This recipe elevates the classic chicken kofta curry by hiding a boiled egg inside each kofta—think of it as a Pakistani-style scotch egg nestled in a rich curry. It’s a simple twist that looks impressive but doesn’t add much time to the process.
Instead of the common technique of halving boiled eggs and serving them alongside the curry, the eggs here are boiled first and then wrapped in seasoned minced meat when forming the koftas. The result is dramatic and delicious, and guests always remark on how special it feels.
You can follow this recipe using chicken, or substitute lamb, mutton or beef—if using red meat increase the simmer time to about an hour and add two extra glasses of water.
Traditionally nargisi kofta isn’t garnished with coriander, and I’ve followed that custom here. I like to finish these with thin slices of green capsicum for color and texture, but feel free to use coriander, a drizzle of cream, or sliced green chilies if you prefer.
Without further delay, here’s the recipe for Nargisi Kofta—perfect for a special meal or dawat. Enjoy!
📋 Recipe
Nargisi Kofta – Pakistani Chicken Scotch Egg Curry
1 hour 15 minutes
1 hour 15 minutes
4
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1.65 lb (750 g) minced chicken
- 1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 small stick cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (or to taste)
- 0.5 cups (65 g) gram flour
- 8 eggs
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
For the gravy
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 12 cloves garlic, minced
- 0.25 cups (65 ml) oil, or as needed
- 0.5 cups (130 g) full fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
Instructions
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Prepare the eggs: place 8 eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a rapid boil and cook for 6 minutes. Remove and cool, then peel.
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Dry-roast the whole spices: in a dry non-stick pan roast the cumin seeds until they smoke, then set aside. Repeat for coriander seeds, black cardamom and cinnamon.
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Grind the roasted whole spices into a fine powder.
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In a bowl combine the minced chicken, the ground whole spices, gram flour, poppy seeds, salt and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly with your hands so the spices are evenly distributed.
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Form the nargisi koftas: oil your hands lightly, take a medium portion of the meat mixture, spread it in your palm, place a peeled boiled egg in the center and encase it completely with the mince. Smooth out any cracks. The recipe yields about 8 koftas.
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Pan-fry the koftas briefly in a little oil until the outside is no longer pink and they hold their shape. You are not cooking them through at this stage—just firming them up.
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Make the masala: in a pot heat the oil and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic until dark brown. Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse to a smooth paste, then return to the pot.
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Add the yogurt and the powdered spices (red chilli, coriander and cumin) to the onion-garlic paste. Sauté over medium heat, reducing moisture until the mixture is thick and fairly dry.
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Pour in water to make the sauce—about 3 cups is a good starting point, but add more if you prefer a thinner gravy. Bring to a boil.
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Gently add the koftas to the simmering gravy. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes, turning the koftas occasionally so they absorb the masala flavors.
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Serve warm with steamed rice or roti. Garnish as desired—sliced green capsicum, coriander, cream or chilies all work well.
