Lauki Kofte - Cook and Nibble

Prep Time
20 mins
Cooking Time
30-40 mins
Serves
6
Cuisine
Indian

Lauki Kofte is a delicious curry made with lauki (bottle gourd, a kind of squash) and gram flour dumplings called “Kofte” (singular: kofta) cooked in an onion-tomato gravy. Bottle gourd is also called dhudhi or ghiya in India. This recipe has been my Mom’s way to get me to eat this healthy vegetable since I am not a big fan of lauki but I absolutely love this curry. This dish is best enjoyed with paratha, roti, or plain white rice.

What you will need

For Kofte

1 small bottle gourd
(peeled and grated-about 2 cups)
2 green chilly (chopped)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp red chilly powder
2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dried-mango powder
1 tsp carom seeds
1/2 to 1 cup gram flour (as needed)
water (as needed)
Oil (for deep frying)

For Gravy

1 medium onion (chopped)
3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp red chilly powder
2 tsp salt (as per taste)
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
3 cups of water
3 tbsp canola oil (or any cooking oil)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)

How to make

For the kofte, squeeze excess water from grated lauki and then mix all ingredients listed under “Kofte” (except water, gram flour and oil). Now mix in the gram flour (as needed) until you can form firm, round dumplings (a little smaller than tennis-ball size). Use water (if needed) to bind everything together. Deep fry in hot oil until brown in color. Drain on a paper towel and keep aside.
For the gravy, heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds begin to splutter, add onions and sauté until golden-brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste and turmeric. Stir for 15 seconds.
Add the remaining spices listed under “gravy” and stir. Add tomatoes and cook until they are soft and start leaving oil from the sides. Add water and let boil for 4-5 minutes.
Add fried kofte to gravy and cook for another 10 minutes covered. Do not stir a lot as kofte can break when soft. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Tips & Alternatives to try

You can squeeze excess water from the grated bottle gourd using your hands or a muslin/cheese cloth. A good rule of thumb while adding gram flour is to see when you can form firm kofte. If there is too much water left, you will not be able to make kofte. If there is too little water left, your kofte will be very dry after frying. So, don’t squeeze out too much water or don’t add too much gram flour.
When you ladle kofte into a serving dish, be very gentle as the kofte will be soft and can easily break after cooking in the gravy.

#Gluten Free #Squash #Vegan #Vegetarian