The best plant-based kofta ever. Picture yourself dunking fluffy naan into pools of creamy, spicy gravy with scrumptious jackfruit kofta in it. Do you want that life? I think you do.
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original post written January 2021 // recipe updated August 2022
My dad has been a bit disappointed since I decided to go plant-based a few months ago, but I think my jackfruit experiment made up for it (or at least a little bit). I made this on the first day of this year so we’d be starting the year with something everyone in my family was crazy about. This jackfruit kofta features fried jackfruit kofta balls soaked in a creamy gravy paired best with fluffy naan. This gravy can work for any kind of kofta and what I love about it is that it’s basically just vegetables and flavor-bursting spices.
Kofta is a type of meatball that is usually either made of some kind of meat or paneer (cheese). And jackfruit is a tropical fruit that has a texture resembling that of meat when it’s young. While it doesn’t have as much protein as meat, it is quite the nutritional powerhouse! It has a pretty neutral taste on its own, so you can essentially give it any flavor you want during your cooking process. Read more about cooking jackfruit here.
How to Make Jackfruit Kofta
This dish does require some steps, so I wouldn’t consider it a quick meal, but rather something special to make when have some time to spare. Bring a family member into the kitchen to enjoy the process and speed it up a little!
Note that this recipe makes A LOT. Assuming each serving size is about 4 kofta balls, it’s enough for about 8 servings. Consider halving the recipe if cooking for fewer people.
Make the kofta.
Boil the canned jackfruit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture and process with a few other ingredient. Form balls and fry them in a few inches of oil. You can also air fry or bake them. It doesn’t hit quite the same as the fried version, but it is still good and more hands-off.
Make the gravy.
This requires the basics (onion, garlic, ginger) and some spices. I used a few soaked cashews to increase the creaminess, but this texture mostly comes from the chopped tomatoes. If you can’t use cashews, you can either omit them, use coconut milk (know that it will be sweeter, so adjust accordingly), or plant-based yogurt.
Finishing spices.
There are spices you’re supposed to add during the cooking process and then there are spices that do their job best when added near the end of cooking time. Finish with garam masala, kashmiri lal (a red chili powder that does wonders for color and is less spicy than red chili powder), and kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
Serve with naan.
The texture of this jackfruit kofta is so perfect for scooping with thick pieces of naan. I love making my instant garlic naan recipe because it’s quick and forgivable. I like using half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, but if you’re making naan for the first time, you won’t be disappointed by making it as written.
Jackfruit Kofta
Ingredients
Kofta
- 500 grams canned jackfruit
- 2 tbsp rice flour *sub all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- ¾ tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt to taste
- neutral oil for frying
Kofta Gravy
- ¼ cup cashews soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp red chili powder (adjust for spice tolerance!)
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp kashmiri lal *optional for color
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi optional
Instructions
- Boil the canned jackfruit for 10 minutes. Then squeeze out the water and process it with the rest of the ingredients for the kofta. This mixture does not have to be totally smooth.
- Form small balls (~ 1 tbsp). Put them in the fridge while you make the gravy for easier frying, but as long as they are sturdy, it should be fine either way. Fry them in 1.5 inches of oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until crisp. Flip them once after 3-4 minutes so they brown evenly. (See note for air frying.)
- Add avocado oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and fry until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, stirring for a minute or two.
- Add tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomato juices evaporate, leaving a thick blob of tomatoes.
- Add cumin, coriander, red chili powder, and turmeric. Stir gently into the tomatoes and give them time to release their oils for a few minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool off a bit.
- Blend the mixture in the saucepan with cashews and water.
- Pour the creamy mixture back in the pan on medium heat and add more water (according to your liking – you want a thickkk gravy but not too thick) if needed. Add the finishing spices: kashmiri lal, garam masala, and crushed kasoori methi. Adjust for salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Pop the jackfruit kofta balls in and serve with rice, naan, or roti. (I highly recommend naan because the gravy texture is perfect for it! I like to use this recipe because it's quick and you can play around with the flours. I usually do half whole wheat and half all-purpose.)
Notes
If you like this kofta recipe, you have to try…
So sorry for the delay! I think not cooking it should be ok since it gets cooked later on in the recipe anyways. I’ll have to test it out!
The Jackfruit Kofta recipe sounds interesting, and I want to give it a try this weekend. But I’m wondering if it is really necessary to cook the jackfruit. The FAQ for our locally available canned jackfruit states that the fruit has already been cooked prior to canning and that it can be eaten right from the can. So… is this step optional, or is the cooking necessary for some reason? Thank you!
Ooh brushing with oil and then air frying is a great tip! I’ll have to try that. Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely loved this recipe! I air fried the kofta after lightly brushing with oil at 375 for 14 minute and they turned out great. Next time I’m doubling the recipe so I can have leftovers!
Hi Sharan! I’m glad you’re excited to try this! I haven’t tried air frying yet, but from what I’ve read online, that should be fine. I would go for 10 minutes at 400 F and check if they’re done at that point.
Hi Anisha! This looks amazing! I’m excited to try making it. Could you air fry the koftas?
Hi Viva! I haven’t tried this, but I think you can probably add more flour. As long as it’s easy to roll the mixture into balls, it should fine!
is there anything i can use to replace the coconut shreds?
So glad to hear that Kat! Jackfruit is such an amazing ingredient and hope you try it soon 🙂
How lovely! I’ve been wanting to try cooking with jackfruit and this looks like such a delicious place to start!