Palak Kofta Curry or Spinach Kofta is a popular Indian dish that consists of dumplings made from spinach, grated paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and boiled potatoes, which are then cooked in a flavorful tomato-based sauce. The dumplings are usually deep-fried and served in a creamy and spicy curry.
Palak kofta is a rich and flavorful dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a weekend dinner. The dumplings add a unique texture and taste to the curry, while the spinach provides a boost of vitamins and minerals.
What are koftas?
Kofta is a type of ball or dumpling that is commonly found in Middle Eastern, Indian, and Central Asian cuisines. In India, they are typically made from boiled potatoes, grated paneer or vegetables, mixed with spices and herbs.
They are then shaped into balls or oval-shaped dumplings. These dumplings can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as frying, baking, air frying, grilling, or simmering in a sauce.
Main ingredients for making palak kofta balls
The following are the main ingredients generally used for making palak kofta:
- Spinach – As the name suggests, spinach is the unique ingredient for this kofta. You can add finely chopped fresh spinach leaves or make a puree and add them to the kofta mixture.
- Potatoes – Boiled and mashed potatoes form the base for the kofta balls. They also impart a soft and crunchy texture to the koftas.
- Paneer – A key ingredient of the kofta, fresh crumbled or grated paneer adds a delicious taste, texture as well as nutrition to the koftas.
- Besan (Gram Flour) – Gram flour is added to help bind the mixture together. It helps to absorb the moisture, so that the koftas don’t break apart when frying.
- Ginger, Green Chillies, Coriander – Fresh herbs like ginger, coriander etc. add a great flavor to the koftas. You can adjust the quantity of green chillies based on how spicy you want the koftas to be.
- Indian spices – Various spices like red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder are added to the koftas for their characteristic flavor.
Preparing the gravy for the koftas
The deep kofta balls are dunked in a smooth creamy onion tomato sauce. To prepare the gravy, roughly chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and garlic are boiled along with whole spices and then made into a smooth puree.
To make the gravy extra smooth, you can remove the seeds from the tomatoes and chillies. You can pass it through a strainer to make it extra smooth and silky.
All these curries are delicious and unique in their own way. They can be enjoyed with rice or naan bread, and are great for special occasions or a weekend dinner.
Nutritional Info
Palak Kofta curry is a rather rich and flavorful dish and is high in calories and fat. The koftas are generally deep-fried and dipped in a creamy gravy, making the dish quite heavy.
The addition of paneer, gram flour and spinach leaves however improves the nutritional value of the dish by increasing the protein, iron and mineral content.
To keep the calorie intake in check, you can pan fry the koftas, or even bake or air fry them. Also you can skip adding the potatoes in the koftas and the cashews in the gravy for a lower carb version.
Serving Suggestions
Palak Kofta Curry is best served with roti, puri, naan or other Indian breads, which are perfect for dipping into the gravy. It also goes well with steamed rice, which helps to soak up the delicious sauce.
You can let the koftas soak in the gravy for a few minutes before serving, or place them on top of the gravy at the time of serving for a prettier dish. You can garnish the palak kofta curry with some fresh cream and chopped coriander leaves before serving.
To make palak kofta curry at home follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below.
See more related recipes like:
- Malai Kofta – paneer & potato kofta
- Veg Kofta – mix vegetable kofta
- Lauki Kofta – bottle gourd kofta
- Kadai Paneer – paneer cooked in spicy gravy
- Paneer Butter Masala – paneer cooked in buttery tomato gravy
- Bharwan Tamatar – stuffed tomatoes
- Dum Aloo – slow roasted potatoes in gravy
Suggested recipe collections
- Paneer Recipes | 27 Easy Indian Paneer Recipes
- Palak Recipes | 15 Indian Spinach Recipes
- Indian Curry Recipes | List of 40 Indian Vegetarian Gravies
- Indian Sabzi Recipes | 21 Dry Vegetables | Sookhi Sabji
Palak Kofta Recipe | Spinach Kofta Curry
Recipe Info
Nutrition
Ingredients For Palak Kofta Recipe | Spinach Kofta Curry
For the kofta balls
- 2 Cups Spinach Leaves (Palak)
- 1 Cup Paneer Grated
- 1 Large Potato
- 1/4 Cup Besan (Gram Flour)
- 1-2 Green Chillies
- 1 Inch Piece of Ginger
- 1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Cooking Oil
For the gravy
- 1 Large Onion
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- 2 Green Chillies
- 2 Inch Piece of Ginger
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves (Tej Patta)
- 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick)
- 3-4 Laung (Cloves)
- 4-5 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi)
- 2-3 Javitri (Mace Strand)
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Peppercorn (Sabut Kali Mirch)
- 3-4 Whole Dried Red Chillies
- 2 Tablespoon Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
Step By Step Instructions for Palak Kofta Recipe | Spinach Kofta Curry
Preparing the kofta balls
- Combine finely chopped spinach leaves, grated paneer, boiled mashed potatoes, gram flour, finely chopped ginger, green chillies and coriander leaves in a large mixing bowl.2 Cups Spinach Leaves (Palak), 1 Cup Paneer, 1 Large Potato, 1/4 Cup Besan (Gram Flour), 1-2 Green Chillies, 1 Inch Piece of Ginger, 1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)
- Then add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to the mixture.1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi), 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder), 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder (Jeera Powder), 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Mix all the ingredients together and divide the mixture into 12-15 equal sized balls.
- Heat oil in a pan on and add the kofta balls in the hot oil in small batches. Deep fry the koftas on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, flipping them around till they are evenly cooked and browned on each side.2 Cups Cooking Oil
- Fry all the koftas this way. Then take them out and set them all aside.
Preparing the gravy
- Roughly chop the onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and garlic in small pieces.1 Large Onion, 2 Large Tomatoes, 2 Green Chillies, 5 Garlic Cloves, 2 Inch Piece of Ginger
- Also gather the whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom, mace strands, cumin seeds, whole black peppercorn, dried red chillies as well as cashews. I also added some shah jeera, but it's optional for the recipe.2 Bay Leaves (Tej Patta), 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick), 3-4 Laung (Cloves), 4-5 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi), 2-3 Javitri (Mace Strand), 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1/2 Teaspoon Black Peppercorn (Sabut Kali Mirch), 3-4 Whole Dried Red Chillies, 2 Tablespoon Cashew Nuts (Kaju)
- Combine all the vegetables, spices and cashew nuts in a pan.
- Add 1 cup of water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook till the vegetables are soft.
- Let the vegetables cool down to room, temperature, then grind to a smooth paste in a food blender.
- Then heat some butter or oil in a pan.1 Tablespoon Butter
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi), 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
- Then add the puree to the pan and mix well.
- Mix the gravy with the spices. Add salt and some water if needed to adjust the consistency. Tet it simmer for a couple of minutes.1 Teaspoon Salt
- Add some dried crushed kasuri methi to the gravy and mix well.1/2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- Palak kofta is ready. Place the kofta balls in the curry and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
Before You Go...
Don't forget to Pin this post to save it for later. You can also Subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter to see more delicious food recipes.
We'd love to know your thoughts about this dish! Please leave a comment or share a picture on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #vegecravings.
