Vegan Indian Kofta

5 from 2 votes

This recipe riffs off Indian style "koftas" -- meatballs -- with authentic flavor but a meatless spin. The vegan koftas are delicious enough to serve as appetizers on their own, or you can add them to recipes like kofta biryani or vegan meatball curry.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetiser, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings (4 koftas each)

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Bowl
Cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet

Ingredients

16 oz vegan ground beef (I used Beyond Beef)
½ small red onion (grated, about ¼th cup. Squeeze out as as much of the moisture in the onion as you can with your fingers before using in the recipe)
1 heaping tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cayenne (or paprika for less heat. Tweak spice level to your taste)
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup besan (Indian chickpea flour)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons rice flour (optional, see notes below)
2 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place all the kofta ingredients except for the oil in a bowl. Use your fingers or a ladle to thoroughly mix all ingredients.
Form the mixture into 24 one-inch koftas.
Coat each kofta with rice flour, if using. Shake off any excess flour.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Make sure the hot oil coats the bottom of the skillet. Add the koftas to the hot skillet. Don't crowd the koftas -- I fried the koftas in two batches of 12 each in my 12-inch cast iron skillet, using a tablespoon of oil for each batch.
Fry the kofta meatballs on all sides until golden-brown. Remove to a plate lined with a paper napkin.

Notes

If you aren't using the rice flour, you can proceed to fry the meatballs after forming.
The meat substitute has a good amount of sodium so add salt judiciously, tasting before you add more. The spices add a lot of flavor so you really don't need a lot of salt.

Air-fry or bake the kofta

Air-fryer: Place the vegan Indian kofta in a single layer in the air-fryer basket, with enough room between the koftas for the air to circulate. Air-fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice during air-frying to ensure the koftas brown on all sides.
Oven: Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or oil. Place the koftas an inch apart on the baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes. Rotate the koftas a few times during baking to make sure they brown evenly.

Nutrition