Veg Kofta Curry

These Kofta balls are soft on the inside and have a crispy outside. Before serving, the Koftas are dipped in a savory curry. This Veg kofta recipe tastes amazing with rice or naan bread.

Veg Kofta Curry is one of the most delicious dishes to beat the monotonous diets out there. Whether you’re on a meal prep plan or trying to eat more plant-based, this recipe will help satisfy your cravings for unique flavor combinations without any meat.

This vegetarian recipe has simple yet wholesome flavors. 

See, Curry Cabbage Dumplings and Curry Cabbage Recipe

What Is Veg Kofta Curry?

Veg kofta curry is an aromatic beautifully spiced onion-tomato-based Indian-Pakistani curry with pillowy soft potato veggie balls (which are known as koftas).

Veg kofta curry commonly appears on restaurants’ menus, and it’s also a crowd-pleaser at any kind of celebration. This dish is typically eaten with boiled rice or any type of Indian flatbread, such as Roti, Paratha, Naan, etc.

A Little More Information About Kofta!

Kofta is a type of meatloaf or meatball popular in Middle Eastern, South Asian, South Caucasian, Central Asian, and Balkan cuisines. Typically, koftas are balls of minced meat – commonly beef, lamb, chicken, pork, or a combination of this meat – combined with spices and occasionally other ingredients. 

There are different regional and national variants of koftas. There are also vegetarian and uncooked versions of it. They are of many different shapes, such as cylinders, balls, and patties.

Early Arab cookbooks contain the first recorded recipes of kofta which require sizable meatballs made from ground lamb and glazed three times with a saffron-egg-yolk mixture. The West adopted this glazing technique and calls it “gilding” or “endoring.” Alan Davidson says that Koftas arrived in India, where they were served at the Moghul court as nargisi kofta.

Why Will You Love This Veg Kofta Curry?

• Quick and easy to make — This veg kofta curry is quite easy and quick to prepare. Only around 25-30 minutes will be required.
• Budget-friendly — This veg kofta curry is prepared with readily available ingredients. Wonderful for using up leftover cabbage, carrots, and other veggies that have been lying in your crisper drawer.
• Diet-friendly — This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and low-carb diets friendly.
• Healthy — This dish is also healthy and nutritious thanks to the addition of vegetables. If you are on a diet or have heart disease, you shouldn’t really worry to try it because the koftas can be baked or air-fried rather than fried.
• Versatile — This recipe is quite versatile. In this recipe, a variety of veggies can be used to make the balls or dumplings. I’ve added carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and capsicum. You can substitute any other vegetables of your choosing, such as corn, peas, lauki (bottle guard), and pumpkin (kaddu).

You can make the curry spicier by adding more spices such as chili, coriander, and turmeric.

• Additionally, it is:
  • It’s hearty, flavorful, and really tasty.
  • Excellent side dish for almost anything and even a main dish by itself.
  • It is a great option for meal prepping. You can make a big batch and freeze it so you can enjoy it later.

Alright, I’m sure now without a doubt, you want to prepare this veg kofta curry without any hesitation!

Ingredients

• Potatoes – Any variety of potatoes can be used in the recipe. Simply remove the skin, chop them into cubes, and boil.
• Bell pepper – Basically smooth in texture, koftas gains a pleasant crunch with the addition of capsicum.
• Carrots – They’re not only delicious but nutritious as well.
• Cabbage – Choose a small and compact head of cabbage (tight, with no loose leaves) that feels heavy for its size.
• Onions – Yellow onions are great for curry bases you may use any available ones!
• Tomato paste – I used tomato paste, you may use 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes.
• Gram flour – Gram flour is used for binding the koftas otherwise they’ll break when you fry them.
• Salt – The most crucial flavor enhancer in any dish is salt. I use pink Himalayan salt you can use any natural salt.
• Paprika – Paprika has a spicy, sweet flavor. It’s a fantastic method to give your food a little smokiness and heat.
• Garam Masala – The perfect blend which adds the perfect aroma to the dish.
• Cumin powder – A staple ingredient — almost no dish is complete without cumin seeds! It also helps in aids digestion.
• Curry powder: Another important ingredient of any Indian-based curry.
• Oil – You may use any, I used olive oil.

How To Make Veg Kofta Curry?

1. Boil and grate potatoes in a bowl.
2. Add all the chopped veggies, salt, paprika, and cumin powder to the mashed potatoes.
3. Mix well and add gram flour to bind the mixture.
4. Fry them in hot oil on medium-low flame until nicely golden brown.
5. For the curry, sauté onions.
6. Add tomato paste, salt, garam masala, and curry powder. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add water and cook on low flame until the curry thickens slightly.
7. Pour the curry into a bowl, add the koftas and enjoy this delicious delicacy with steamed brown rice.

Serving Suggestions

Kofta curry is frequently served with steamed rice, roti, naan, or paratha. It pairs well with raita or plain yogurt. To make your meal more fulfilling serve it with a simple salad like Healthy Pipino Salad (Cucumber Salad), Vegan Spinach Salad, or Spring Mix Salad.

For a low-carb meal serve it with quinoa or enjoy it with a spoon.

You can also enjoy kofta without curry with any of your favorite dipping sauces like ketchup, green chutney, Vegan Cilantro Lime Dressing, Caribbean Green Seasoning, or tamarind chutney. They’re so tasty!

How To Store And Reheat Mixed Vegetable Masala?

Leftover veg kofta curry keeps well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to store it in an airtight container.

You can also freeze it for a few weeks. Although the flavor will not be the same as when you prepare it fresh. However, if you really want to freeze I suggest freezing the kofta and curry in separate containers. When you want to eat, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheat the curry on the stove or in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until it is heated well. But don’t reheat the koftas in the microwave as I think they’ll become overly soft. Instead, reheat them in the air fryer or oven to get back their crispness.

Recipe Notes

• You can also bake or air fry these koftas.
• You may skip-gram flour if you intend to bake or air fry the koftas.
• For meal prep, you can easily double the recipe.

Additions And Substitutions

• Peas – You can also add some boiled fresh or frozen green peas to this kofta recipe.
• Greens – To further enhance the taste of koftas you can add some chopped spinach, fenugreek leaves, or fresh coriander.
• Beans/Lentil – Instead of gram flour, you can add some boiled beans or lentils of your choice to make them more nutritious.
• Add some Heat – If you like more spiciness you can add 2-3 chopped green chilies or 1 tsp. of red chili flakes in kofta’s mixture. Or you can add whole, pierced chilies to the curry.
• Ginger-garlic – To further enhance the flavor of your curry adds 1 tbsp. of ginger-garlic paste. You’ll be totally amazed by the difference.
• Broth – If you want a richer curry, especially in this winter season you can replace water with vegetable broth to make this dish more comforting.
• Yogurt – You can add vegan yogurt instead of water to make a thick and more tasty gravy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Veg Kofta Curry Ahead Of Time?

Yes. You can make the koftas ahead of time, such as the night before an event or for those busy weekdays. Allow to cool them completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you aren’t going to use them within a day or two, place them in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze them. Use within one month.

On the day you intend to serve this dish, you can prepare the gravy and keep it on hand. When it’s time to serve, you have two options: either add the koftas right away and bring the gravy to a boil, or bake the koftas at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until they are thoroughly heated, and then add them into the hot curry and serve.

Is Veg Kofta Curry Healthy?

Prepared with lots of veggies veg kofta curry is undoubtedly very healthy and nourishing. The benefits of consuming vegetables have been well-known for ages. The majority of health experts advise eating veggies every day because they are low in calories yet high in nutrients. 

If you want to know more about the health benefits of vegetables then read these articles about vegetables.

What’s The Difference Between Kofta And Kafta?

It’s called Kofta in various Middle Eastern nations and Kafta in Lebanon. It is essentially a meatball made from mutton, chicken, or beef and seasoned with herbs, spices from the Middle East, and onions.

Give this Veg Kofta Curry recipe a try. I hope you like and enjoy it. And, do not forget to share your feedback in the comments! …. Have Fun Cooking!

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