Kofta is a family ofmeatball ormeatloaf dishes found inSouth Asian,Central Asian,Balkan,Middle Eastern,North African, andSouth Caucasian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls ofminced meat—usually beef, chicken, lamb or mutton, camel, seldom pork, or a mixture—mixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients.[1] The earliest known recipes are found in early Arab cookbooks and call for ground lamb.
There are many national and regional variations. There are also vegetable and uncooked versions. Shapes vary and include balls, patties, and cylinders. Sizes typically vary from that of agolf ball to that of an orange.
In English,kofta is aloanword borrowed from theHindi-Urdu कोफ़्ता /کوفتہ andPersianکوفتهkofta meaningpounded meat.[1][2][3][4] The earliest extant use of the word in the Urdu language is attested inMulla Nusrati'sʿAlī Nāma (1665).[5][6] It was first used in English inQanoon-e-Islam (1832),[7] and then byJames Wise in 1883.[8] The languages of the region of the kofta's origin have adopted the word with minor phonetic variations.[9] In other languages, similar foods are called croquettes, dumplings, meatballs, rissoles, and turnovers.[9][10]
The first appearance of recipes for kofta are in the earliest Arab cookbooks.[12][9] The earliest recipes are for large ground lamb meatballs triple-glazed in a mixture ofsaffron and egg yolk.[12] This glazing method spread to the West, where it is referred to as "gilding" or "endoring".[9] Koftas moved to India; according toAlan Davidson, Nargisi kofta was served at theMughal court.[9]
The basic ingredient of koftas is usually meat, but they are known for their versatility. There are many different ways to prepare it, like frying, baking, steaming, boiling, or grilling.[20] In traditional preparation methods, kofta is kneaded with finebulgur and meat, and in some Middle Eastern countries it is served with raw meat in the kneaded form.
Often added into the kofta mixture are nuts, cheese, or eggs.[21] Koftas come in a broad range of shapes and sizes, from oval-shaped egg-sized balls to flatly carved rhombuses in trays, or tennis-ball-sized koftas.
Generally meat is mixed with spices and often other ingredients such as rice,bulgur, vegetables, or eggs to form a paste.[9] They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked, or marinated, and may be served with a rich spicy sauce or in a soup or stew.[9] Koftas are sometimes made fromfish or vegetables or even cottage cheese rather than red meat.[22] Some versions are stuffed with nuts, cheese, or eggs.[9] Generally the size can vary from the "size of an orange to the size of a golf ball",[16] although some variants are outside that range;tabriz köftesi, which average 20 centimetres (8 in) in diameter, are the largest.[9] They can be shaped in various forms includingpatties, balls, or cylinders.[23] A Levantine version, pronouncedkafta /ˈkɑːftə/, is typically made with minced beef or lamb, mixed with onion, parsley, and spices. It can be shaped into cylinders, patties, or balls, and grilled, baked, or pan-fried, served with sauces, dips, or flatbreads.[24][25]
Ćufte, aBosnian,Croatian andSerbian style of kofta, typically made from ground beef or ground lamb, and served with a side of cooked potatoes and a salad.
Kofte chawal, anIndian subcontinental dish that has meat or vegetable balls in acurry sauce and is served with rice. There are many variations using different ingredients for the balls, such as kofta curries made withpaneer,bottle gourd,chicken ormutton.[16]
Koofteh Berenji, Koofteh Hamedani, Koofteh Nar,Koofteh Tabrizi and Koofteh Shirin-e Kermanshahi are allIranian variants of kofta.[28]
Koftet el hati, an Egyptian kofta dish consisting of grilled ground meat skewers seasoned with a blend spices such as cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, combined with fresh herbs like parsley.
Koftet rozz, an Egyptian kofta dish consisting of spiced meatballs made from a blend of minced meat, crushed rice, and fresh herbs, simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato-based sauce.
Ktzitzot khubeza, anIsraeli kofta made of mallow, garlic and bread crumbs mixed with egg whites and yolks.
^abAyto, John (1994).A Gourmet's Guide: Food and Drink from A to Z.Oxford University Press. p. 184.ISBN978-0-19-280025-1.In Indian cookery, the termkofta denotes a spiced meatball, or a similarly shaped mass of chopped fish or vegetable, cooked in a spicy sauce. In Hindi, the word means literally 'pounded meat'.
^"kofta".Oxford English Dictionary. 2023. Retrieved27 December 2023.The earliest known use of the nounkofta is in the 1880s. OED's earliest evidence for kofta is from 1888, in the writing of W. H. Dawe.kofta is a borrowing from Hindi. Etymons: Hindikofta.
^Shurreef, Jaffur (1832)."Appendix".Qanoon-e-Islamقانونِ اسلام [The Customs of the Moosulmans of India; Comprising a Full and Exact Account of Their Various Rites and Ceremonies, from the Moment of Birth Till the Hour of Death] (in Urdu). Translated by Herklots, Gerhard Andreas. London, England:Parbury, Allen, and Co. p. xxx. pp. xxvii, xxx:V. Moosulman [Muslim] Cookery, (including the various Dishes alluded to in this Work). 1. Polaoosپلاؤ. ...Kofta Polaooکوفتہ پلاؤ.
^Wise, James (1883)."Nán-baí, Roṭi-wálah".Notes on the Races, Castes and Trades of Eastern Bengal. London, England:Harrison and Sons. p. 97.[TheNān-bāʾī's] bill of fare includes a delicious, richly-flavoured curry, Kofta, or pounded meat, roasts, and puláos. ... Koftá—hashed or pounded, and fried in Ghí.
^abAkın, Engin (2015).Essential Turkish cuisine : 200 recipes for small plates and family meals. Helen Cathcart. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. p. 67.ISBN978-1-61312-871-8.OCLC921994379.
^Edelstein, Sari (2010).Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. p. 594.ISBN9781449618117.
^Baboian, Rose. Armenian Cooking: Today's Version of Ancient Cuisine. Hippocrene Books, 1984.
^Petrosian, Irina, and David Underwood. Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore. University of California Press, 2006.
^"Татарско кюфте".MateKitchen (in Bulgarian). Retrieved14 February 2025.
^Aglaia Kremezi and Anissa Hellou, 'What's in the Name of the Dish' in Richard Hosking (ed.),Food and Language: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking 2009 (London: Prospect Books, 2010) 206
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