Veg Kofta Curry

Veg Kofta Curry Recipe – the koftas are deep fried balls made from mixed vegetables and they are added into the creamy, delicious, restaurant style gravy.

Veg kofta curry served in a serving kadai, garnished with cashew, almonds and few kofta in a plate in the back.

I have already shared the detailed post on preparing the veg kofta. These are on their own too good as a starter or appetizer along with chutney. Or go one step further and dunk them into the gravy, make mixed vegetable kofta curry and serve as a main course.

Just like other restaurant style gravy dishes, this one is also rich and indulging. This should be made on special occasions or festivals or for guests or parties.

Here I have garnished fried cashew almonds tempering. It makes it more delicious, rich and eye catching.

Similar to any kofta curry dishes, this veg kofta curry is also time consuming dish. But if you plan ahead and work few tasks simultaneously it can be less time consuming. Follow the steps I have mentioned below, it will be ready in just one hour.

Check out other similar recipes
Lauki kofta recipe // Malai kofta recipe

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

1) First steam pressure cook the vegetables for koftas. For that take a glassful of water in a pressure cooker and then put the steamer rack inside. Add all the veggies (carrot, peas, potatoes, cauliflower, beans) in the steamer pan. Make sure that steamer pan is not touching the water.

2) Cover the cooker with lid, put the weight on and cook for 2 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure go down by itself and then open the lid. Let veggies cool down slightly.

Collage of 2 images showing veggies in a steamer rack and cooked veggies.

3) While the veggies are cooking and cooling, let’s make gravy. Take chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chili in a blender along with ½ cup of water.

4) And grind into smooth puree. NOTE: if you want to avoid the pungent smell or burning eye effect from the onions, then soak chopped onions in warm water for 10-15 minutes before grinding.

Collage of 2 images showing onion, ginger, garlic, chili in a grinder jar and ready paste.

5) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamoms and green cardamoms. Saute for a minute or till you get the nice aroma of the spices.

6) Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.

Collage of 2 images showing tempering whole spices and cumin seeds.

7) Now add prepared onion paste.

8) Mix and let it simmer.

Collage of 2 images showing adding and simmering onion paste.

9) While it is cooking, take tomatoes into the same grinder jar and make smooth puree.

10) The onion paste is cooked and become like a thick paste.

Collage of 2 images showing tomatoes added into the grinder and cooked onion paste.

11) Now add pureed tomatoes.

12) Mix well and continue cooking.

Collage of 2 images showing adding and mixing tomato puree.

13) While simmering if it splutters a lot then you can partially cover the pan. Do stir in between and make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.

14) Cook till it becomes thick paste and it leaves the sides of the pan.

Collage of 2 images showing simmering gravy and cooked paste.

15) Now add salt and all the spice powders (red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder).

16) Mix well and cook for a minute.

Collage of 2 images showing adding and mixing spice powders.

17) Now add water to make gravy consistency.

18) Stir well and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Collage of 2 images showing adding water and simmering gravy.

19) Now add kasoori methi and garam masala.

20) Mix well.

Collage of 2 images showing adding and mixing kasoori methi and garam masala.

21) Lastly add heavy cream.

22) Mix and bring it to a boil then turn off the stove. Keep it covered till we make koftas.

Collage of 2 images showing adding and mixing cream.

23) Now the veggies have cooled down, remove it to a bowl and mash them using potato masher.

24) Keep them chunky, do not mash completely.

Collage of 2 images showing mashing veggies and mashed veggies.

25) Now add remaining kofta ingredients (green chili, cilantro, salt, red chili powder, garam masala, chaat masala).

26) Also add besan.

Collage of 2 images showing adding spice powders and cilantro.

27) Mix well, the mixture is sticky, but not too soft. If it looks too wet and soft then you can add more besan.

28) Now grease your both palm and shape into 12 equal balls.

Collage of 2 images showing kofta mixture and shaped kofta in a plate.

29) Heat the oil for deep frying on medium heat. Once hot slide few koftas in and fry till they are golden brown from all sides.

30) Once fried remove them to a paper towel lined plate. Similarly fry rest of them.

Collage of 2 images showing frying kofta and fried veg kofta on a plate.

31) Now at the time of serving reheat the gravy. Add fried koftas in.

32) On other side, in a small tadka pan heat ghee on medium heat. Once hot add almonds and cashews.

Collage of 2 images showing adding kofta into gravy and adding cashew, almonds in hot ghee.

33) Fry till they are light golden brown.

34) Immediately pour into the mixed vegetable kofta curry. This veg kofta curry is ready to serve.

Collage of 2 images showing fried nuts and adding to veg kofta curry.

Serving suggestion: Serve veg kofta curry with lachha paratha, plain naan, garlic naan or kulcha. Have onion lachha and salted lassi or chaas on side to have a complete meal. It can be served with jeera rice or matar pulao.

Making For Party Or Bigger Crowd:

  • Shape the kofta balls a day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Second day, bring it to the room temperature and deep fry.
  • Also make the gravy ahead of time and store in separate container. The next day reheat.
  • If you do not have time to fry the kofta the same day. You can fry few days before, cool completely and store in ziplock bag in the freezer. Defrost them in 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) preheated oven for 10 minutes. Add into re-heated veg kofta gravy and garnish with fried cashews almonds.
Veg kofta curry garnished with fried nuts.

Did you try this veg kofta curry recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

Veg Kofta Curry

4.34 from 3 votes
Veg Kofta Curry Recipe (Restaurant Style Mixed Vegetable Kofta Curry)
Veg Kofta Curry Recipe – the koftas are deep fried balls made from mixed vegetables and they are added into the creamy, delicious, restaurant style gravy
Kanan
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Serving Size 4 servings

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)

Ingredients

For 2 Pastes:

  • 2 medium or 2 cups Red onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 Green chili, chopped
  • 1 inch Ginger, chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup Water
  • 4 large or 3 cups Tomato, roughly chopped

For Gravy:

  • 2 tablespoons Oil
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 2 Black cardamom
  • 4 Green cardamoms
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 2 ½ teaspoons Red chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons Coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 cup Water, to make gravy consistency
  • 1 teaspoon Garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crush between your palm before adding
  • â…“ cup Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai

For Tempering:

  • 2 tablespoons Ghee (Clarified butter)
  • 10-12 Cashew nuts, halved
  • 10-12 Almonds, halved

For Koftas:

  • ¾ cup Carrots, chopped
  • ½ cup Green peas
  • ½ cup Potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • ¾ cup Cauliflower (gobi), cut into florets
  • ½ cup Green beans (French beans), chopped
  • 1 Green chili, chopped finely
  • 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves, finely chopped
  • Salt, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon Chaat masala
  • 5 tablespoons Besan (gram flour), more or less as required
  • Oil, for deep frying

Instructions

Preparation:

  • For koftas, steam pressure cook the vegetable for 2 whistles on medium heat. Or you can cook them in microwave or steam them in steamer. Let them cool down.
  • Meantime, take onion, ginger, garlic and green chili along with little water in a grinder and make smooth paste. Remove it to a bowl and keep it aside.
  • In the same grinder, make tomato puree and keep it aside.

Making Gravy:

  • Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black and green cardamom. Saute for a minute.
  • Then add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
  • Now add onion paste and cook till it becomes thick paste and no more smells raw.
  • Then mix in tomato puree and cook till it becomes thick paste and leave the sides of the pan. Do stir in between and make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
  • Now mix in salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chili powder, cook for a minute.
  • Then add water to make gravy and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
  • Then add garam masala and kasoori methi, mix well.
  • Lastly add cream and bring to a single boil and turn off the stove.

Making Koftas:

  • Take cooked vegetables in a bowl and mash them roughly.
  • Add remaining ingredients and mix to make sticky yet not too soft mixture.
  • Grease your palm and shape into 12 equal sized balls.
  • Fry them into hot oil till they are golden brown slightly crisp from all the sides.
  • Remove it to a plate.
  • At the time of serving:, reheat the gravy and add koftas in it.
  • Heat the ghee in a small tadka pan and fry almonds, cashews in it till they are light golden brown in color.
  • Immediately pour into the veg kofta curry and serve.

Notes

Making For Party Or Bigger Crowd:
  • Shape the kofta balls a day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Second day, bring it to the room temperature and deep fry.
  • Also make the gravy ahead of time and store in separate container. The next day reheat.
  • If you do not have time to fry the kofta the same day. You can fry few days before, cool completely and store in ziplock bag in the freezer. Defrost them in 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) preheated oven for 10 minutes. Add into re-heated veg kofta gravy and garnish with fried cashews almonds.

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal (28%) | Carbohydrates: 28.2g (9%) | Protein: 7g (14%) | Fat: 49.8g (77%) | Saturated Fat: 10.4g (52%) | Cholesterol: 30mg (10%) | Sodium: 657mg (27%) | Potassium: 913mg (26%) | Fiber: 7.4g (30%) | Sugar: 10.4g (12%)
4.34 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. We made this tonight…..the step by step pictures are fantastic as it let us know we were doing it right! It was absolutely delicious…..even the kids wolfed it down and my husband who absolutely loves chicken or lamb curry is now converted! Will be adding to the family favourites! Can’t wait to try some more recipes. Thank you 🙂5 stars

    1. very happy to hear that your family enjoyed it.
      Do try other recipes and let me know your feedback.
      Happy cooking !!!

  2. You always make what should be complicated dishes so easy to make. I’m so grateful that you put these recipes up for us to make at home.