can be made both more or less spicy depending on your preferences, by adjusting the amount of ginger, chili and curry paste. Even though I made this kofta curry using minced beef you can adjust and vary it by using chicken, turkey, pork and vegan/vegetarian mince, depending on what you like, have at home or are in the mood for. This dish is great to make when you want to cook something that is easy to make in a big batch for meal prep purpose, for a tasty and healthy weekday meal or a cozy weekend dinner.
A few tips:
- Blooming (frying) the spices together with the oil and onion mixture, for a few seconds up to a minute, brings out the complex aromas and enhances their taste and flavor.
- The amount of curry paste, fresh ginger and chili can be adjusted according to how spicy you prefer your food. Start by using a little then add more as needed.
- Let the curry simmer for at least 25-30 minutes to let all the flavors and spices come together.
- You can make small meatballs or larger ones. Just make sure to make them equally sized to ensure an equal cooking time.
- I prefer to fry my meatballs quickly before placing them in the curry. But you can skip that part if you like. They might need a few minutes more in the curry though.
- This dish can be varied by using chicken, turkey, pork or vegan/vegetarian mince.
- This dish is great to make in a big batch. Just divide the curry with the meatballs between “freezer” bags (or lunch boxes) and store in the freezer for top to three months.
Ingredients for this Beef Kofta Curry:
- Minced beef
- Egg
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Fresh cilantro
- Lemon
- Chili powder
- Coriander powder
- Ground cumin
- Salt
- Garam masala
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Curry paste
- Red chili
- Canned chopped tomatoes
- Bay leaf
- Water
- Dairy free yogurt or coconut milk
- Rice
- Fresh parsley
- Naan (optional)
Other recipes you might like:
- Spicy Mango Coconut Curry with Meatballs (Vegan & Gluten Free)
- Lentil Curry (Vegan)
- Healthy Chicken Larb with Cauliflower Rice
- Sesame Fried Cauliflower Rice with Marinated Aubergine (Vegan, Gluten, Grain Free)
- Sweet Potato & Halloumi Curry (Vegetarian & Gluten Free)
- Moroccan Chickpea & Eggplant Stew (Vegan & Gluten Free)
- Salmon Red Curry (Gluten, Dairy & Oil Free)
- Thai Green Curry with Meatballs (Gluten Free & Low Carb)
- Japanese Ginger Lemongrass Soup with Soba Noodles (Gluten & Dairy Free)
- Sautéed Mushrooms & Bok Choy with Tahini Cauliflower Purée (Vegan, Gluten, Grain Free & Low Carb)
Beef Kofta Curry (Gluten & Dairy Free)
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 500 g Minced beef
- 1 Egg
- 1 Yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 Garlic cloves grated
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger grated
- 1/2 dl Fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 1/2 Lemon zested
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the curry
- 1 Yellow onion finely chopped
- 1-2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tbsp Fresh ginger grated
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2-1 tbsp Curry paste
- 1/2-1 Red chili minced
- 2 cans Chopped tomatoes
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 dl Water (and more as needed)
- 1 dl Dairy free yogurt or coconut milk
For serving
- 4 portions Rice
- Fresh parsley, to top
- Naan (optional)
Instructions
- Start by making the curry by heating a big pan over medium heat with some oil.
- Add the yellow onion, fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the minced garlic and ginger. Fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the next five spices in the ingredients list and fry for 2-3 minutes, until everything starts to turn golden brown.
- Add curry paste, stir together and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Next add the canned tomatoes, red chili and bay leaf. Stir to combine and let it get warm.
- Pour water and yogurt/coconut milk into the pan, stirring it together with the rest of the curry. Lower the heat and let the curry simmer covered with a lid for about 5-10 minutes, then remove the lid and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Taste the curry and check if more seasoning is needed.
- Meanwhile heat a nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Chop the yellow onion and cilantro well (or run in a food processor). Add to a big bowl together with the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs.
- Wet your hand and form equally sized meatballs, place on a cutting board or parchment lined baking sheet. You can make the meatballs small or larger meatballs, just make sure they're equally sized to ensure an even cooking time.
- When the pan is hot add the meatballs and fry for 3-4 minutes, until they are golden brown on the surface. Stir regularly to get a golden surface all over the meatballs (you might need to do this in batches).
- Cook the rice according to instructions.
- Add the meatballs to the curry in a single layer, spoon some curry sauce over them. Increase the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a boil again, then lower the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid and let the the curry and meatballs cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add rice to bowls/plates, followed by curry and meatballs. Top with fresh parsley and naan bread (if using).