A classic kofta curry made with the best frozen plant-based meatballs! These vegan kebabs give this vegan curry a tasty & authentic flavor. Plus, you can serve this for dinner in just 30 minutes!
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What is Kofta
In Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, a kofta is a meatball, meatloaf, or skewered meat mixture. Yes, koftas or kebabs are usually made of meat, but they can also be made of veggies and/or cheese.
Kofta curry in turn is a delicious dish of succulent grilled or broiled meat/veggie meatballs in a rich, creamy, and spicy sauce. It is full of fragrant spices and makes a great weeknight dinner.
I have always enjoyed a good kofta curry but I must admit that it is a bit of hard work to first prepare the koftas, cook them, and then prepare the curry. But I’ve found an easy way to create this dish without having to compromise on the taste! I decided to swap the homemade vegan kebabs for the best plant-based meatballs in town!
It turned out to be a perfect fit, giving this Indian vegan kebab curry an abundance of savory and slightly spicy flavor - while whittling down the prep time to almost half! That's a win-win!
Why make this
- This recipe has all the traditional flavor of old-fashioned kofta but it’s made in an easier, quicker, and more accessible way.
- These meatballs are tender, so juicy, and so good.
- This vegan kebab curry is vegan and gluten-free.
- Can be made in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients needed 🧾
It may look like a plethora of ingredients, but trust me, each one has a crucial role to play. The herbs and spices are what give this dish its vibrant flavor, not to mention differentiate this vegan meatball curry from the rest of the world’s meatball dishes.
- I used Pure Farmland™ Italian Style Plant-Based Meatballs in this recipe instead of making the koftas from scratch.
- Veggies - onions, tomatoes, bell peppers
- Herbs - mint, and cilantro
- Spices - green chilies or jalapeno, bay leaf, oregano, turmeric, cumin (whole and ground), coriander powder, garam masala, paprika, and curry powder.
- Ginger paste and garlic
- Sour cream - vegan or dairy depending upon your dietary preference.
How to make it 🔪
The recipe is divided into two parts. First, we need to cook plant-based meatballs. The best way to cook them is by baking. Microwave preparation is not recommended.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Spray cooking oil all over the foil and then place the Pure Farmland Italian Style Plant-Based Meatballs in the tray. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Take the tray out, carefully flip the meatballs over, and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. To keep the meatballs moist, be sure to not overbake them. Take them out and keep these cooked plant-based meatballs aside for now.
While the plant-based meatballs are baking in the oven, prepare the masala base for the kofta curry.
- Roughly chopped red bell peppers. Heat a grill pan, add cooking oil, and then grill the chopped bell peppers. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt while it's grilling. Once grill marks show up on the peppers, take them out onto a plate.
- Roughly chop tomatoes and green chilies. In the same grill pan, heat oil and then add the roughly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and green chilies. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt while they grill. Once you see grill marks, take them out and place them onto a plate. Set aside.
- Allow everything to cool down completely and then transfer the ingredients from steps 1 and 2 to a blender. Blitz to make a smooth paste. If needed add little water to help you blend.
- The Masala base for the kofta curry is now ready.
Now it's time to prepare the plant-based meatball curry.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and once they begin to splutter, add ginger paste and bay leaf. Fry for 30 seconds and then add chopped onions, mint, and part of the chopped cilantro. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and sauté for a minute or until the onions turn translucent.
- Now add the prepared masala base to the pan. Add 1-2 cups of water or vegetable stock (depending upon the consistency you desire) and cook this covered for 4-5 minutes on medium flame to get the desired consistency.
- Then we need to add the spices - turmeric, ground cumin, coriander powder, oregano, curry powder, paprika, and garam masala along with kosher salt. Stir it all in and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add the cooked Pure Farmland Plant-Based Meatballs to the pan and carefully coat them with the curry.
Serving suggestions 🍽
Garnish this vegan kofta curry with chopped cilantro and vegan sour cream for a richer consistency. Stir it in and take it off the flame. This kofta curry recipe screams comfort food to me! There are so many ways to serve this plant-based meatball curry.
Serve this delicious meatball kofta curry with naan or any other flatbread. It also tastes great with steamed rice, cooked quinoa, any other grains, or cauliflower rice. We like it with some mashed potatoes and Cucumber Buttermilk on the side as well. These koftas can be even used to make wraps, sandwiches, and stuffed pitas with salad vegetables, and other dips. The spices are perfectly balanced and every bite is such a delight!
Top recipe tips 💭
Use red/orange bell peppers to get a beautiful gravy color. Dairy/non-dairy yogurt can be used in place of sour cream to get a creamy consistency and to balance the heat. Feel free to use any curry powder you have. Garnish with kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves as well for more flavor. The meatballs can be air fried instead of baked!
Recipe FAQs 📖
Cooked vegan kebab curry can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just add 2-3 tablespoons of water before reheating on the stove or microwave as the curry thickens after cooling.
You can batch-cook this dish to freeze. Otherwise, since we are already using frozen meatballs, you can prepare the masala curry and freeze it separately. That way, when you want to make this dish, thaw the masala base and heat it. Simultaneously also bake the meatballs and toss them into the gravy
Use any frozen variety. You can also make these vegan meatballs from scratch.
Favorite vegan curries
Recipe 📖
Kofta Curry with Plant-Based Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
To cook plant-based meatballs
To prepare the masala base
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 2 red bell peppers roughly chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 2 tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2-3 green chilies
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- Kosher salt
- water as needed
To prepare the plant-based meatball curry
- ½ tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1-2 bay leaf
- 1 onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- Kosher salt or regular salt
- 1-2 cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2-3 tablespoon vegan sour cream
Instructions
To cook plant-based meatballs
- The best way to cook them is by baking. Microwave preparation is not recommended.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Spray cooking oil all over the foil and then place the Pure Farmland Italian Style Plant-Based Meatballs in the tray. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Take the tray out, carefully flip the meatballs over, and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. To keep the meatballs moist, be sure to not over bake them. Take them out and keep these cooked plant-based meatballs aside for now.
- While the plant-based meatballs are baking in the oven, prepare the masala base for the kofta curry.
To prepare the masala base
- Roughly chopped red bell peppers. Heat a grill pan, add cooking oil, and then grill the chopped bell peppers. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt while it's grilling. Once grill marks show up on the peppers, take them out onto a plate.
- Roughly chop tomatoes and green chilies. In the same grill pan, heat oil and then add the roughly chopped tomatoes, garlic, and green chilies. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt while they grill. Once you see grill marks, take them out and place them onto a plate. Set aside.
- Allow everything to cool down completely and then transfer all the ingredients to a blender. Blitz to make a smooth paste. If needed add little water to help you blend.
- Masala base for the kofta curry is now ready.
To prepare the plant-based meatball curry
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and once they begin to splutter, add ginger paste and bay leaf. Fry for 30 seconds and then add chopped onions, mint, and part of the chopped cilantro. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and sauté for a minute or until the onions turn translucent.
- Now add the prepared masala base to the pan. Add 1-2 cups of water or vegetable stock (depending upon the consistency you desire) and cook this covered for 4-5 minutes on medium flame to get the desired consistency.
- Then we need to add the spices - turmeric, ground cumin, coriander powder, oregano, curry powder, paprika, and garam masala along with kosher salt. Stir it all in and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add the cooked Pure Farmland Plant-Based Meatballs to the pan and carefully coat them with the curry.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and vegan sour cream for a richer consistency. Stir it in and take it off the flame.
- Serve this delicious meatball kofta curry with naan or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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My family loved this, even my picky 12 year old ate two bowls! There were no leftovers and they begged me to make it again next week. This is definitely going in our meal rotation!
thank you so much! Glad you and your family enjoyed it. 🙂
The plant based meatball sounds amazing! I need to get hold of these.
Thank you so much Kankana! Means a lot coming from you.
This is perfection! The flavor is amazing, and it tastes just like the one from my favorite Indian restaurant. 🙂
Thank you
I love this meatball curry recipe! It sounds amazingly delicious! I cannot wait to give it a try.:)
Yes, do try it..its really yumm
This looks sooo delicious and comforting! Beautiful pictures too, YUM!
Thank you so much 🙂
I keep seeing these meatballs at the market and need to finally pick some up. I love how you infused them with so much fresh and delicious flavor.
Yes, definitely worth buying..do check them out..Thank you
OMG this looks so flavorful and love the idea of the meatless koftas! Saved!
Thank you so much
I really have to try those plant-based meatballs! My husband and I try to eat less meat, and of course we love curry!
yes, then do try it..its really yumm..thank you
I love love love Kofta from my local restaurant, Chai Pani, and these were so close to what I've had there!!
Then I am sure you will love this dish..do give it a try. Thanks. 🙂
This combination was so delicious! First time having plant based meatballs and loved it!
Glad you liked it. Thank you
I love koftas. And now its nice to have one that is plant based. Thanks for sharing about this nice product.
Thank you. Glad you like it
Looks divine!! Even though I am a meat eater, these kofta balls look tasty. I love the combination with the masala meat ball curry. Yum!
Thank you so much