Venison meatballs loaded with Indian flavours are served in an easy yoghurt-based curry sauce that complements the rich meat in the kofta.
Preparation for this simple dish takes around 15 minutes, and cooking takes around 25 minutes, which makes any night a curry night!
Indian Venison Kofta
Venison is not really a meat associated with Indian flavours; it is typically thought of as venison stew or maybe even a gourmet venison burger. But it has a glorious flavour that I think works really well with a bit of spice!
Indian meatballs are called kofta, and these venison kofta are not the first time they have appeared on my site.
They join my Chicken Kofta Meatballs and a lamb rista curry, and they are a fine addition, even if I do say so myself. I've even got some vegetarian potato and paneer "meatballs" in the form of Malai kofta that are stunning.
Just like those meatballs and many of my recipes, these definitely fall into the Indian-inspired category rather than being a traditional Indian recipe.
The meatballs are flavoured with some fennel seeds, garam masala, fenugreek, chilli and garlic.
Then they are browned in a mix of ghee and mustard oil, which forms the base of a beautifully spiced yoghurt curry sauce. I love yoghurt as the base for a curry sauce. If you want another example, check out my Indian-inspired salmon curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I avoid these meatballs drying out?
Venison is a very lean meat, and as a result, you need to avoid overcooking these meatballs.
I usually use a meat thermometer and ensure that I hit that target temperature of around 71°C or 160°F for serving.
Can I use dried curry leaves?
I personally would not, I do not think that they taste of anything at all. Fresh curry leaves are readily available in good Indian/Pakistani stores and online, and they freeze wonderfully!
Buy a big bag, chuck 'em in the freezer, and you are good to go.
Can I use low-fat yoghurt?
The risk with using low-fat or even no-fat yoghurt is that the sauce is much more likely to split.
Consequently, I would advise against it; you could stabilise it with flour, but then you need more water to thin out the sauce, which messes with the flavour balance.
If I split the sauce, can I rescue it?
To an extent, yes, but it is also important to point out that the sauce will still be edible.
Begin by removing your meatballs and then start adding the split sauce to more yoghurt (little by little), whisking as you go.
Return the sauce to the pan; you will have diluted the flavours, which you can turn back up with the addition of some garam masala and chilli powder if you like.
Serving Suggestions
As with many of my Indian-inspired recipes, I usually serve these curried venison meatballs with rice. They are photographed here with a nice golden pilau rice.
Another great option would be Bombay potatoes. My spiced, crunchy roasted version of this recipe would be a real treat with that spicy tomato sauce!
But you can get all sorts of creative with this recipe, and it would be great on a meatball sub.
But take that idea and run with it, make a large naan bread, then roll these up in it. You could do something similar with chapatis too!
Add some kachumber salad and a bit of mint raita, and you are laughing all the way to the bank of "I just made the best sandwich ever".
On that note, I'm off I have a sandwich to make!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan or skillet with a lid.
- Chopping board.
- Kicthen knife.
- Mixing bowl.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Spoons and kitchen tongs.
- Quick-read meat thermometer, optional.
Spicy Venison Meatballs Recipe in a Curry Sauce
Ingredients
For The Meatballs:
- 400 g Minced Venison 14oz
- 1 Green Chilli Pepper
- 1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 teaspoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 25 g Dried Breadcrumbs ¼ Cup
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g
- 6 Dried Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- 12 Curry Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 125 ml Water ½ Cup
- 125 ml Full Fat Natural Yoghurt ½ Cup (remove the yoghurt from the fridge for an hour before cooking if possible)
- ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Cut the shallots for both the meatballs and the sauce in half, then peel them and dice them as finely as you can. Add half of them to a bowl with the venison.
- Dice the garlic cloves for both the sauce and the meatballs as finely as you can, and add half of them to the bowl with the meatballs.
- Chop the green chilli as finely as you can and add it to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs.
- Mix everything together and then form 10 meatballs a little smaller than a ping pong ball; they should weigh almost 50g (2oz) each. Using wet hands helps with this process.
- Heat the ghee and the mustard oil in a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium heat, and when it is hot, brown the meatballs on all sides. Whilst they are browning, spoon the ghee and oil mixture over them to get a nice even colour.
- Remove the meatballs and set them aside, and return the pan to a medium heat.
- Add the dried chilli peppers, curry leaves, diced shallot and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and cook for a further 2 minutes, mashing the tomato puree to ensure that it cooks out.
- Stir in the chilli powder, turmeric and cumin, then pour in the water and remove the pan from the heat.
- Mix some of the base of the sauce into the yoghurt to temper it, then add the yoghurt to the pan along with the salt and stir to combine.
- Return the pan to a medium-low heat and add the meatballs. Roll them around in the sauce and cook for 10-12 minutes. It is important that the sauce does not boil from this point because it increases the risk of the yoghurt splitting.
Nancy bland
Friday 31st of May 2024
Hi,can you tell me if I chop the dried chillies and curry leaves before adding, thank you.
Brian Jones
Monday 3rd of June 2024
I put them in whole, there is no need to chop the curry leaves, you can cho[ the chillies if you prefer but it will significantly increase the overall spiciness of the recipe.
Enjoy
Brian
Valentina
Wednesday 30th of January 2019
The image of these gorgeous meatballs has been popping up in front of me all day. Just now on Tasteologie and I had to jump over here to check them out. I love the Indian spices in the meat and sauce, and I think I could eat an entire pan of them. Stunning photos!
Claudia Lamascolo
Wednesday 30th of January 2019
my husband will go deer hunting the week of Thanksgiving here thats when the season starts. HE would love this recipe so I am printing this off for him right now! thanks
Jane
Wednesday 30th of January 2019
Now this works for me, gamey or not! Love venison, love meatballs, love Indian. Win win win :D
Danielle
Wednesday 30th of January 2019
I love the sound of these meatballs. It's been years since I had venison and I can't even remember what it tastes like. I def need to try it again.