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Lauki kofta
Bottle gourd balls in gravy
लौकी कोफ्ता: grated bottle-gourd and gram-flour balls fried and simmered in an onion-tomato gravy
Lauki kofta is how North Indian mothers in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh smuggle the humble bottle gourd onto a party table: the gourd is grated and squeezed, bound with gram flour, fried into soft balls and slipped into an onion-tomato gravy. It is a Sunday-lunch and dinner-party curry with phulka, jeera rice or laccha paratha. The classic mistake is not squeezing the lauki hard enough; wet mixture splutters in the oil and the koftas fall apart. Chef's tip: save the squeezed lauki juice and use it in place of water in the gravy, so none of its flavour is wasted.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the koftas
- 1 ⅓ lb bottle gourd (lauki)peeled and grated
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 ½ oz gram flour (besan)
- 1 green chillifinely chopped
- 1 tsp gingergrated
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 2 cups oil for deep-frying
For the gravy
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 onionspuréed
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 tomatoespuréed
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups reserved lauki juice or water
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methicrushed
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Toss 1 ⅓ lb bottle gourd (lauki) with ¾ tsp salt, leave 5 minutes, then squeeze handful by handful very hard, saving the juice.
8 minStep 2: Mix the squeezed lauki with 2 ½ oz gram flour (besan), 1 green chilli, 1 tsp ginger and 2 tbsp fresh coriander into a soft mixture that holds its shape. Roll into 16 walnut-sized balls with damp hands.
8 minStep 3: Heat 2 cups oil for deep-frying in a kadhai, no more than a third of its depth, over medium heat. Test with a pinch of mixture: it should rise in 2–3 seconds with steady bubbles. Never leave the oil unattended.
5 minStep 4: Fry the koftas in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and firm. Drain on paper.
12 minStep 5: For the gravy, heat 2 tbsp oil, add ½ tsp cumin seeds and 1 bay leaf, then 2 onions and cook 8 minutes until the raw smell goes and they turn light brown. Add 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute.
9 minStep 6: Add 3 tomatoes, 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 2 tsp ground coriander, ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ¾ tsp salt and cook 7–8 minutes until the oil separates.
8 minStep 7: Pour in 1 ¼ cups reserved lauki juice or water and simmer 5 minutes. Add ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp kasuri methi.
5 minStep 8: Slide in the koftas just before serving and simmer 2 minutes, so they warm through without going soggy.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lauki kofta take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
- What can I use instead of fresh coriander?
- Flat-leaf parsley with a little mint (for people who dislike coriander too).
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