Lauki Ke Kofte

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups grated bottle gourd or 1 medium size lauki
  • 1/2 cup of gram flour (besan)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp ginger (grated finely)
  • 1/2 tsp carom seed (ajwain)
  • 2 cups of oil (for frying the koftas)
For Curry:
  • 2 medium onion paste
  • 2 medium size tomatoes, pureed
  • 2 tsp ginger- garlic paste
  • 1 tsp jeera (cumin)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
  • 1 tsp dhania powder
  • 1 tsp gaaram masala powder
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
  • 2 tblsp oil
  • Finely chopped corainder for garnish

cooking time: 30 minutes

Method:
    1. Method for making Kofta
- Peel the bottle gourd and grate the lauki finely.
  1. Grated lauki has lots of water, take some lauki at a time and press gently between palms to squeeze the water out.
  2. Place the squeezed lauki in the bowl, add gram flour, chili, ginger salt, red chili powder and ajwain.
  3. Before starting making the koftas heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
  4. While oil is heating up, oil your palms and take a little portion of the dough at a time and roll into small ball. Make 15-16 balls out of it. Place them on the plate.
  5. Now gently drop 7-8 balls in the hot oil, do not touch the balls, let them fry for 2 minute once the bottom of the balls looks light brown, turn them around. With the spatula flip balls around until they become golden brown.
  6. Balls should be fried on low heat so that inside of the balls are cooked properly.
  7. Once the balls become golden brown take them off the oil and place them over a paper napkin so that extra oil could be absorbed. Repeat the process until all the balls are fried.
  8. Method for making curry - Heat oil in a kadhai, add cumin seeds, when they begin to crackle, add onion paste and let it cook till it becomes pinkish. Then ginger garlic paste. Saute for sometime then add tomato puree. Stir well and let it cook till oil separates.
  9. Add all the dry masala - red chilly, turmeric, garam masala, corainder powder, sugar, salt and then add 1/2 cup of water. Bring to boil and then reduce heat. Let it simmer for 2 minutes then add fried koftas.
  10. Cover the kadai and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  11. Remove from the dish and garnish with green coriander and serve hot with roti, naan or rice.
  12. You can increase the consistency as per your choice. But enesure that the gravy does not become too watery.
Lauki or ghiya is not liked by many. But lauki ke kofte are very delicious and easy to make. Bottlegourd kofta or lauki kofta curry is fried gramflour dumplings in tomato onion gravy.