By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

In the Persian language, Kofta means pounded meat. Somehow, in the culinary world, “kofta” became a word for a dish that is made with spiced minced meat rolled into small balls and then fried.  

Kofta recipe was brought into India by the Mughal people who came to India from Central Asia and ruled India for more than two centuries. The Mughals integrated their lifestyle with Indian ways that included the cuisine. The Mughal influence on Indian cooking was enormous. In fact, what we now know as North Indian cooking is a mixture of Indian and Mughlai cooking.

In North India, kofta balls are usually vegetarian – made with boiled potatoes, vegetables and herbs – then cooked in a spicy cream sauce. My vegan version uses protein-rich tofu, garbanzo flour, potatoes, rice and herbs to make the balls. Once the kofta balls are fried, they are cooked in a tomato sauce, not a cream sauce. In fact, the nutritious and ripe summer tomatoes prompted me to create this recipe. 

This elegant but time-consuming entrée can be prepared in two steps; make the kofta balls one day and the tomato sauce the next day. When ready to serve, heat the sauce, add the balls, cook for 5 minutes and serve. 

Ingredients for Kofta balls:

1 cup firm tofu, crumbled after draining some of its moisture 

1 cup yellow or red potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed coarsely

½ cup cooked and cooled rice, optional (refrigerated day-old rice works fine)

¼ cup minced cilantro or parsley, after removing thick stems

¼ cup minced scallion (green onions), including its green parts

2 T almond flour or finely crushed cashews or dried coconut flakes

1 T finely minced jalapeno or serrano pepper after removing seeds

1 to 1½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger root

4 T besan (garbanzo or chickpea flour)

½ cup oil for deep frying the kofta

First make the koftas. This amount of ingredients will make about 30 balls. Crumble the tofu and drain using a fine sieve or a cheese cloth. Mix the tofu and rice in a food processor only for a minute, making sure the mixture does not get sticky.  (To avoid overmixing you can mix tofu and rice using a fork or your fingers). 

Place the mixture in a bowl and add the mashed potatoes. (Do not add the mashed potatoes in the food processor as that will make the mixture too sticky).  Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add the cilantro, scallion, almond or other ground nuts, salt, cayenne, ginger and 2 tablespoon garbanzo flour (saving the rest for later). Gently but thoroughly combine all ingredients. 

Form the mixture into a loaf, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes. This step will make the kofta ball-forming process easier.  

Next, sprinkle the remaining 2 T of besan on a work surface. Take the kofta mixture out of the refrigerator. Separate the loaf into small pieces (the size of a heaping tablespoon) and make walnut sized balls, using the hollow space of your palms. Roll the kofta balls onto the besan to coat them and to make their surface smooth. Set the kofta balls on a plate. (The process of rolling goes fast). Refrigerate the kofta in a covered bowl if you are to serve the curry later. 

Heat the oil for deep frying in a small saucepan over a medium flame. When the oil is hot enough, add five kofta balls and fry them for 2 or 3 minutes, while stirring them with a slotted spoon to cook them evenly. When they turn light brown, take them out with a slotted spoon while tilting the spoon to retrieve the excess oil. Place the fried kofta on a platter lined with paper towels. 

Next, make the tomato sauce. This standard North Indian sauce can be used for other entrees such as over steamed vegetables or for flavoring rice.  

Ingredients for the Sauce:

3 to 3 ½ cups fresh tomatoes, boiled, skin removed and chopped

3 tablespoon mild flavor cooking oil such as safflower or sunflower oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely grated or minced ginger

½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or cayenne pepper powder  

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon each cardamom and cinnamon powder 

First boil the tomatoes for a few minutes in a large pot of water until their skins start to split. Transfer boiled tomatoes into a bowl of cold water. Once cooled, the peels will come off easily. Chop the tomatoes into chunks and place them in a bowl, along with their juices, reserving their juices. 

Next, heat the oil and add the onions. Stir fry until the onions wilt, then add the tomato chunks and their juices. Stir the mixture and add the rest of the ingredients except for the cilantro. Cook the sauce over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes while stirring.  The summer tomatoes will form into a smooth sauce quickly. Refrigerate the sauce if you are going to serve the kofta later.  

When ready to serve, take out the kofta balls from the refrigerator and allow them to get to room temperature. (You can also warm the kofta in a skillet very briefly). Heat the tomato sauce slowly but thoroughly to get it piping hot, while stirring constantly. Then, lower the heat and carefully add the kofta. Stir the kofta gently with a wooden spoon to integrate them with the sauce, being careful not to break the kofta. Transfer the kofta curry onto a serving bowl or a deep dish and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, Indian bread or pita bread. 

Makes six servings.

Recipes by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, copyright 2024. Shanta is a Sunset resident and the author of “Cooking Together” and “Flavors of India,” available at Other Avenues Food Store at 3930 Judah St. Shanta writes recipes and articles on food and nutrition. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking classes at her home and gives cooking demonstrations for the public at SFPL branches frequently which you can find by viewing San Francisco Public Library’s event page.  You can also view her recipes via videos on YouTube by clicking Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff’s YouTube videos.