Here is the recipe of Lauki Kofta (Bottle-gourd) for vegetarians. Koftas are basically meatballs that can be had as a starter or a snack, it is also cooked in a curry and is had as a main course.
Vegetarians come up with different variations of it like this one, the Lauki ka Kofta.
There are many people who do not want to put Lauki in their Menu, this recipe will help them enjoy the Lauki as much as they enjoy other vegetables.
Try this Lauki Kofta by following simple and easy step by step process mentioned below. I hope you will love this one as well.
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 Minutes
Serving: 4
Ingredients for Lauki Koftas:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Lauki/ Bottle-gourd | 1/2 kg |
| Chickpea flour | 4 tbsp |
| All purpose flour/ Maida | 2 tbsp |
| Red chilly powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Roasted cumin powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Green chilly, chopped | 2 |
| Coriander leaves, chopped | 2 table spoon |
| Onion, chopped | 1 |
Ingredients for Curry :
| Onion | 2 |
| Tomato | 2 |
| Cashew nuts | 10-12 |
| Ginger | 1/2 inch piece |
| Garlic | 7-8 flakes |
| Green Chilly | 3-4 |
| Cumin seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Cardamom green | 2 |
| Red chilly powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Turmeric powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Salt | to taste |
| Coriander powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Poppy seeds/ khus khus | 1.5 teaspoon |
| Grated coconut | 2 teaspoon |
| Kasoori methi | 1 teaspoon |
| Garam masala powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Curd | 1 cup |
| Fresh cream | 2 tbsp |
Method:
1. Peel off the skin of bottle-gourd and grate it. Squeeze it to remove excess water. It will help in binding the koftas.
2. Take the grated bottle-gourd in a bowl and add all the ingredients given in the table “Ingredients for Lauki Koftas”. Mix it well
3. Make lemon size balls from the mixture and shape them into a round Koftas as shown below in the image.
4. Heat the sufficient oil in kadai/ wok and deep fry the koftas on low flame till golden and crisp from the outside.
5. Take out the koftas from the oil and keep it on a tissue paper to get rid of extra oil. Do the same with the rest of the mixture.
6. Soak cashew nuts in warm water for 15 minutes. Take the onion and tomato in a wok and add 1 glass of water.
7. Boil it for 8-10 minutes. Cool it at the room temperature. Now peel off the skin of tomato as shown below in the image.
8. Take the boiled onion and tomato, soaked cashew nuts, ginger, garlic and green chilly in a grinder and grind it to make a paste. Then add cumin seeds, cardamom green, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, poppy seeds, coconut and salt in the grinder, grind it again to make a fine paste.
9. Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a pan/wok and add ground paste.
10. Cook the spices on low flame till oil shows separately. Then add kasoori methi and garam masala powder. Cook the spices for another 1-2 minutes.
11. Add curd in the wok and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium flame. Add fried koftas in the gravy and simmer it on medium flame for 3-4 minutes.
12. Switch off the flame, garnish with cream and chopped coriander leaves. Delicious Lauki Koftas are ready to serve, Serve hot with Chapatti, rice, Naan or pulav.
13. Enjoy!!
