Cabbage kofta recipe With step by step photos – cabbage kofta is a rich and delicious curry dish, very popular in north India.
Koftas are fried dumplings that can be made from different vegetables like lauki (bottle gourd), carrots, zucchini, spinach, potatoes or even mix vegetables. They can be made even with aloo-paneer combo.
I have already shared the recipe of Malai kofta and Lauki kofta recipe. in the Mughlai cuisine, the koftas are made with meat balls. Making these popular rich gravy based kofta dishes at home requires a lot of time and usually they are made for special occasions, parties or when you have to make a rich curry dish. If you are short of time, then you can make the koftas a day before and refrigerate them. The next day you can make the curry or gravy for the kofta.
This recipe of cabbage kofta is quite delicious and is slightly strongly spiced but not hot. Reduce the quantity of whole spices used in the masala paste, if making for kids or folks who cannot tolerate the aroma of spices (whole garam masala) used in Indian food.
Cabbage kofta can be served with rotis, parathas or naan. It also goes well with steamed rice or jeera rice or saffron rice.
How to make cabbage kofta
Preparing kofta mixture
1. In a mixing bowl, take the ingredients required for making the cabbage koftas – finely chopped cabbage, ajwain (carom seeds), spice powders, curd/yogurt and salt.
2. Mix well and keep the kofta mixture aside for about 30 mins.
3. The kofta mixture would have become moist as the cabbage would release its juices. Add besan/gram flour and mix well.
4. If the kofta mixture looks dry, then you can add some water. If it’s too moist and batter like, then no need to add any water. I added about 1/4 cup water. Mix well.
Frying cabbage kofta
5. Heat oil for shallow or deep frying kofta in a kadai or pan. drop spoonfuls of the batter and fry the cabbage koftas till crisp and golden in medium hot oil.
6. Drain the kofta on paper towels to remove excess oil and keep aside.
Making cabbage kofta gravy
7. In the same kadai, remove the excess oil that we had used for frying the koftas and keep about 2 tbsp oil. First add the whole spices and fry them till fragrant. Then add the onions and fry till the onions get golden.
8. Add the crushed ginger-garlic and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
9. Add the tomatoes and all the dry spice powders.
10. Stir and saute till tomatoes soften and the oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
11. Let this mixture cool and then grind this sauteed onion-tomato mixture with some water to a smooth paste.
12. Heat oil in the same pan. Add the ground masala paste and stir. Then add water, salt and again stir.
13. Simmer the mixture till it thickens a bit and reaches a medium gravy consistency.
14. Add cream and stir. Then add the crushed kasuri methi & stir again. Switch off the fire. If serving immediately, then add the cabbage koftas. If serving later, then reheat the curry/sauce and then add the koftas. The koftas absorb the gravy/sauce, so add the koftas just before serving.
15. Garnish the curry with chopped coriander leaves. Serve the cabbage kofta with rotis, naan, parathas or jeera rice.
More Curry recipes
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Cabbage Kofta
Ingredients
for the cabbage kofta
- 3 cups chopped cabbage - chopped finely
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain or bishop's weed)
- 1 teaspoon Curd (yogurt)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 pinch baking soda
- salt as required
- ¼ cup water or as required
- salt as required
- oil for shallow or deep frying
for kofta gravy
- 3 medium size tomatoes - finely chopped
- 1 large size onion - finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger - crushed
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 2 tablespoon oil or butter
- ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (crushed dry fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tablespoon oil or butter to be added in the last step [step 9 of preparing the curry or sauce or gravy]
- 2 cups water
- 2 to 3 tablespoon cream
- salt as required
- some chopped coriander leaves for garnishing (dhania patta or cilantro leaves)
Instructions
preparing the cabbage kofta
- In a mixing bowl, take the finely chopped cabbage, ajwain/carom seeds, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida/hing, curd/yogurt and salt.
- Mix well and keep the cabbage mixture aside for about 25-30 mins.
- The kofta mixture would have become moist as the cabbage would release its juices.
- Add besan/gram flour & baking soda and mix well.
- If the mixture looks dry, then you can add some water. If its too moist and batter like, then no need to add any water. I added about 1/4 cup water.
- Stir very well.
- Heat oil for shallow or deep frying the cabbage koftas in a kadai or pan.
- Drop spoonfuls of the batter and fry the koftas till crisp and golden in medium hot oil.
- Drain the fried koftas on paper towels to remove excess oil and keep aside.
making cabbage kofta curry or gravy
- In the same kadai, remove the excess oil that we had used for frying the kofta and keep about 2 tbsp oil.
- Or you can just use fresh 2 tbsp oil or butter.
- First add the bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cinnamon and cloves. Fry the whole spices till fragrant.... About 10-15 seconds.
- Then add the onions and fry till the onions get golden.
- Add the crushed ginger-garlic and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add the tomatoes and all the dry spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder.
- Stir and saute till tomatoes soften and oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
- Let this mixture cool and then grind this sauted onion-tomato mixture with some water to a smooth paste with about 1/4 or 1/2 cup water.
- In the same pan, gently heat about 1 tbsp oil or butter.
- Add the ground masala paste and stir with the oil.
- Immediately add 2 cups water and again stir well.
- Add salt & simmer the mixture till it thickens a bit and reaches a medium gravy consistency.
- The cabbage kofta curry should be cooked well.
- Toward the end, add cream and stir. Then add the crushed kasuri methi & stir again. Switch off the fire.
- If serving immediately, then add the cabbage koftas. If serving later, then reheat the curry/sauce and then add the koftas.
- Cabbage kofta curry goes best with rotis, naan and steamed rice or jeera rice. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving.
- Serve the cabbage koftas with rotis, naan or jeera rice.
Notes
- The kofta recipes makes about 20-23 koftas. In the cabbage kofta gravy I added 12 koftas and the rest I served as snacks.
- You can adjust the amount of water as required and make the cabbage kofta gravy slightly thick or thin as per your choice.
I’m in UK and my wife and I absolutely loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing it.
Do you put the whole black cardamom in or do you discard the shell and just cook the seeds?
Welcome Sebastian. We put the whole black cardamom. While serving cabbage kofta you can discard the whole black cardamom.
Is there any alternative for cream or can I skip the cream?
you can skip cream.
Hi dassana! can I use bread crumbs to bind the koftas instead of besan?
yes, you can use breadcrumbs to bind the cabbage koftas.
Tried today it was good. I have tried many of your recipies all turned out well. Thank you.
welcome deepa. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
hey i tried this recipe yesterday it was just awesome the taste was too gud like restaurant style :-* loved this recipe. Thanks For the recipe.
Welcome SHRUTHI. Glad to know that you liked the kofta recipe.
Hi,
While grinding the onion tomato mixture, shall I remove the spices? (The cinnamon and all) or shall I grind them all?
Thanks
yes do grind the spices. they add a lot of flavor and aroma.
Can I bake the koftas?
you can bake them. but make the mixture thick and not medium consistency if baking. add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in the mixture.
Loved it… just cooked it and had it and saved little for my wife to get back from work and have it… it was delicious! !
Manwinder, nice to know this.
Dasanna , can these be baked in oven than deep fried ?
preethi, these can be baked in the oven. just add a bit of oil in the batter. keep the batter slightly thick, so that you can easily place the kofta batter in the tray.
Hi, I am going to try this recipe shortly but I don’t have cream. What can I use as a substitute for that?
Teerna, Skip adding it. No substitute.
hey love the recipe but I don’t have baking soda. so what can I use instead of that?
skip baking soda. no need to add.
can I serve the cabbage kofta without gravy? will that be good to taste?
yes you can. they will taste like pakoras.
Delicious recipe. …. I have tried 4-5 recipes of yours all are good …Thanks
pleased to know this vidhi thankyou so much for your kind words also you are welcome.
I tried it today, it was very good. Thanks.
thankyou vibha 🙂 and you are welcome.
I am interested in making the cabbage kofta curry but I do not have mixer grinder available with me. Can I use hand blender for the paste.
with a hand blender you won’t get a smooth masala paste. instead of making paste, use ready tomato puree and ginger-garlic paste. add finely chopped onions or minced/grated onions and saute first till golden. then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute. then next add the tomato puree. if you do not have ready store brought tomato puree, than just mince/grate the tomatoes and add them. then add the spice powders. add the whole spices first before you add the onions.
what kind of blender are you using? my son broke my Braun…it doesn’t make a paste as fine as yours
the one in the pic is panasonic. but its not working anymore. so right now i am using an indian brand preethi which is very good.
Hi Dassana
What a lovely recipe.. you r such a life saver for cook like me,, thanks tonss <3
welcome priyanka 🙂 and thankyou.
Hello dassana
Such a lovely recipe is cabbage kofta
Ma husband says mmmmm yummmieeee
Ma saas asked me for the recipe
Thanks yaara
And today being my fast for navratri UAM gonna try ur recipe without onions ….
Thanks again
thnakyou disha for trying the cabbage kofta 🙂 glad your mother in law liked them. surely try and let us know how it was?
Have made using this recipe two times now….my husband loves it…..looks so good but can’t believe it’s such an easy recipe…thanks for sharing….love ur website…
welcome aarthi. glad to know this.
Hi! Thank you for all your fantastic recipes – this one especially, makes the job so much easier for new cooks like me. God bless you! 🙂
welcome sayantani. thanks for your prayers and positive feedback.
Hi
My husband is vryy choosy about his food and not been eatng various green leafy veges since long , but ur delicious receipes have made my job easier !
I have tried few of ur other receipes like palak paneer , kadai mushroom etc . N all came out to be vry yummy !
He said it was d best palak paneer hes eaten !
So ol thanks to u 🙂
Keep up d gud wrk ! Best wishes
welcome neha. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
Hi Dassana, I have tried many of your recipes and they so simple and easy. This kofta curry came out very good. Thanks . Much appreciate it 🙂
welcome sravanthi. glad to know this.
Hi,
Thanks for posting this recipe, just with reading it my mouth is drooling …
I was wondering, cam I use red cabbage instead? I have a red cabbage and i don’t know what to do with it.
Thanks in Advance!
Maria
welcome maria. yes you can use red cabbage.
hi…. I tried your recipe today for dinner. It turned out superbly. Photos are so good. Finally i found one good website for vegetarian recipes. Thanks a lot 🙂
welcome priya. glad to know this.
Just want to tell you that love your site. Keep up the good work. Well tell my friends about this site so they can try some of your recipes . Have a good day
thanks cynthia for sharing positive feedback and for your kind gesture.
Hi Dassana, this recipe sounds so tempting! I do not have ajwain, any substitute for that?
thanks aarti. skip adding ajwain.
you can substitute oregano
Absolutely delicious. Will be making this again and again.
thanks mike
Dear dasssana,
I and my husband both are not a fan of cabbage sabzi and I was wondering if anything else could be prepared from it which would appeal to our tastebuds. I came across this dish of yours and this is in my upcoming weekend menu now 🙂
My doubt is why is the onion tomato masala first fried and then made into a paste rather than first grinding and then cooking like the way u did in ur lauki kofta recipe. What difference in taste will be there in these two different ways of cooking the gravy?
there is a different in taste. difficult to explain. you will easily notice the difference. this is just another way of preparing. in fact many gravies for kofta are prepared this way. you can even do the gravy like the lauki kofta recipe.
This recipe demonstrates how luscious flavours can come from the simplest of ingredients. The majority of the ingredients live in my pantry and come out every so often, but never did I think I could pull off something like this- it gives me great confidence in preparing Indian cuisine more often. Thank-you for sharing this dish, Dassana!
welcome jj. glad to read your positive feedback.
Delicious recipe dassana, my husband and I loved it.
thanks vanita for the positive feedback.
Truly delicious… perfectly spiced koftas and a gravy that is to die for! awesome.
thanks rob. glad to know that you liked the koftas.
thanks
Hi Dassana, this recipe sounds great. I am going to try it soon. So far only used cabbage for noodles. Your recipe is going to come in handy for using the leftover cabbage since no one in the family likes it as a sabzi. Thanks!
welcome renu.
ALways love your clicks. Cabbage koftas are almost similar to bajji that we make. Nice idea to use it with kofta curry.
Wow! That cabbage koftas look so yum! I am drooling for sure!
it seems yummy this recipe.will surely try this.here we don’t get dry methi leaves, can I replace it with crushed roasted methi seeds?
just skip the dry methi leaves. adding crushed roasted methi seeds will give a different taste and flavor.
I love kofta curries…yours has a beautiful color and sounds aromatic and lip smacking good.
Rich and creamy gravy