How to make Lauki Kofta Curry?

Lauki Kofta Curry Recipe|Bottle Gourd Curry

Deep fried bottle gourd koftas are simmered in delicious onion tomato gravy. Lauki or Bottle Gourd is also known as Ghiya in Hindi or Dudhi in Gujarati. Most of the people don’t like the taste of this vegetable. You can’t imagine Ghiya can be so delicious until you try this kofta curry dish. Deep fried koftas are made of grated bottle gourd and gram flour and are then cooked in a creamy onion tomato masala till the koftas become so soft that they just melt in your mouth. It is one of my favourite dish best to have with steamed rice or phulkas.

Prep Time : 35-40 minutes

Cook time : 25-30 minutes

Serve : 4

Ingredients

For Lauki Koftas

• 2 cups Lauki (Bottle Gourd) grated
• 4 teaspoon besan (gram flour)
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

For Gravy

• Onion paste- 1 medium size
• Ginger Garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
• Tomato puree- 2 large size
• Cloves- 3-4
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• Black pepper- 3-4
• 1 bay leaf
• I teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• Asafetida (Hing)- ¼ teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon Gram Masala
• 1/3 cup whisked yogurt or dahi
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoon olive oil

How to make Lauki Kofta Curry Recipe

Step 1: Wash the bottle gourd, peel it off and grate it. Squeeze out the juice and keep it aside. We will use this juice in the preparation of gravy.

Step 2: Put besan, cumin powder, green chilies, red chili powder, baking soda, salt to taste in the squeezed lauki. Mix well and form small sized round shape balls.

Step 3: Heat oil in a Kadai and gently place the koftas in hot oil for deep frying. Fry the Koftas till they turn golden brown. Remove them on tissue paper so that extra oil is absorbed.

Step 4: Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, asafetida, cloves, cinnamon stick, black pepper and bay leaf. When they splutter, add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, green chilies and stir fry until they turn golden brown.

Step 5: Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt for gravy. Note some salt has already been there in the koftas. Mix well and sauté for a minute.

Step 6: Add thick yogurt, mix well and stir fry till the masala starts separating oil from it.

Step 7: Add lauki juice and ½ cup water and cook it for 5-6 minutes. Add fried koftas to the gravy and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Step 8: Turn off the flame and transfer the koftas into a serving bowl. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve it hot with Phulkas.