Venison Kofta

Name: Venison Kofta
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: african
Ingredients: 1 slice of bread; 500g venison mince (ask your butcher to grind the mince twice to give it a smooth, fine texture); 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves; 5 medium green chillies chopped (or fewer if you don’t like it too hot); 1 clove ground; 1/4 tsp each freshly roasted and ground cardamom and cassia bark (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon); 1 small white onion finely chopped; 1 egg; vegetable oil for deep-frying; naan bread to serve; 5 tbsp oil; 2 whole dried red chillies each broken in half; 2 cloves; 1 green cardamom; 3 medium onions chopped; 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 1/4 tsp ground turmeric; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tbsp tomato purée

4.15 (7)

⏱ 70 mins 🍽 Serves 4 🌶 african ✅ Easy 🏷 Main course

This African main course offers a rich alternative to a regular curry. Venison mince is combined with spices and herbs to form koftas, which are deep-fried before being simmered in a fragrant sauce. The sauce is built with onions, ginger, garlic, and a blend of warming spices including turmeric and clove. Serve the finished dish garnished with green chillies and accompanied by naan bread to mop up the delicious sauce. It makes a perfect dinner for four.

Ingredients

1 slice of bread
500g venison mince (ask your butcher to grind the mince twice to give it a smooth, fine texture)
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
5 medium green chillies chopped (or fewer if you don’t like it too hot)
1 clove ground
1/4 tsp each freshly roasted and ground cardamom and cassia bark (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
1 small white onion finely chopped
1 egg
vegetable oil for deep-frying
naan bread to serve
5 tbsp oil
2 whole dried red chillies each broken in half
2 cloves
1 green cardamom
3 medium onions chopped
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Place the bread in water to soak. After squeezing out all the liquid, break the bread apart and combine it with the venison mince, 1 tsp salt, and the remaining kofta ingredients, reserving 1 tbsp of the chopped green chillies.
Form the mixture into small oval shapes, each roughly the size of a golf ball. Pour oil into a saucepan or wok until it is no more than one third full. Heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking. a bread cube should brown in 30 secs. Fry the kofta in batches until their colour darkens, then transfer them to kitchen paper.
For the sauce, warm the oil in a pan. Introduce the dried red chillies, cloves, cardamom, onions, and ginger and garlic paste. Cook until the onions achieve a golden brown colour. Stir in the turmeric and ground coriander. After 30 secs, add 2 tbsp of water to stop the onions and spices from burning. Reduce the heat and mix in the tomato purée.
Continue to cook, stirring, until the oil separates from the mixture to ensure no raw spices remain. Pour in 250ml of water and cook for 2-3 mins. Add the prepared kofta to the sauce. Simmer gently without a lid for 8-10 mins, turning the kofta carefully a few times during cooking. Scatter the reserved green chillies over the top before serving with naan bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories445 kcal

Fat28 g

Saturates3 g

Carbs14 g

Sugars9 g

Fibre4 g

Protein32 g

Sodium1120 mg

Salt2 g

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy

CategoryMain course

Cuisineafrican