This is the traditional lauki ke kofte recipe – grated bottle gourd is mixed with an array of spices and then deep fried to make delicious dumpling and served in an onion tomato gravy. I also make steamed lauki kofta curry which is steamed bottle gourd dumplings in a yoghurt based gravy.
I love lauki ke kofte. Though now, I make and enjoy different bottle gourd recipes but as a kid this was the only form in which I used to eat it. In Luanda, I can’t make them often because I rarely find bottle gourd here but on those few occasions when we do find it, this is one dish that is surely made.
Lauki ke kofte (Bottle gourd dumpling curry)
By Ashima Goyal Siraj
Preparation time: |Cooking Time: |Serves: 4
for the dumplings
500 gms lauki/ bottle gourd
4 tbsps gram flour
Salt to taste
red pepper powder to taste
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp amchoor/ dry mango powder
Oil for deep frying
for the gravy
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
- Peel and grate the bottle gourd finely.
- Squeeze out all the water from the grated lauki and keep aside.
- In a bowl mix together grated lauki, gram flour and all the spices for making the dumplings.
- Heat oil in a deep pan. Once the oil is hot, add spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture. Fry till golden brown and remove on an absorbent paper.
- In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds.
- When the seeds start to sputter, add chopped onions and green chilli. Sauté for a minute and then add the ginger garlic paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the onions start to soften. Add the tomatoes and all the spices. Mix well and cook covered for 5 mins.
- Add the lauki water and more water if required. Mix well and simmer till the gravy is of a thick consistency. Remove from heat and using a hand blender or in a mixer, blend the gravy together. Blending is optional but I prefer a homogenous gravy with lauki ke kofte.
- Another option is to start with onion and tomato paste but with that, I have realised, it takes a lot more oil for cooking the onion.
- Add the fried kofte to the gravy and return to heat. Cook covered for 5 minutes and serve hot with rotis. I also like to serve some of the koftas as is just for snacking.
Health Benefits of Lauki: Bottle gourd (Lauki) is low in fat and cholesterol yet high in dietary fibre. It contains 96% water, which makes it very cooling and easy to digest. It is rich in iron, vitamin C & B complex, has sodium and potassium. It is excellent for light and low-cal diets and effective against constipation and other digestive disorders.
This recipe is also published in my weekly Indian Express recipe column – How to make delicious Lauki ke Kofte
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