Karhai Chicken Kofta
Air-Fried Chicken Koftas in a Flavour-Packed Tomato Gravy
Soft chicken koftas cooked in a bold, aromatic tomato gravy. The koftas are air-fried instead of deep-fried, then finished in a karhai with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilli and spices for a simple but flavourful curry.
Recipe Highlights
✓ High in protein
✓ Chicken koftas are air-fried
✓ No deep-frying
✓ Cooked in a fresh tomato-based gravy
✓ Perfect with steamed rice or chapati
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 1
Calories: 307 kcal
Protein: 31 g
Fat: 16 g
Carbs: 9 g
Ingredients
For the Chicken Koftas
- Chicken — 100 g
- Roasted gram flour — 5 g
- Egg — ½
- Ginger paste — as required
- Garlic paste — as required
- Green chilli paste — as required
- Coriander leaves, finely chopped — as required
- Salt — to taste
For the Karhai Gravy
- Tomato — 100 g
- Ghee — 10 g
- Ginger paste — as required
- Garlic paste — as required
- Green chilli — as required
- Coriander powder — as required
- Red chilli powder — as required
- Salt — to taste
For Garnish
- Coriander leaves — as required
- Roasted coriander powder — as required
Method
1. Prepare & Air-Fry the Chicken Koftas
Place the chicken in a mixer-grinder and mince until smooth.
Transfer the minced chicken to a large bowl. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilli paste, roasted gram flour, half an egg, finely chopped coriander leaves and salt.
Mix everything thoroughly until well combined.
Shape the mixture into small kofta balls.
Air-fry the koftas at 180°C for 15 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
2. Prepare the Karhai Gravy
Heat a karhai. Once hot, add the ghee.
Add the whole tomatoes after removing the hard stem/core, along with ginger paste, garlic paste and green chillies.
Cook until the tomatoes become soft.
Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mash the softened tomatoes and mix everything well.
Continue cooking over low heat until the spices are properly cooked and the tomato mixture forms a rich gravy.
Add the air-fried chicken koftas to the gravy.
Cover the karhai and cook for a few more minutes, allowing the koftas to absorb the flavours of the gravy.
3. Garnish & Serve
Finish with fresh coriander leaves and roasted coriander powder.
Serve hot with steamed rice or chapati.
Nutrition / Macros
Per serving
Calories: 307 kcal
Protein: 31 g
Fat: 16 g
Carbs: 9 g
Serves: 1
Ipshita’s Note
I air-fry the chicken koftas instead of deep-frying them, then finish them in the tomato gravy so they can soak up all those karhai flavours. It keeps the method simple while still giving me the comforting kofta curry I want to eat.
Tip
Don’t make the chicken koftas too large. Smaller koftas cook more evenly in the air fryer and absorb the tomato gravy beautifully when they are finished in the karhai.
