Spiced beef meatballs simmered in a tangy tamarind-tomato gravy, a coastal Sindhi twist on classic kofta curry.
Kofta curry is a fixture of Pakistani home cooking, and this coastal Sindhi variation leans the gravy toward tamarind and tomato for a brighter, tangier sauce than the richer, cream-based koftas of Punjab. The meatballs are made from ground beef bound with a little besan (chickpea flour) and egg, gently poached directly in the simmering gravy so they stay tender and pick up the sauce's flavor as they cook. The gravy itself starts with a browned onion-ginger-garlic base, then tomato and a spoon of tamarind pulp go in to build the sour backbone that distinguishes this from a north Indian-style kofta. The tamarind needs to cook down with the tomatoes long enough to lose its raw sharpness and blend into a rounded, savory-sour sauce. Served with steamed rice or roti, this is the kind of dish that improves the next day, once the koftas have had time to fully absorb the tangy gravy.
Serves 4
Mix ground beef, besan, egg, ginger-garlic paste, chile powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Shape into 16 walnut-sized balls.
Heat oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Cook onion until deep golden, 10 minutes, then add ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute.
Stir in tomato puree, tamarind pulp, coriander and turmeric. Cook 10 minutes until the oil separates at the edges.
Add water and remaining salt, bring to a gentle simmer, then carefully drop in the meatballs one by one. Do not stir for the first 5 minutes so they hold their shape.
Cover and simmer 15 to 18 minutes, gently swirling the pot occasionally instead of stirring, until the koftas are cooked through and the gravy has thickened.
Scatter cilantro over the top and serve hot with rice or roti.
Let the tomato-tamarind base cook until the oil visibly separates — this signals the raw acidity has mellowed into a proper gravy.
Don't stir with a spoon right after adding the meatballs; swirl the pot gently instead so they don't break apart.
Use seedless tamarind pulp block, soaked and strained, rather than tamarind concentrate, which can taste artificially sharp.
Use ground lamb instead of beef for a richer, more traditional kofta flavor.
Add a few curry leaves and a pinch of mustard seed to the oil at the start for a more coastal, South Indian-adjacent profile.
Stir in coconut milk at the end for a milder, creamier tamarind-coconut gravy.
Refrigerate up to 4 days; the tamarind flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water since the gravy thickens as it sits.
Kofta curries spread across South Asia through Mughal-era court cooking, and coastal Sindhi households adapted the format with tamarind, reflecting the region's trade links and its taste for sour, fish-forward flavors even in meat dishes.
You can bake them at 200C for 12 minutes first, but poaching directly in the gravy gives more flavor and a softer texture.
A mix of lime juice and a small spoon of brown sugar gets you a similar sour-sweet balance, though the flavor will be brighter and less complex.
The mixture was likely too soft or they were dropped into a gravy that wasn't simmering yet; make sure the liquid is gently bubbling before adding them, and don't stir too soon.
Per serving (340g / 12.0 oz) · 4 servings total
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