Lauki kofta curry





Lauki Kofta curry

I somehow never liked the taste of Lauki/bottle gourd . I still dont understand what taste it imparts into the currys made up of Lauki, so for me it was a no-no, when I started cooking after marriage even though my husband used to get it as often as he could and I used to give it to my maid as often as possible without my husband's knowledge till I learnt that it can be used to prepare delicious Kofta curry which both of us liked. 

Any Kofta curries are always a welcome in our home and hence I decided to try making kofta curry using lauki and it turned out to be really good the first time itself and now its kind off a regular menu item . Bottlegourd/Lauki kofta curry is a fried dumplings in a tomato onion gravy. Its a great curry to be had with Chapati, paratha or even with rice.

  

Ingredients                                                                      Quality                                

For the lauki koftas
Bottle gourd(lauki)                                                                 : 1 and 1/2 cups
Bengal gram flour(Besan)                                                     : 1/2 cup
Ginger-garlic(adraklehsun/ingi velluthulli) paste           : 1 tsp
Gharam masala                                                                        : 1tsp
Green chillies chopped                                                           : 1 tsp
Green chilli powder                                                                 : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder                                                                     : 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves                                                      : 1 tsp
white Sesame seeds                                                                 : 1tsp
salt to taste

For the gravy
Grated  onion                                                                            : 1/2 cup
Tomatoes chopped                                                                  : 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste                                                                   : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder                                                                     : 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder                                                                            : 1 tsp
Corriander powder                                                                  : 2-3 tsp
Cummin seeds/Jeera                                                              : 1/2 tsp
Fennel seed powder/Sauf                                                      : 1/2 tsp
Garam masala                                                                           : 1 tsp
Bay leaf                                                                                       : 1-2
Cinnamom                                                                                 : 1 stick
Poppy seeds soaked                                                                 : 1 tsp
Low fat milk                                                                              : 1/2 cup
Oil
Salt to taste

  

Preparation Method:                                                                                            

 

For the lauki koftas

• Take a wok/frying pan, heat oil for frying on medium flame.
• Meanwhile peel and grate the bottlegourd/lauki and strain the juice out of it. Keep the juice aside to use in the gravy.
• In a pan, mix grated bottlegourd and all the other ingredients(listed above to make koftas) together and make small koftas or balls of equal sizes.One should be able to make atleast 10-12 koftas out of the mixture.
• Now transfer few koftas into the hot oil and fry them till they turn light brown from all the sides.
• Drain and keep aside. Fry the remaining ones as well.

For the gravy

• Use 2 tsp pf the same oil used to frying koftas, add jeera, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and sauté, add ginger-garlic paste, sauté for another 2-3 mins, then add the grated onion and sauté till it turn light brown.
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and fennel powder, sauté. Now add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring till the oil separates from the pan.
• Now grind the soaked poppy seeds and add it to the gravy.
• Add 1 cup water to the gravy and bring to a boil on a low flame by stirring occasionally.
• Now add the koftas and cook on low flame for another 2-3 mins, without stirring.
• Add the milk, garam masala and carefully mix everything well. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and cover it with the lid.
• Keep aside for 1-2 hours for the koftas to soften in the gravy.
• Just warm it before serving.