Chicken Kofta- a food that has transcended history and culture! Indian, Balkan, Central Asian, Middle Eastern cuisines are full of various versions of this dish

What is a Kofta?

The word “kofta” is derived from the Farsi words kōfta and kōftan. The former means savoury minced meat stuffed inside a ball shape pastry. Kōftan, on the other hand means “to grind.” Kofta in its present form is no longer just a ball and no longer stuffed in a pastry . It also now comes in all shapes and forms- oblong, flat patty or cylindrical . This recipe by Clean Eating Mag is one of my favourites Middle Eastern Kofta recipes.

In traditional recipes kofta is deep fried and then eaten with a dip as is or in a wrap. We often make Chicken Koftas and even Lamb koftas to go into our wraps or to be added as protein to our salads. But we also love absolutely doing is to dunk it into a rich and creamy gravy every now and then. It is great with Chapatis or even hot rice.

While the curry itself can be made as indulgent or healthy as you would like it to be, even the koftas can be made heathier by adding veggies into them. And that is what I did. I made the kofta balls in an Appè or Aebleskiver Pan. This ensures minimal oil is used . While the koftas cooked, I prepared the curry . When the koftas were 70% cooked I dunked them into the prepared curry and let it slow cook for a good 15 minutes, covered on a low flame. This makes sure the gravy soaks in well into the kofta balls . Better still make it the night before you plan to consume it and it tastes even better

Some helpful tips to make the best Chicken Kofta in Appe/Aebleskiver Pan:

1. Use minced chicken made form skinless thigh portions
2. After mixing all the kofta ingredients together (except egg and salt), let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to soak in
3. Chop the spinach really fine so it doesnt overpower the taste of koftas
4. Add a tablespoon or two of cream if using minced breast portions as it helps soften the koftas
5. Be mindful of the amount of salt you add to the koftas as you would also need to add salt in the curry
6. I personally like using cashew paste to make my gravies creamy as it also imparts a deep rich flavour to the dish and makes the gravy luscious. You can do the same or swap it with full fat cream or use a mix of two. In this recipe I have used cream just as a garnish
7. As with any gravy based Indian dish, cooking the onions and then cooking them well with spices is of essence . Please do not hasten this step
8. If preparing for a party then cook the dish a day ahead.The flavours enhance and improve the next day. Be careful while reheating and do it on a low flame adding some warm water to thin out the gravy if needed
9. Red chilli powder is added mostly for colour as essentially this dish is not too hot but you can adjust the amount as per taste
10. Soak cashews in warm water for 20 minutes so they soften quickly and are easy to make a smooth paste with
11. If you would like to make the curry light and not too indulgent , either swap the cashew paste with half that amount of almond paste or skip both

Ingredients needed for Chicken Kofta

1. Minced chicken thigh: 500 gm
2. Spinach, finely chopped: 3/4 cup
3. Onion, finely chopped: 1/2 cup
4. Coriander, finely chopped: 2.5 tbsp
5. Coriander powder: 1. 5 tsp
6. Red Chili powder: 1 tsp
7. Garam Masala or Chicken Masala: 1.5 tsp
8. Egg, beaten well: 1
9. Salt: 1.5  tsp or to taste
10. Freshly ground black pepper: 1.5 tsp

Ingredients needed for Kofta Curry

1. Onion, sliced : 1 large (approximately 1.5 cups)
2. Tomato, chopped: 2 medium sized
3. Garlic, chopped fine: 2 cloves
4. Ginger, chopped fine : 1 tbsp
5. Raw Cashews, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and drained: 15-20
6. Dried red chilli : 2
7. Cinnamon stick: 2 inch
8. Green cardamom (choti elaichi): 3
9. Black cardamom (badi elaichi) : 1
10. Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
11. Black pepper corns: 6-8
12. Bay leaf: 1
13. Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 tsp or as per taste
14. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
15. Shahi Paneer Masala or Garam Masala: 1 tsp (optional)
16. Salt: To taste
17. Oil : 2 tbsp
18. Butter : 2 tbsp
19. Sugar: 1/2 tsp
20. Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) : 1 tbsp
21. Heavy Cream for garnish
22. Hot water- 1/2 cup or as needed

Method to prepare Chicken Kofta

1. Mix all ingredients needed for kofta except salt and egg and place it covered in the refrigerator for 15 minutes
2. Heat oil in Appe/Aebleskiver Pan, reduce the flame to low and add small balls of desired sized and cook covered for first two minutes then uncovered on a low flame until 70% cooked; add some oil during the process if needed
3. Poke holes using a fork in the prepared koftas and keep aside

Method to prepare Chicken Kofta Curry

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed wok and reduce the flame to medium once oil is hot and add whole spices – bay leaf, cumin, dried red chilies, cinnamon , black pepper corn, black and green cardamoms and stir for a minute or until fragrant
2. Add sliced onions and continue to cook until translucent , then add ginger and garlic and mix; continue cooking with intermittent stirring until onions are cooked through. This takes 10 minutes on a medium to low flame
3. Add tomato and powdered spices and continue to cook till spices are well incorporated and oil starts to separate, then add salt and sugar
4. Turn off the heat and add pre-soaked cashews, give it a nice mix and let the mixture cool to room temperature
5. Discard the whole spices like bay leaf and black cardamom and grind the mixture into a smooth paste
6. Add the blend back to the same wok and cook on a low flame for 2 minutes adding half a tablespoon butter while it cooks
7. Then add hot water to achieve the desired consistency of the gravy
8. Pop in the prepared chicken koftas into the gravy and mix well
9. Add Shahi Paneer Masala or Garam Masala if using followed by Kasoori Methi
10. Taste and adjust for salt, reduce the flame to low and simmer covered for ten minutes stirring intermittently
11. Garnish with cream and finely chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or chapati

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