Easy Lauki Kofta Curry Recipe | How To Make Bottle Gourd Kofta Curry at Home - NORTH INDIAN KITCHEN (2024)

Lauki Ke Kofte

“Lauki ke kofte” is a traditional vegetarian Indian dish that is made with bottle gourd kofta curry, also known as lauki or doodhi, which is grated and mixed with besan (gram flour) and spices to form small dumplings that are then deep-fried and cooked in a tomato-based gravy. It is a popular dish in North India, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The dish is usually served hot with steamed rice or Indian breads like naan or roti. It is a healthy and nutritious dish as bottle gourd is low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Additionally, the besan used in the recipe is also a good source of protein and dietary fiber.

Overall, lauki ke kofte is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The famous version Malai Kofta is what I was accustomed to.

About Lauki Ke Kofte

Lauki ke kofte is a popular vegetarian dish from North India, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The dish is made using grated bottle gourd mixed with besan (gram flour), spices, and herbs to form small dumplings that are deep-fried until golden brown. These dumplings are then simmered in a tomato-based gravy, flavored with aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala, until the flavors meld together.

The dish is typically served hot with steamed rice or Indian bread like naan or roti. It is a nutritious and healthy dish as bottle gourd, the main ingredient in the dish, is low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Besan, which is used in the dumplings, is also a good source of protein and dietary fiber.

Lauki ke kofte is a popular dish in Indian households and is often made on special occasions and festivals. It is a flavorful and satisfying dish that can be enjoyed by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

The lauki ke kofte tastes best when we serve it with roti, phulka, naan, parathas, roomali roti, vegetable pulao or even plain steamed rice.

Make Lauki Kofta

1. Rinse, peel and grate 1 medium-sized lauki or bottle gourd. Measure the grated lauki and you will need 2 cups of these.

• Squeeze the grated lauki and keep the juice. We will use this juice in the gravy.
• Note: If the bottle gourd tastes bitter, then throw it away. So do a taste test before you peel and grate the lauki.

2. To the grated lauki, add the following ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 finely chopped green chili
• salt as required

3. Pour some water and Mix it well.

• If you add water to this mixture, you will get a pakoda batter. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil to make pakoda. Remember to add less water to make the batter.

4. Form small sized round or oval balls. Run a bit of oil in your palms when shaping the kofta.
5. Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan for deep frying or shallow frying.

1. Gently place the lauki koftas in the hot oil. I first added just one to make sure if it breaks or does not break. You can opt to shallow fry or deep fry.Fry koftas in oil, let all sides brown evenly turning over gently as needed. The first kofta which I added has already browned.

6. To absorb extra oil , drain fried lauki koftas on paper tissues.

Make Masala Paste and Saute

7. In a blender or mixer-grinder, make a fine, smooth paste of the following ingredients:

• 2 large roughly chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium sized roughly chopped onion
• 1 chopped green chili or 1 teaspoon, chopped
• 1 inch chopped ginger or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 4 to 5 chopped garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons broken cashews.
• There is no need to any water while blending these ingredients.

8. Remove the extra oil from the same pan in which you fried the koftas. Keep around 2 tablespoons oil. Or you could opt to use 2 tablespoons of fresh oil.

• Heat the oil in another pan or in the same pan. Fry 1 teaspoon cumin seeds first on a low heat until they splutter.
• Add the ground masala paste. Be careful as the paste splutters. If there is too much spluttering, just cover the pan with a lid not covering fully. Allow some steam to escape.
• The spluttering stops after the paste mixture thickens. Remove the lid. Keep stirring the masala at times.
• Saute for total of 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low heat after you add the masala paste to the pan.

Make Lauki Kofta Curry

9. After sautéing it for 8 to 10 minutes you will see that the masala paste thickens slightly. Now add all the dry ground spice powders listed below:

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder to thickened masala paste.

10. Stir and cook the masala for 3 to 4 minutes or till it leaves oil. The masala will also thicken more and look glossy.
11. Add the lauki juice and 1 cup water or as required. Stir and simmer the gravy for 10 to 12 minutes more. Don’t cover the pan with a lid.
12. Now add onion, tomato paste in the masala.
13. After that put the cashew cream in it.
14. Pour that juice which we kept when we grated lauki.
15. Once the simmering is complete and the curry has thickened a bit, season with salt and stir. If you like a sweet taste in your gravy, add sugar as required.
16. Add the fried koftas to the curry and cook them for 5 mins, it will help the masala’s flavor to dissolve into koftas.
17. Lauki Kofta is ready to serve with hot roti, naan, steamed basmati rice or jeera rice. Garnish the fresh coriander leaves and sprinkle green onions on your dish to make it more sizzling dish.

Expert Tips

Prep Ahead: The preparation for this recipe is time intensive. Keep the gravy base and kofta pre prepared. You can blend the masala paste a day in advance and refrigerate it.

If you are preparing this recipe on special occasions, you can make and shape the kofta mixture and refrigerate them to ease your work. Next day, you can just fry the koftas and finish the gravy.

Batter Consistency: If you add water to the kofta mixture, you will get a batter consistency with which you can make lauki ke pakode. But remember to add some gram flour as well. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil to make pakoda.

Also note that you can shallow fry or deep fry the koftas. Since these pakodas will be lighter and fluffy, they will end up absorbing all the curry/gravy if you dunk them in it. So serve these pakodas when you serve the gravy.

Deep Frying: Fry the koftas in oil at the right temperature. The oil has to be hot enough for the kofta to come up gradually and swiftly. If the kofta remains at the bottom and comes up slowly, the oil is warm.

This will make your kofta absorb a lot of oil and it may fall apart. If the kofta comes up and browns too quickly, the oil is very hot. This will cook the kofta from outside and the inside will remain undercooked.

FAQs

Q: Is lauki ke kofte a healthy dish?

A: Yes, lauki ke kofte is a healthy dish as it contains the goodness of bottle gourd which is low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Additionally, besan, which is used in the koftas, is also a good source of protein and dietary fiber.

Q: Can I make lauki ke kofte without deep-frying?

A: Yes, you can make lauki ke kofte without deep-frying by shaping the mixture into small dumplings and baking them in the oven until golden brown. Alternatively, you can also shallow fry the koftas in a pan with a little oil until they are cooked through.

Q: What can I serve with lauki ke kofte?

A: Lauki ke kofte is traditionally served with steamed rice or Indian bread like naan or roti. You can also serve it with a side of raita or salad for a complete meal.

Q: How long can I store lauki ke kofte?

A: Lauki ke kofte can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them before serving.

Q: Can I freeze lauki ke kofte?

A: Yes, you can freeze lauki ke kofte by placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freezing them for up to 2-3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating them.

If you like this recipe then try other Main Course also:

Traditional Dal Makhani

Soya Chunks

Black Chicpeas

Black Eyed Peas Curry

Matar Paneer

Shahi Paneer

Please be sure to rate the recipe or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more veetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook , Twitter or Pinterest .