Try this unique Summer recipe, Litchi Kofta. Fresh litchis stuffed and dunked in a rich gravy, this curry makes a great side for any flat bread or steamed rice.
Serve along with onions, pickles and a salad for a complete meal.
Indian meals are rich in curries. There are several curries of different colors, tastes, flavors and textures. Some of these curries are popular across the world.
It is not uncommon to spot paneer jalfrezi, palak paneer or even chole at so many large and small restaurants around the world. Along with these popular ones are some recipes that are less popular but super amazing. This includes Akbari paneer, Quinoa kofta and this recipe; Litchi Kofta.
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What is Kofta
Kofta, a term that English borrowed from Urdu literally means 'pounded meat'. However, over the years we have used the term to describe any kind of round balls made from various ingredients. From the popular malai kofta made from paneer to lauki kofts, made from grated bottle gourd.
These koftas are great as an appetizer with cilantro chutney or dunked in a gravy to make a delicious sabji.
This Litchi Kofta
Deriving from the definition of kofta, I make these filled rounds and serve them with a delicious gravy. As the name suggests, I use fresh litchi or lychee to make this recipe.
Yes, litchi is perfect to make koftas. It is round, has a pit that can be replaced with a filling and taste so good with a spiced tomato gravy. It may not sound ordinary, but trust me; this summer recipe is something you need to try while fresh litchis are still in season.
I had this kofta curry years ago at a wedding and finally tried it at home. It is an amazing blend of spice, sweet and tart and gives us a very different dish to serve for family dinner or a party.
Why this recipe works
- This summer special kofta recipe uses litchi as the base. A fun take on a popular fruit, this is great for litchi lovers!
- The filling in the recipe are easy to swap based on preferences and taste. Paneer or tofu works well here.
- This is an easy grain-free recipe.
- This litchi kofta is easy to customize; dunk them in a green gravy or use a yellow one.
- We can easily pair this kofta curry with roti, naan or parathas. Plus, steamed rice is a great serving option too.
- This recipe can be made ahead of time. Simply make the gravy and store. Prepare and dunk the koftas just before serving.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Litchi/ Lychee: I use fresh litchi for the recipe. The peeled litchis are great to use as kofta covering. The recipe has not been tested for canned litchis.
- Potato: The stuffing of litchi is made with seasoned mashed boiled potatoes. This can be easily substituted by crumbled paneer or tofu.
- Onions and Tomatoes: The ingredients for the tomato curry, I like to use more tomatoes than onions in the recipe. Fresh tomatoes are the best; however canned tomatoes will work too.
- Ginger, garlic, chili paste: An essential ingredient to add spice to the recipe, I add the paste to the gravy. Plus, it can be added to the potato mixture too.
- Whole Spices: I add whole cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. These are great for spice and flavor. Remove them before processing the curry if you like. Moreover, I add some whole cumin seeds while tempering the gravy for a lot of flavor.
- Ground Spices: Red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and dhania jeera powder are great for the recipe. Plus, we use salt to season the recipe.
- Oil and Butter: The gravy is made with oil and the final tempering is done with unsalted butter. However, this can be substituted with all butter or all oil.
- Whipping cream is great to add in the recipe for creaminess too. Add or skip based on preferences.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- In a pan add 2 teaspoon oil.
2- Add in the following spices and sauté for a few minutes till the spices are fragrant
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves.
3- Then add 1½ teaspoon chili, garlic, ginger paste and 1 medium onion chopped into chunks. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
4- Add the following ground spices and mix well.
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dhania jeera powder
- 1 tsp salt
5- Cook till the spices are fragrant. Next add 3 chopped tomatoes and let them cook down.
6- Then add some water (if required) and let the tomatoes soften and release their skins.
7- Turn down the flame and let the mix cool. Add to a blender jar.
8- Blend well and set aside. Start peeling the litchis.
9- Peel 8-10 of them and remove the seeds.
Pro Tip: To easily remove the pit or seeds, simply place a straight slit on the litchi and remove the pit. Make sure the flesh does not fall apart.
10- In a bowl add 1 medium mashed potato with these:
- 2 stalks cilantro
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon salt.
11- Mix everything well.
12- Then carefully fill the mix into the litchis and set them aside.
13- In a pan heat 2 teaspoon unsalted butter and add 1 teaspoon cumin powder.
14- Once the cumin seeds pop, add the gravy.
15- Bring it to a simmer and then add the litchi koftas in it. The heat from the gravy will make the litchis soft. Cook them more if desired.
16- Top with cilantro and serve with parathas, roti or steamed rice.
Expert Tips and Notes
- The recipe needs fresh litchis; the fresher the fruit, the better the curry.
- Peel the litchis and remove the seeds carefully. Ensure they do not fall apart while removing the seed.
- The whole spices can be ground with the rest of the ingredients or removed before processing.
- The gravy can be strained before adding if desired.
- Replace boiled potato with crumbled paneer or tofu if you like. Or mix them and use.
- Replace fresh tomatoes with canned ones if you like. One can of 7 oz would work instead of the tomatoes.
- If you prefer, add some cream to the curry at the end. This makes the curry creamy and richer.
Serving
Finish the curry off with some whipping cream or coconut cream and serve them with some sliced onions and cilantro.
This Litchi Kofta recipe is great with naan, steamed rice, some pickled onions or salad. Moreover, pair these with rotis for a meal or serve them with piping hot parathas. This recipe works wonderfully for a party where each guest can choose their ratio of koftas to curry and enjoy.
Storing
Ideally, the curry is best when it is made. However, we can store it for later too. To do so, remove the koftas and store them in a different container and the gravy in another one.
To serve, bring the curry to a simmer adding some water if needed. Then dunk in the koftas and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes certainly. The round fruit with a pit that can be removed is a great kofta covering. It can be stuffed with various fillings and dunked in a gravy to enjoy.
Surprisingly, the curry is not very sweet. The sweetness of the litchis is balanced by the spice of the gravy and filling. And we do not add any extra sweeteners to the recipe.
We use litchis with potatoes and a tomato based gravy. While the ingredients are not exactly calorie dense, they tend to get heavy if consumed in large portions. So adjust the serving size per the calories you desire.
Certainly. Though I would suggest making the curry ahead of time and making the koftas just before serving. That way the dish is fresh and tasty.
Pairings
This Litchi Kofta works wonderfully with all kinds of flat breads and rice. Here are some perfect pairings for the recipe.
More Indian Curries
Litchi Kofta
Ingredients
- 8-10 litchi
- 1 medium onion
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoon chili, garlic, ginger paste
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 green cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves
- 1 medium potato (boiled and peeled)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1½ teaspoon dhania jeera powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 3-4 stalks cilantro
Instructions
- In a pan add oil.
- Add in the whole spices and sauté for a few minutes till the spices are fragrant.
- Then add chili, garlic, ginger paste and chopped onions. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the ground spices and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. Cook till the spices are fragrant.
- Next add chopped tomatoes. Let them cook.
- Add some water if required and let the tomatoes soften and release their skins.
- Turn down the flame and let the mix cool. Add to a blender jar.
- Blend well and set aside.
- Peel the litchis and remove the seeds.
- In a bowl add mashed potato, cilantro, ½ teaspoon each of turmeric powder, garam masala and salt.
- Mix everything well.
- Carefully fill the mix into the litchis and set them aside.
- In a pan heat unsalted butter and add cumin powder.
- Once the cumin seeds pop, add the gravy.
- Bring it to a simmer and then add the litchi koftas in it. The heat from the gravy will make the litchis soft. They can be cooked more if desired.
- Top with cilantro and serve with parathas, roti or steamed rice.
Video
Notes
-
- The recipe needs fresh litchis. The fresher the fruit, the better the curry.
- Peel the litchis and remove the seeds carefully. Ensure they do not fall apart while removing the seed. To easily remove the pit, simply place a straight slit on the litchi and remove the pit. Make sure the flesh does not fall apart.
- The whole spices can be ground with the rest of the ingredients or removed before processing.
- The gravy can be strained before adding if desired.
- Replace boiled potato with crumbled paneer or tofu if you like. Or mix them and use.
- Replace fresh tomatoes with canned ones if you like. One can of 7 oz would work instead of the tomatoes.
- If you prefer, add some cream to the curry at the end. This makes the curry creamy and richer.
- Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
bella says
Just so you know, litchi is a completely different fruit from lychee. Litchi, solanum sysimbriifolium, is a smooth red berry with yellow interior and many tiny seeds.
Smruti says
Hello Bella
Litchi or Litchi chinensis is wheat we use here. It is commonly known as lychee. This however is different from solanum sysimbriifolium which is litchi tomato. Hope that helps.