Pakistani Tamarind Tomato Kofta Curry

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gground beef
• 2 tbspbesan(chickpea flour)
• 1egg
• 1 tspginger-garlic paste
• 1 tspred chile powder
• 1.5 tspsalt(divided)
• 4 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(finely chopped)
• 1 tbspginger-garlic paste(for the gravy)
• 3tomatoes(pureed)
• 2 tbsptamarind pulp
• 1 tspcoriander powder
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 1.5 cupswater
• 0.25 cupcilantro(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Form the meatballs

   Mix ground beef, besan, egg, ginger-garlic paste, chile powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Shape into 16 walnut-sized balls.

2. 2

   Build the gravy base

   Heat oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Cook onion until deep golden, 10 minutes, then add ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add tomato and tamarind

   Stir in tomato puree, tamarind pulp, coriander and turmeric. Cook 10 minutes until the oil separates at the edges.

4. 4

   Simmer the koftas

   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.

5. 5

   Finish cooking

   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.

6. 6

   Serve

   Scatter cilantro over the top and serve hot with rice or roti.

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

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.

Frequently Asked Questions