Veg Kofta Curry is an exotic Indian gravy dish made from mix vegetable dumplings dunked in a onion-tomato based gravy.
Koftas are small round or oval shaped dumplings made from minced vegetables, paneer etc. along with mild spices that are deep fried. These Kofta balls have a crispy outer layer and are soft from the inside.
Before serving, the Koftas are simmered for a few minutes in a rich onion-tomato based gravy which is tempered with spices like cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, fennel seeds etc.
In this dish the balls or dumplings can be made using a variety of vegetables. I have added cauliflower, potatoes, beans, carrots, capsicum, peas and Paneer. You can use other vegetables of your choice like cabbage, lauki (bottle guard), pumpkin (kaddu), corn etc.
Mixed Vegetable Kofta Curry is a low carb version of its sibling Malai Kofta which is originally a part of Mughlai cuisine. It is enriched with the goodness of vegetables.
Veg Kofta Curry is a very common dish in restaurants and also a favorite in parties and on special occasions. This dish can be served with Rice or any Indian flatbread like Roti, Naan, Parathas etc.
To make Mix Veg Kofta at home follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below.
See more related recipes like:
- Malai Kofta
- Palak Kofta
- Lauki Kofta
- Mix Veg Curry
- Vegetable Jalfrezi
- Paneer Butter Masala
- Kadai Paneer Gravy
- Kashmiri Dum Aloo
Suggested recipe collections
- Paneer Recipes | 27 Easy Indian Paneer Recipes
- Indian Curry Recipes | List of 40 Indian Vegetarian Gravies
- Indian Sabzi Recipes | 21 Dry Vegetables | Sookhi Sabji
Veg Kofta Recipe | Mix Vegetable Kofta Curry
Recipe Info
Nutrition
Ingredients For Veg Kofta Recipe | Mix Vegetable Kofta Curry
For the Kofta Balls
- 1/2 Cup Potato chopped
- 1/4 Cup Cauliflower Florets
- 1/4 Cup Green Peas (Matar)
- 1/4 Cup Carrots (Gajar) chopped
- 1/4 Cup Green Beans chopped
- 1/4 Cup Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper / Shimla Mirch) chopped
- 1/4 Cup Paneer grated
- 1 Green Chilli
- 1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)
- 1/2 Cup Besan (Gram Flour)
- 1.5 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder)
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Amchur (Dry Mango Powder)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Peppercorn (Sabut Kali Mirch)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
- Oil for Frying
For the Gravy
- 1 Onion
- 2 Tomatoes
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves
- ~1 Inch Piece of Ginger
- 1 Green Chilli
- 8-10 Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
- 2 Tablespoons Plain Curd (Yogurt)
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
- 2-3 Laung (Cloves)
- 2-3 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi)
- 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick)
- 1 Javitri (Mace Strand)
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
Step By Step Instructions for Veg Kofta Recipe | Mix Vegetable Kofta Curry
Preparing the kofta dumplings
- Add chopped potatoes, carrots, beans, capsicum, cauliflowers florets and green peas in a blender or food processor and grind them. You can also boil all the vegetables and mash them.
- Add grated paneer along with finely chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
- Then add besan (chickpea flour) to the vegetables. This helps the vegetables to bind together. You can also use bread crumbs along with some corn flour instead of Besan for the binding.1/2 Cup Besan (Gram Flour)
- Add red chilli powder, coriander powder (dhania powder), garam masala, amchur (dry mango powder), cumin powder (jeera powder) and black pepper powder (kali mirch) and salt to taste.1.5 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder), 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala, 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder), 1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 Teaspoon Amchur (Dry Mango Powder), 1/4 Teaspoon Black Peppercorn (Sabut Kali Mirch)
- Mix all the ingredients well. You can add a little more besan if the mixture seems too watery.
- Divide the mixture into parts and make round lemon sized balls from it.
- Heat oil for frying in a kadai or wok. The oil should not be too hot. Gently place the kofta ball in the oil and let it cook from one side. Do not turn it around till it is slightly cooked, otherwise it might break.
- Then slowly turn the Kofta around and cook it from all sides. Make sure to regulate the temperature of the oil. If it’s too hot the kofta balls will start to brown really fast, however the vegetables will not get properly cooked from the inside.
- Fry all the Koftas this way in small batches. Do not add too many Koftas at once, otherwise the oil will get cold. Remove the Koftas from the oil and place them on an absorbent paper to absorb the excess oil.
Preparing the gravy
- To prepare the gravy, add onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic to a food processor and make a fine paste.
- Also, soak cashews in warm water for around 20 minutes. Then grind them into a smooth paste along with some water.8-10 Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, tej patta (bay leaf), hari elaichi (green cardamom), dalchini (cinnamon stick), javitri (mace) and laung (cloves). Fry till the whole spices start to crackle.1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta), 2-3 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi), 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick), 1 Javitri (Mace Strand), 2-3 Laung (Cloves)
- Add the paste prepared from onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic to the pan. Fry till it starts to brown.
- Also make a puree of 2 tomatoes and add it to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder (haldi), coriander powder (dhania powder), cumin powder (jeera powder) and garam masala and mix well.1 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi), 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder), 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder), 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- Add the paste made from cashew nuts to the gravy. Roast the mixture till it starts to leave oil on the sides.
- Add some curd to the gravy. The curd should not be too sour. You can also use milk or cream instead of the curd.2 Tablespoons Plain Curd (Yogurt)
- Add water to the pan to adjust the consistency. If you will eat the curry with roti, or any other Indian bread, then the consistency should be slightly thicker. It should be thinner, if it will be eaten with Rice.
- Mix well and simmer the gravy for a few minutes till it is cooked.
- Add the kofta balls to gravy just before serving and cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot with any Indian bread or rice.
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Hi, great recipe
How long do you fry the kofta balls in a kadai for?
2-4 minutes on low medium flame.
Yes I know this resipe it’s resipe is true ley good
Thank you, glad you liked it 😀
Nice recipe and beautiful photo. Can kofta be made from other vegetables also like brocolli?
Yes you can add vegetables to the kofta, broccoli would go well for sure 🙂
How to make soft koftas? I tried the recipe but the koftas turned out hard. Pls lmk if there is particular ratio to follow while doing the koftas
They come out hard if there is too much besan or corn flour used in the mixture or if they were fried for very long on very low flame.
I am planning on making this tomorrow. If I use the food processor do I need to boil the vegetables or simple pulse them?
Can the kofta be fried in air drier, to reduce the calories?
Hi Dhirendra, yes definitely! You can add 2 teaspoons of oil in the mixture for koftas, and brush a little on top as well. Then air fry at 200 C for around 15 minutes.
Hi, I’m planning on making the koftas tomorrow- they look amazing!! I was wondering if I could bake them instead of frying? Thanks Anita
Hey Anita, you can bake the koftas at 200C for around 30-40 mins, flipping them after 15 mins or so, till they turn crispy and golden-brown. Do keep in mind that the color and shape of the kofta’s might be different, since they tend to flatten a little when baked.
Hi there – beautiful photos! Was just wondering if it would be possible to freeze the kofta, either before or after cooking them in the oil?
Thank you! 🙂 Yeah you can prepare the koftas in advance and store them in refrigerator for 1-2 days, or in the freezer for a few weeks. Mix with the gravy and reheat before you serve them.