Pakistani Chicken Kofta

Pakistani Chicken Kofta

Recipe only

Every culture in the world features some variations of a meatball in its cooking- Danish frikadeller, Mexican albondigas, Italian polpette, Greek keftethes, Croatian cevapcici- but perhaps the name that traverses the widest part of the globe, from the Balkans to North Africa across to India, is kofta. This particular version is Pakistani in origin, with a nod to India in its choice of spices. Garam masala is a mixture of assorted aromatic spices used in kitchens throughout the subcontinent.


INGREDIENTS

800 g chicken mince
2 cm piece fresh peeled ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons ghee
1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
2 fresh long red chilies, chopped finely
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, chopped coarsely
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh coriander


METHOD

1. Combine mince, ginger, cinnamon, chopped coriander and half the garlic in a bowl; roll level tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Place balls on a tray, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of the ghee in a large saucepan; cook onion, chlil, spices and remaining garlic, stirring, until onion is browned lightly. Add tomato; cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until tomato softens. Add stock; simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes  or until sauce thickens slightly.

3. Heat remaining ghee in a medium frying pan; cook kofta in batches, until browned. Add kofta to the sauce, simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until kofta are cooked through. Stir in coriander leaves off the heat.