Lauki Kofta Curry (Deep fried balls of grated Bottle Gourd in tomatoes onion gravy)

We all have heard about Malai Koftas which is a very famous Punjabi dish and is served in almost all North Indian feasts... 

I saw the lauki kofta recipe in one of the websites when I was searching for the health benefits of the bottle gourd or Lauki as it is called in Hindi. I am told its a very good vegetable in reducing cholesterol...Not sure :) Need to study more about it... 

I anyways decided to go ahead and prepare the Lauki Kofta. This is the first time I am preparing a dish using bottle gourd / lauki. So pl. excuse if it doesnot look the way it should. Anyways, it tasted well  :)

 

Ingredients - 

For preparing the Koftas

• Lauki /Bottle gourd – one big grated
• Besan/Bengal Gram flour/ Kadala Mavu - 2 big table spoons
• Ginger- one teaspoon (chopped  small)
• Green chilly - one teaspoon (chopped  small)
• Coriander leaves – one big spoon (chopped in small size)
• Oil For frying
• Salt as needed

For preparing Gravy for koftas

• Tomato-2 big (chopped small size)
• Onion (big)-2 nos chopped
• Green chillies -2 nos chopped
• Cumin seeds-1/4 teaspoon
• Ginger-Garlic paste-1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
• Red chilly powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam masala-1/2 teaspoon

Process

For preparing the Koftas

• Peel the skin of the bottle guard  and remove the seeds.
• Grate the bottle guard, pour some salt in the grated bottle gourd, keep aside for 10 minutes 
• After 10 min, squeeze out all  the water from the grated bottle gourd.  Keep the water aside.
• In a bowl add, grated bottle gourd, Besan, chopped ginger, chopped green chillies, salt  and make a firm
  
  dough. You can add more besan/Bengal gram flour if there is moisture.

• Now we can make small balls out of it 
• Deep fry the balls in low flame till brown colour. 
• The koftas are ready... keep them aside.

Process - to prepare the Gravy

• Chop onions and tomatoes into small sizes and keep it aside. 

• Take a pan and pour 2 table spoons oil, pour ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds and fry it lightly. 
• Then add chopped onions and sauté it till it turns brown 
• Then add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Cummin powder, Red chillies etc and sauté for some time.
  
• Pour the tomatoes into it and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the juice of the grated bottle gourd into it. 
• Allow it come to a thick gravy. 
• Pour Garam masala, let it boil for some time.
• Put the kofta balls into the gravy and bring into boil. And Garnish with coriander leaves.
  

It can be served with chapathi, parathas, pulav etc…
It serves around 7-8 members in a family...