Turkey kofta curry (Indian meatball curry)
Tender spiced turkey meatballs simmered in a creamy tomato and onion curry, with basmati rice to soak up every drop.
- 60 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $2.66 a serving
- 640 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped, divided
- 2½ tsp garam masala, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1½ cups crushed tomatoes
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
From your pantry
- 2¾ cups water, divided
- 1¾ tsp salt, divided
- 1½ tsp ground cumin, divided
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Each serving has about 640 calories, 31 g protein, 70 g carbs and 26 g fat, and costs about $2.66 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No basmati rice? Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice works.
- No ground turkey? Ground chicken works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then bring it with 2¼ cups of the water and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Leave it covered off the heat.
Mix the turkey, egg, panko, half the cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, ½ teaspoon of the cumin, 1 clove of the garlic and ½ teaspoon of the salt gently with your hands.
Roll it into about 20 walnut-size balls and wash your hands.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat the oil in a large, deep with a lid over medium.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
the meatballs 5 minutes, turning them gently, then move them to a plate. They won’t be cooked through yet.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Add the onion to the and cook 8 minutes, , until .
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium heatTimer: 8 min
Add the remaining garlic, the ginger, remaining garam masala and cumin, the turmeric and cayenne and 1 minute, until the spices .
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Bloom. Blooming means warming spices in hot oil for a few seconds before the other ingredients go in. The heat wakes up their flavor, so the whole dish tastes fuller.
How you’ll know: They smell strong and toasty within 30 seconds; a dark color or bitter smell means they went too far.
Medium heat
in the tomatoes, remaining ½ cup water and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and 5 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Return the meatballs, cover, and on low 12 minutes, turning them once, until they read 165°F in the middle.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 12 min
Dolly’s tip: Turn them gently with a spoon. They firm up as they cook.Food safety: Ground turkey and ground chicken are done at 165°F, with no pink left anywhere in the pan.
in the cream, scatter the remaining cilantro on top, and serve over the rice.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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