Vegetarian jackfruit seeds kofta curry
Jackfruit seeds koftas in a creamy masala sauce makes a delicious vegetarian kofta curry . Easily made vegan too!
Kofta is a dish that is found in different cuisines in South and Western Asia. Koftas are generally made with meat, call it an Asian meatball. However in South Asia, especially in the Indian subcontinent, vegetarian koftas are equally popular. Vegetarian koftas can be made using paneer, green banana and many other vegetables. In India, the vegetarian koftas are added into a curry and is served as a side for rice and rotis. Malai kofta, for example is a kofta curry that’s on the menu in most Indian restaurants.
This kofta, is a little out of the ordinary! I had many jackfruit seeds that needed to be used and tried making koftas using them and happened to really like how they turned out. Since then, I make them whenever I have jackfruit seeds on hand.
Jackfruit seed koftas can also be eaten on their own, as a snack!. This masala curry base is super delicious, so if you do not have enough time to make the koftas, use paneer/tofu instead. This will reduce your time in the kitchen by half, making it an approachable curry to make on busy days!
Ingredients
The only out of the ordinary ingredient in this curry is jackfruit seeds. If jackfruit seeds are unavailable, koftas can be made using potatoes or simply use paneer/tofu instead of koftas!
Fennel seeds look very similar to cumin seeds but has a distinct licorice like flavour which adds a very special touch to this curry. I highly recommend using it!
Same goes with kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves. It adds a lot of flavour to the curry so I recommend using it. Kasuri methi can be found in Indian stores. If it is hard to find use coriander leaves/cilantro instead.
How to cook jackfruit seeds?
1. Remove the outer cover that’s off white in color and feels almost like plastic. The seed can be crushed with a pestle to make it easier to peel.
2. The thin brown skin that’s inside the white skin can remain on the seed.
3. Pressure cook the seeds with salt and enough water to cover them. In an instant pot, pressure cook on high for 15 minutes, NPR. In a regular pressure cooker, cook the jackfruit seeds for 4 whistles.
4. Jackfruit seeds can also be cooked in a pot with salt and enough water to cover them. Bring everything to a boil and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the seeds are soft.
Can this recipe be made vegan?
Yes, easily! Use oil instead of ghee and skip the cream. The koftas are vegan, but on a busy day, add tofu instead to reduce the cooking time in half!
Here is a make ahead dessert, creamy rice kheer to make the special meal extra special!
Check out all the jackfruit recipes on the blog!
Vegetarian jackfruit seeds kofta curry
Equipment
- Measuring cup used, 1 cup – 240ml
- Blender
Ingredients
For kofta
- 40 jackfruit seeds
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 3 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 green chilli adjust to suit your taste
- ¼ cup cilantro/coriander leaves
- 1 tsp coriander powder dhania/kottambari powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder jeera powder
- ¼ tsp Indian red chilli powder optional
- 1 tsp salt used divided
For the Curry
- 4 tsp ghee/oil used divided
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds saunf
- 3 dry red chillies preferably kashmiri/byadagi varieties
- ¾ cup onion, chopped
- 1½ tsp garlic, chopped 3 medium cloves
- 1½ tsp ginger, chopped 1 inch
- 1 cup tomato, chopped 1 big tomato
- ¼ cup raw cashews about 20 cashews
- 1 tsp tomato paste optional
- ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder optional, adjust to suit your taste
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed
- 2 tsp sugar use 1 tsp for a mildly sweet curry
- 2 tbsp fresh cream optional
- 1½ cup water used divided
Instructions
Make kofta
- To de-skin jackfruit seeds, crush them with a pestle and remove the outer, white plastic-like skin. The thin brown skin inside does not have to be removed.
- Add jackfruit seeds and ½ tsp salt into a pressure cooker or an instant pot with enough water to cover the seeds. In instant pot, pressure cook on high for 15 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. In a regular pressure cooker, pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. The seeds can also be cooked in a pot until soft.
- When jackfruit seeds are cool enough to handle, drain off all the water. Mash the seeds using hands or a potato masher so that no big chunks remain.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil.
- Add in chopped onions, green chillies, crushed garlic and ginger. Saute until onions are translucent.
- Add the salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and mix well. Saute for half minute.
- Finally add the cilantro/coriander leaves, mix and turn off the heat.
- When the mixture is cool enough to handle, make lime sized balls. This mixture makes about 14 koftas.
- Brush appam pan/ebelskiver pan with oil and set it on medium heat. Add the kofta into the depression on the pan and allow the kofta to turn golden brown on all sides by turning them around. Alternatively, the koftas can be brushed with oil and air-fried. In my air fryer, at 400 F it takes 15-20 minutes for them to brown, turning them over once after 10 minutes.
Instructions for curry base
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and add 2 tsp of ghee.
- Add the kashmiri dry red chillies, coriander seeds, fennel seeds(saunf), cardamom, cloves and saute for 30 seconds.
- Next add chopped onions and saute for half a minute. Then add chopped garlic and ginger and saute for another minute until the raw smell of the aromatics goes away.
- Add in the cashew nuts and tomatoes. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down.
- When the mixture cools down transfer it to a blender jar, add 1/4 cup water and blend it into a smooth paste so that no gritty pieces of spices and ginger remain.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and add the remaining 2 tsp ghee.
- Add in the blended puree and sauté for 5-6 minutes to help deepen the flavours. Keep stirring so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom and burn. Give it a taste and add Indian red chilli powder if you need more spice.
- Add sugar, salt and 1¼ cup of water and mix well. When the mixture comes to a gentle boil, lower the heat and add garam masala and crushed kasuri methi.
- Add in the fresh cream and simmer for 1 minute. Add the koftas and turn off the heat.
- Serve kofta curry hot/warm with basmati rice/naan/roti.
Video
Notes
- For a less time consuming curry, use paneer/tofu instead of the koftas.
- Using tomato paste is optional, but it does add to the depth of flavours. If not using tomato paste, use 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes.
- I haven’t tried deep frying these koftas. If trying to deep fry, make sure the oil is hot. The mixture may need a binder like corn starch/besan to keep it from disintegrating in oil.
- Kasuri methi can be found in Indian grocery stores. Cilantro/coriander leaves can be used instead but I recommend using kasuri methi for the best flavour!
Did you try this recipe?
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