Lauki/Ghia also known as bottle gourd or opo squash is used to make the fried dumplings and then added to a tangy tomato-based gravy. The whole curry is mildly spiced and has a good flavour and slight tang due to tomatoes. The koftas along with the curry taste yummy.
Ingredients
- Serves 4
- For the Koftas
- 2 Cups Bottle Gourd (grated)
- 1 Medium-Sized Potato (Boiled & Mashed)
- 1 Tsp Ginger (Grated)
- 1-2 Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)
- 4 Tbsp Besan (More If Required)
- 1 Tbsp Freshly Coriander (Chopped)
- 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Tsp Amchur Powder
- 1 Tsp Kasuri Methi
- 1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to Taste
- Oil for Frying
- For the Curry
- 2 Onions (Boiled & Pureed)
- 2 Tomatoes (Boiled & Pureed)
- 2 Tbsp Melon Seeds (Blanched in Hot Water & Pureed)
- 1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic (Paste)
- 1-2 Bay Leaves
- 1-Inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Green Cardamon
- 2-3 Cloves
- 1 Tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 Tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 Tsp Kasuri Methi
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
- Salt to Taste
- 1-2 Tbsp Oil
- For the Garnish
- 1-2 tsp Fresh Cream
- Fresh Green Coriander (chopped)
Preparation
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 5 minutes
- To Make The Koftas – Add a tsp of salt to the grated bottle and mix well. Set it aside for 15 mins.
- After that squeeze out all the water from bottle gourd, making sure it’s dry.
- Add all the ingredients for making koftas and mix well.
- Make small round balls and deep fry them till they are brown.
- To Make The Gravy – Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
- Add the onion and tomato puree along with ginger garlic paste and saute until golden brown. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Add in the coriander, cumin, red chill powder and salt to taste.
- Next, add in the melon seed puree and mix well.
- Now add about 1/2 cup of water (more depending on the consistency you like).
- Add in the garam masala and kasuri methi. Adjust the salt if required.
- To Serve – Add in the koftas to the gravy just before serving to retain their shape and crispness.
- Add some fresh cream for decoration along with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot with phulkas, parathas or rice.
Watch
USEFUL TIPS
This lauki ka kofta recipe requires you to do some prep work beforehand like making the lauki koftas or pakoras. In this recipe, I have made koftas. As a result, they don’t absorb much of the gravy. However, if you make pakoras/fritters, they do absorb a lot of the gravy and swell up and can break also. So, it’s advisable to add them when you serve and not before. The difference between koftas and pakoras is the consistency of the mixture or batter. The kofta mixture is thicker. Whereas the pakora mixture has pouring consistency. You can choose whatever is easier for you to make. Pakoras will be much easier to make than shaping and making the koftas. You can make the kofta or pakoras beforehand and refrigerate. Then make the gravy the next day. The koftas made from this recipe can be added to the gravy safely. They won’t break. These koftas are not porous and hence don’t absorb much of the gravy.
