Overhead of beef kofta meatballs with saag aloo on a plate on white background.
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Beef Kofta with Saag Aloo – an aromatic creamy curry with juicy meatballs and spice-infused potatoes. It’s mild enough for the kids to enjoy too!
This post is sponsored by HelloFresh 

I always cook rice when I’m making curry. It’s an automatic thing.

Even if we’re having naan breads or chapatis, I go into autopilot and put on a pan of boiled rice.

So it was actually kind of nice for once, having the recipe out in front of me to follow step by step, to take me out of that autopilot setting. And it made such a lovely change!

If you saw my first review of HelloFresh about a year and a half ago (the Cajun Pork with Bulgar Wheat and Garlicky Greens post) that was the first time I’d ever cooked with bulgar wheat (which is now a store cupboard staple – love making tabbouleh!). I guess sometimes I need instructions to try something different.

If you haven’t heard of HelloFresh, they come up with new recipes every week, that you can cook at home. You simply choose the meals you fancy, and how many portions, then they’ll provide you with the exact quantities you need and deliver them to your door with step-by-step photo instructions. It couldn’t be easier – especially when you’ve got a busy week ahead.

Contents of a HelloFresh recipe box

I’ve got a week of book writing this week (eek still can’t believe I can actually say that!), so rather than eating blogger leftovers, or having to figure out what to cook after a day of writing, we’re going to be having pan-fried gnocchi and chicken schwarma.

Gracey enjoyed opening up the ingredients and checking out the cooking steps with me, so even better, she’s decided she’s going to cook them!

I might occasionally complain about my 12 year old wanting more independence, but sometimes it’s an absolute blessing!

We start by making the saag aloo – which involves frying up red onions with garlic, then adding cumin, turmeric and mustard seeds.

Red onion pieces cooking in pan


After that we add in the potatoes and stock and let that cook with a lid on, until the potatoes are tender.

Close up of saag aloo being prepared in a pan

Then we make the meatballs, which are a simple mix of beef mince, salt, pepper and chopped coriander (cilantro).

Beef mince and coriander in a bowl

They’re fried up in a little oil until browned, before being removed from the pan.

Cooked meatballs in a pan

We then use the same pan to cook some tandoori paste, with red onion and garlic until lovely and fragrant. Add coconut milk and those juicy meatballs and simmer together until the sauce thickens slightly.

Pan with beef kofta meatballs in curry sauce

Spinach is added to the potatoes just before serving, which wilts quickly in the heat of the pan.

Pan with saag aloo on light background

Perfect!

Beef Kofta with saag aloo on a plate. Cilantro and naan bread in the background

Here’s the link to the Hello Fresh page for this Beef Kofta, which has conversions for making it for 2 or 3 people, allergen info and other related recipes.

Can I make it gluten free?

At the time of writing this, the version from HelloFresh is gluten free. Although they don’t specifically provide gluten free meal boxes, they do show you the allergens on the meals you choose – so you can check the site when you choose your meals, and choose gluten free recipes. They also show you which ingredients contain the allergens, so you can choose to swap out that particular ingredient yourself if you prefer.

Is this meal dairy free?

Yep! Gotta love good old coconut milk for that dairy-free creaminess!

Alternative to beef?

Hellofresh do a few lamb kofta recipes – I like the look of this one with sweet potato wedges, and also a vegetarian chickpea kofta which looks really good!

More AMAZING Indian Dishes:

These Dishes have all been inspired by what we can get in our UK Indian resteraunts.

4.75 from 4 votes

Beef Kofta with Saag Aloo

An aromatic creamy curry with juicy meatballs and spice-infused potatoes. It’s mild enough for the kids to enjoy too!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Saag Aloo:

  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 2 red onions chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 white-skinned potatoes chopped into 2cm cubes (no need to peel)
  • 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock made with one chicken stock pot
  • 150 g (3 packed cups) baby spinach

Beef Kofta Curry:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) beef mince (ground beef)
  • good pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 3 tsp tandoori paste
  • 400 ml (14 oz) tin coconut milk
  • 1 chicken stock pot
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Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
    1 tsp vegetable oil, 2 red onions
  • Add in the garlic and cook for a further minute, then spoon half of the onion mixture out of the pan into a bowl.
    2 cloves garlic
  • Add the cumin, turmeric, and mustard seeds to the remaining onions in the pan and give the mixture a stir for a minute. 
    1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • Add in the potatoes and stock. Stir, and bring to the boil. then cover and turn down the heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
    2 white-skinned potatoes, 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock
  • Meanwhile, start making the meatballs. Place the beef mince in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and half the coriander (cilantro). Mix together and form into 16 balls (4 for each person).
    500 g (1.1 lbs) beef mince (ground beef), good pinch of salt and pepper, 1 bunch coriander (cilantro)
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) and add the meatballs. Cook over a medium-high heat, turning often until browned all over (around 10-12 minutes).
    1 tsp vegetable oil
  • Transfer the meatballs to a bowl and place the reserved cooked onions from earlier into the same pan.
  • Add the tandoori paste and cook for a minute on a low heat. Add the coconut milk and stock pot and stir together. Simmer for 5 minutes.
    3 tsp tandoori paste, 400 ml (14 oz) tin coconut milk, 1 chicken stock pot
  • Add the meatballs back into the pan and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes.
  • By now the potatoes should be cooked. Take the lid off and simmer for a few minutes more until the liquid is almost gone. Stir often to ensure it doesn't burn.
  • Add the spinach to the potatoes. Turn off the heat and place a lid on the pan for 3-4 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
    150 g (3 packed cups) baby spinach
  • Serve the beef kofta curry and saag aloo together with the remaining coriander (cilantro) sprinkled on top.

Notes

Nutritional Information is approx, per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 656kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 457mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 18.2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 10.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. Natalia says:

    What is meant by Chicken Stock Pot in step 8? Chicken stock? If so how much?

    1. Nicky Corbishley says:

      Hi Natalia, it’s like a stock cube, but a jelly-like version. Knorr, Oxo, Asda and Morrisons do them. You can replace with a stock cube if you prefer.

  2. Shiv Charan says:

    Very Nice

  3. Robby says:

    4 stars
    Made this today and my son and I both loved it, I think I’m going to make it again only this time using chicken since my meatballs got a little tough while I was cooking. Fantastic recipe for my first try at Indian food.

  4. Dave says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was great. By far the most authentic tasting Indian dish I’ve ever made at home. We used lamb instead of beef, which was my wife’s choice. I prefer beef but still delicious. Also we couldn’t find Tandoori paste all we used butter chicken paste instead and it worked out great.

    1. Chris Corbishley says:

      Thanks Dave, so glad you and your wife enjoyed it.

      Chris & Nicky

  5. Collette says:

    5 stars
    Such an easy recipe and so tasty,
    Beef Kofta with Saag Aloo
    Having all the ingredients in front of me all measured out really makes life easy.
    5 stars for this recipe on taste and ease Thank you Hello Fresh.

  6. Danielle Wolter says:

    5 stars
    Ummmm I hope you deliver because I need to have this for lunch today. I forgot my lunch and this would be the perfect replacement. LOL. Looks amazing Nicky! Loving the flavors and it looks easy to make!