Makhmalie Koftay are an extremely delicate, melt-in-the-mouth kind of delicacy. One needs to understand the combination of flavors and technique to achieve the right texture. Made with minced beef, and then cooked on dam in a hearty tomatoes curry, these are easily one of my favorite dish.

Interestingly, you will find a variation of Kofta or meatballs in every cuisine. From Swedish meatballs to British scotch eggs to South Asian Nargasi Koftay there are numerous variations of koftay.

I have been on search for an authentic Kofta recipe since long. I love making kofta and usually I would make chicken kofaty and they are always soft and tasty, but my husband, always says “Koftay tau beef kay hotay hian chicken kay tau kebab hotay hian :)”. Google, Pinterest, Facebook groups and endless recipe discussions with my mother and friends helped me compile a recipe for beef version of Makhmalie Koftay. .

The Secret behind Makhmali Koftay: 
1. Wash keema (yes wash it and then drain the water). It is okay if there is still water in it. When you grind keema the moisture will help to make a fine and sticky mixture. 
2. The spices box used in flavoring the kofta are the real secret behind making them so special. Freshly ground spices include cumin, big and small cardamom, and roasted chickpeas to add smokiness to the meat and to balance the heat from the chili. 
3. Roasted chickpea powder and Khashkas are important ingredients that provide the binding and softness to the texture. Substitutes like besan, bread slice, rice flour will not give the required texture.

I always prep big batch of koftay, freeze them and later whenever I want extremely delicious and easy Kofta Curry is ready under 30 minutes. Definitely a must try. I have shared the recipe step wise in the Highlights section of @potsncurries.

Preparation time: 30m
Cooking time: 45m
Serving: 6-8 persons with roti

Recipe:

  • Beef mince – 1/2 kg (Washed and ground into a fine sticky texture)
  • Ground spice powder
    • Roasted chickpea – 4 tablespoon
    • Red chili flakes – 1 teaspoon
    • Salt – ½ tsp
    • Kashkhas – 1 teaspoon
    • Big cardamom – 2
    • Small cardamom – 2
    • Cumin – 1 tablespoon
    • Cloves – 6 to 7
    • Nutmeg powder – ¼ teaspoon
    • Whole black pepper – 1 teaspoon
  • Papaya paste (ground with skin) – 1 tablespoon
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
  • Fried onions – 3 tablespoons
  • Fresh coriander leaves – 3 tablespoons

Method for making Kofta:

  1. Mix all the ingredients into the keema.
  2. Use wet hands to make koftas.
  3. Shallow fry just to give them a light color on each side. 
  4. Use a spoon to flip them.

Kofta Curry Recipe:

  • Garlic – 1 tablespoon
  • Tomatoes – 4 sliced
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon
  • Red Cilli Powder – 1 teaspoon

Method for making Curry:

  1. Take oil in a pan and sauté 1 tsp of garlic until its golden.
  2. Add 4 sliced tomatoes (skin removed). Cook until tomatoes are tender and soft.
  3. Add 1 tsp of salt and red chili powder.
  4. Add a little water so curry doesn’t burn.
  5. Use a hand blender to make a smooth curry if needed.
  6. Bhounfy it well until oil comes on top.
  7. Add koftas directly into the curry, flip them once with a spoon and then let it simmer in the curry for 10 – 15 mins on dam.
  8. Add desired amount of water to make gravy.
  9. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, green chilies and garam masala on top.