Mutton kofta (with gravy) recipe with step-by-step pics – mutton kofta is Indian style minced meatball or keema balls curry from lamb meat. When minced mutton is well marinated with flavourful Indian spices, get a round shape before frying and lastly slow-cooked in a smooth silky gravy is called mutton kofta recipe.
However, the main ingredient of this Indian kofta or meatball or keema balls curry is mutton or lamb keema or minced meat and this recipe doesn’t require meat paste. As we should feel every tiny mutton chunks in our mouth. And that wonderful flavor of kofta makes you realize how the mutton mince is perfectly blended with all the spices used in this recipe and perfectly cooked in the gravy too, will simply steal your heart.
Kofta, a specialty of Awadhi cuisine, basically comes from the royal kitchen of Lucknow. And slow cooking is the main secret of any recipe comes from royal cuisine, which has been followed here too. The cooking process of this Indian dish is divided into two parts, first, how to make flavourful mutton keema balls or koftas and next, how to prepare the gravy to cook them in it.
In my mutton kofta with a gravy recipe, I tried to follow the general rules of royal cuisine to make it more delectable. As you can see, here I’ve used curd, cashew nuts and totally prepare this recipe with ghee from the beginning to the end, which is very common in royal cuisine.
How to bind the mutton keema for perfectly making this kofta curry recipe?
First, add 50-80 gms of mutton fat or choose the mutton pieces with fat while making the mutton mince and secondly, use roasted gram flour or sattu or powdered fried chickpeas as a binder in it. In short, mutton fat is as important as roasted gram flour in this kofta.
How to make a perfect and best mutton kofta in your kitchen?
People have a common complaint while preparing mutton kofta, that is, koftas are broken in the pan while frying in oil or cooking in the gravy. Making of a perfect kofta depends on the perfect ratio of all ingredients and the right way of making, which I’ve discussed in my tips section. That will surely help you to overcome such situations.
These koftas wonderfully go with roti, paratha, biryani even with pulao, choose anyone which you prefer most.
Tips for making mutton or lamb kofta curry recipe
- After washing the mutton mince with water, make sure that all the excess water has been removed by squeezing it.
- To make hung curd, take 3-4 tbsp of curd, keep it in a strainer (or put it in a cotton cloth, tie its mouth and hang it) for 15 mins to remove its water.
- After adding in oil or ghee, should not touch the meatballs for 2-3 mins, keep it in low flame and your kofta won’t be broken, if you follow the method.
- While adding the koftas to the gravy, don’t try to touch it for 7-8 mins or else it might get broken.
- You can add a little more Kashmiri chili powder if you want to get the more rich color to this kofta curry recipe.
- Once the onion gets nice golden in color, immediately remove it from the pan as it may get burnt if it’s kept in the pan for a long time to get that deep golden brown color.
You may try my other mutton recipes from my website
- Mutton kasha recipe or Bengali style mutton curry
- Mutton ghee roast recipe(South Indian style recipe)
Mutton kofta recipe
Prep time: 15-20 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Served in: 1 hr
Course: Main course
Cuisine: Awadhi / North Indian
Servings: 26 koftas
Author: Moumita Paul
Ingredients
For making the mutton koftas
- 500 gms mutton mince(with fat)
- 2 medium-size thinly sliced (golden fried onion or berista)
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp hung curd
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp powdered garam masala
- 1 tsp black pepper(powdered)
- 1/4 cup of roasted gram flour or sattu
- 2 green chilies (paste)
- a handful of chopped coriander leaves(paste)
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp salt(add less or more as per taste)
For making the kofta curry
- 2 medium-size golden fried onion
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste +1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 10 cashew nuts
- 2 tsp melon seeds or magaj seeds
- 2 tbsp curd(hung curd is not required)
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp salt(as per taste)
- 2 1/4 cups of water
- whole garam masalas(cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks and black peppercorn)
- 1/2 cup ghee or oil (for frying and cooking)
How to make mutton kofta gravy recipe with step by step pictures
Instructions
Making of koftas
- First, take a pan, place it on medium-high heat, let it be hot, add 1/4 cup of ghee or clarified butter to it.
- Once the ghee gets hot, add the sliced onion to the pan and fry till it gets nice golden in colour(as shown in the pic). Then turn off the heat and remove the fried onion from the pan(described in the tips section).
- Then take the mutton mince(bring the mutton mince with at least 50 gms fat) in a bowl, wash it thoroughly, then squeeze it to remove all the excess water. Keep it in a mixing bowl.
- Then add 1 1/2 tsp ginger and 2 1/2 tsp garlic paste to it.
- Now, add 2 tbsp hung curd to the bowl.
- Then add 1 1/2 tsp coriander and 1 tsp cumin powder to the mixing bowl.
- Now, take small blender jar, first add golden brown onion, green chili paste( 2 chilies) to it.
- Then add 1 tsp red chili powder to it.
- Then add, a handful of chopped coriander leaves, 1/2 tsp crushed garam masala( cloves, green cardamom, and a cinnamon stick).
- Lastly, add 1 small piece of nutmeg(as shown in the pic) or 1/8 tsp of nutmeg powder in it.
- Then blend it to get a coarse paste out of it. As shown in the pic.
- Now, add the coarse paste to the mixing bowl and then add 1tsp black pepper powder to it. Mix it well with your hand.
- And lastly, add 1/4 cup of roasted gram flour or sattu or roasted chickpea powder and 1 tbsp ghee to it. Don’t forget to add salt then. Then again mix it nicely with your hand.
- Leave it for 15-20 mins marination.
- After 20 mins, first, grease your palm with ghee or oil. Then start making the round shape meatballs or keema balls or koftas(as shown in the pic).
- When all the raw mutton koftas are ready, then put it in the freezer for 10 mins. And this trick of mine will help to keep it firm.
- After 10 mins, take the same pan(used earlier) and place it on low heat, add 1/4 cup of ghee to the pan, make it gets hot.
- Once the oil gets hot, add the koftas to the pan one by one, and let it be cook for the first 2-3 mins(don’t even touch it before 3 mins). Fry the koftas in 2-3 batches.
- After 3 mins, gently turn the koftas and fry the other side for 2-3 mins.
- Remove the koftas from the pan and when all batches are done, start preparing the gravy of it.
How to make mutton kofta curry
- In this step, first, dry roast the cashew nuts and melon seeds together till it gets golden brown color.
- Then take the same blender jar, add the dry roasted nuts and seeds.
- Next, add 2 tbsp curd and golden fried onion(prepared earlier) to it.
- Then add, 3-4 tbsp of water to get a smooth paste of it.
- Now take the same pan(used earlier for frying koftas), place it on medium heat, then add the whole spices(3 green cardamoms, 5-6 cloves, 7-8 peppercorns, 1 stick of cinnamon) to the oil, as shown in the pic.
- Then add 1 1/2 tsp garlic and 1/2 tsp ginger paste to it.
- Then add 1 1/2 tsp coriander and 1/2 tsp cumin powder to the pan.
- Next, add 1/2 tsp red chili powder and 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder. And sauté it well.
- When the oil starts separating the masala, add 1/2 cup of water to it. And bring it to boil.
- Once it will start boiling, add the smooth paste from the blender jar and mix it well.
- Now add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the pan and stir it well.
- Then sauté it till the masalas get thick and start separating the oil from its sides. As shown in the pic.
- Now add 1 1/2 cup of water to the pan and mix it well. Bring it to boil.
- Once it starts boiling, slow down the flame to its minimum add start adding the koftas.
- Then cover the pan with a tight lid and slow cook these mutton kofta balls for at least 7-8 mins. Don’t touch the koftas during this period.
- After 7-8 mins, remove the lid and gently turn the koftas and cover it again for the next 7-8 mins.
- After that, check the consistency of the gravy(as shown in the pic) and turn off the heat. Don’t make the gravy too thick as kofta will quickly soak it and make the gravy dry.
- Mutton kofta curry or garvy is ready to serve, enjoy it with roti, paratha or rice preparations.
Try this recipe at home and please let me know your valuable feedback by writing it down in the comment section below.
Based on 7 Review(s)
My mouth really watered to see your recipe. I’ll try it myself tomorrow. Is it really tasty in real?
Thank you so much. Try it at home and let me know your valuable feedback.