We Indians love our kofta based preparations. I mean, why shouldn’t we? Something so gorgeous and delectable as fried dumplings (patties or balls) in velvety, smooth gravy is definitely hard to miss and obviously loved. For instance, take this Aloo Kofta Recipe. Potato cheese patties dunked in a perfectly spiced rich and creamy gravy – don’t you find it a winner dish, just by reading this description. Aloo Kofta is happiness!
About Aloo Kofta Recipe
The first time I tried the Aloo Kofta was at a friend’s place, many years back. The curry was made by her mother which was a tomato based one, and the koftas were made with potatoes and paneer.
It was one of the simplest versions of a kofta curry, yet so endearing that I got used to it and started making at my home as well. Till today, it is a favorite of me and my family.
Table of Contents
My style of the Aloo Kofta Recipe has a simple stuffing and uses minimal spices in the koftas. Although the gravy that I make is a little richer and restaurant style versus a simple home one. It tastes more like the Makhani gravy.
The koftas in this recipe is made with potatoes and grated cheese. I also shape them as tikkis/patties, and shallow fry instead of deep frying. Makes it a little hearty this way. I often make this potato kofta curry for a weekend lunch.
This Aloo Kofta is great for small get-togethers, parties or weekend lunches and dinners. You can relish a meal of this kofta curry with roti, naan, paratha, jeera rice or veg pulao. The recipe can be easily doubled.
In addition to this Aloo Kofta Recipe, a few more lovely kofta recipes on this blog are Malai Kofta, Veg Kofta and Lauki Kofta. Each as delicious as the other.
How to make Aloo Kofta
Prepare Curry Paste & Potatoes
1. First, boil or steam 2 large potatoes (250 grams) in a pressure cooker, pan or steamer until they are thoroughly cooked and fork tender. Add water as required while cooking potatoes.
Drain extra water and let the potatoes become warm.
2. In another pan or bowl, heat some water till it boils. Then, add 2 large tomatoes (200 grams), 1 large onion, halved (100 grams) and 15 almonds.
You can heat the water in a pan, electric heater or microwave. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes. Instead of almonds, you can also use 14 to 15 cashews.
Note that the tomatoes and onions should be covered by the water.
3. Roughly chop the onions, tomatoes and add to the grinder and blender. Also, peel the almonds and add them to the grinder.
4. Grind to a fine and smooth paste. Cover and keep aside. No need to add any water while grinding to a paste.
Prepare Kofta Mixture
5. When the potatoes become warm, peel them. Mash very well with a potato masher.
6. Grate 20 grams cheese. You should get ¼ cup grated cheese. Here I used processed cheese. You can also use paneer or cheddar cheese.
7. Now, add the grated cheese, 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch, salt and ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper to the mashed potatoes.
Instead of black pepper, you can add chopped green chilies or red chili powder.
8. Mix very well.
9. Make medium size balls from the kofta mixture and flatten them slightly.
Fry Aloo Kofta
10. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a tawa or griddle. First, place a small portion of the kofta mixture to check if it breaks or not.
11. If the tiny kofta does not break, then you can safely place the prepared koftas in the hot oil.
In case it breaks, then add more cornstarch (½ tablespoon to 1 tablespoon) to bind the mixture.
If you use grated paneer, then also you will need to add more cornstarch than what is mentioned in the recipe, as paneer leaves moisture.
12. Turn over when one side gets golden.
13. Fry the other side of koftas and flip again once or twice to get an even golden color. You can also air-fry or bake the koftas instead of shallow frying.
14. Place the fried koftas on kitchen paper towels. Continue frying the ones which are not done. Keep the koftas aside.
Make Curry
15. Take 2 tablespoons fresh oil in another pan or pot.
Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 small bay leaves (tej patta) or 1 medium to large tej patta.
16. Add the prepared tomato-onion-almond paste.
17. Stir and mix very well.
18. Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste. Stir to combine.
19. Then, add the spice powders – ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch and 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
20. Stir and sauté till the mixture thickens and you see oil specks releasing from the sides and top of the mixture.
21. Add water.
22. Stir very well and simmer the gravy for 3 to 4 minutes.
23. Add salt as per taste.
24. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or as required.
25. Stir and add 3 tablespoons light cream (25% to 30% fat), ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi).
Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, if homemade. If store brought, add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
26. Mix well and turn off the heat. Don’t add the koftas directly to the gravy in the pan. The koftas will break since they are light and soft textured potato koftas.
27. Pour the hot gravy in a serving plate or bowl and place the Aloo Kofta on top of the gravy.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Indian flatbreads like Butter Naan, Paratha, Malabar Parotta, Roti or with rice-based dishes like Cumin Rice or Veg Pulao.
Expert Tips
- For the masala paste, you can even use 14 to 15 cashews in place of almonds. Grind the masala paste smoothly, without any water.
- I have used processed cheese in this kofta recipe. You can use paneer too. If you don’t want to use black pepper in the kofta mixture, add chopped green chilies or red chili powder instead.
- If your koftas are breaking in the hot oil, add about ½ tablespoon to 1 tablespoon more of cornstarch to bind the mixture. In case using paneer also, you will have to add more cornstarch since paneer leaves moisture.
- I shallow fry the koftas. You can air-fry or bake them too.
- If you are using homemade garam masala powder in the gravy, add ¼ teaspoon. If using store-bought, add ½ teaspoon.
- Remember not to add the fried koftas directly in the gravy in the pan. This can cause the koftas to break since they are light and soft textured.
More Potato Recipes To Try!
Vegetable Recipes
Indian Curry Recipes
Potato Recipes
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Aloo Kofta Recipe (Potato Kofta Curry)
Ingredients
For aloo kofta
- 250 grams potatoes or 2 large or 3 medium potatoes or 1.25 cups tightly packed mashed potatoes
- 20 grams processed cheese or ¼ cup grated cheese, substitute paneer instead of cheese
- 1.5 to 2 tablespoon corn starch – (substitutes are bread crumbs or rice flour), add accordingly
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper – crushed
- salt as required
- 4 to 5 tablespoon oil for shallow frying koftas
For curry base
- 100 grams onion or 1 large or 2 medium onion – quartered
- 200 grams tomatoes or 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes
- 15 almonds or 14 to 15 cashews
- 2 small tej patta (Indian bay leaf) or 1 medium to large tej patta
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger and 3 to 4 small to medium garlic cloves – crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or deghi mirch or sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- 1 to 1.25 cups water
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) – crushed
- 3 tablespoon light cream (25% to 30% fat) or 2 tablespoon whipping cream
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
- salt as required
Instructions
Preparation
- First boil or steam the potatoes until they are thoroughly cooked. Allow them to become warm.Opt to cook potatoes in a pan, steamer, instant pot or a stovetop pressure cooker, adding water as required.
- In another pan or bowl, heat water until it boils and add the tomatoes, onion (quartered) and almonds. Turn off the heat. Instead of almonds, you can use cashews.
- Cover with lid and set aside to blanch for 20 minutes.
- You can opt to heat water in a pan, electric heater or microwave.
- After 20 minutes of blanching, drain all the water. Set the onions, tomatoes and almonds aside.
- Roughly chop the onions, tomatoes and add to a grinder or blender.
- Also peel the almonds and add to the grinder or blender.
- Grind to a smooth and fine paste without adding water. Set this curry paste aside.
Making aloo kofta
- When the potatoes, become warm, peel them. Mash very well with a potato masher.
- Grate the processed cheese.
- Now add the grated cheese, cornstarch, salt and crushed black pepper to the mashed potatoes.
- Mix very well.
- Shape to medium sized patties.
Frying potato kofta
- Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a tawa or flat skillet. First place a small portion of the mixture to check if it breaks or not.
- If the tiny kofta does not break, then you can safely place the koftas in the hot oil. If breaking, then add more cornstarch to bind the mixture and form the patties.
- Turn over when one side gets golden.
- Fry the other side and flip again to get an even golden color. You can also air-fry these potato kofta instead of shallow frying.
- Place the aloo koftas which are done on kitchen paper towels. Continue frying the ones which are not done. Set the koftas aside.
Making potato kofta curry
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to a sauté pan or a pot. Add the cumin seeds and tej patta. Let the cumin seeds splutter.
- Next add the finely ground tomato-onion-almond paste.
- Stir and mix very well. Add ginger-garlic paste and mix again.
- Next add the spice powders – turmeric powder, kashmiri chili powder or deghi mirch or coriander powder.
- Stir and sauté until the mixture thickens and you see oil specks releasing from the sides and top of the mixture.
- Add water. Mix very well and bring the aloo kofta gravy to a simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add salt and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Next add cream, garam masala powder and crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi).
- Mix very well and turn off the stovetop.
- Pour the hot curry or gravy in a serving plate or bowl. Place the aloo kofta on the gravy.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve Aloo Kofta with roti, naan or jeera rice.
Notes
- You can also use paneer or cheddar cheese instead of processed cheese.
- If you use grated paneer, then you will need to add more cornstarch as paneer will leave moisture.
- Instead of black pepper, you can add finely chopped green chilies or red chili powder in the koftas.
- Add ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder if homemade. If store brought than you can add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
- Use fresh, ripe, red and sweet tomatoes for the makhani gravy. Highly sour or tart tomatoes will make the curry base very sour.
- Instead of almonds, you can opt to use cashews.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Aloo Kofta Recipe from the archives was first published on August 2015. It has been updated and republished on February 2024.
