Indian Bottle Gourd Kofta
Cuisine: Chinese
Lauki is what defines Indian Bottle Gourd Kofta, a home vegetable dish.
4 / 5
★★★★☆
571 kcal
Ingredients
- Lauki (Bottle Gourd)
- Chickpea Flour (Besan)
- Onion
- Tomato
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Green Chili
- Coriander
- Turmeric Powder
- Red Chili Powder
- Coriander Powder
- Cumin Powder
- Garam Masala
- Salt
- Cooking Oil
- Deep pots or Wok
Steps
Making the Kofta Balls
- Peel the lauki and grate it finely using a box grater.
- Squeeze out the water from the lauki shreds with your hands. *Squeeze as dry as possible*, otherwise the balls will not hold their shape when fried.
- Add 80g chickpea flour, 3g salt, 3g red chili powder, and 3g coriander powder to the dried lauki shreds.
- Mix thoroughly with your hands until a non-sticky dough-like consistency is reached.
- Roll the mixture into small balls approximately 3cm in diameter. Set aside.
- Pour 500ml cooking oil into a deep pot and heat it over medium heat until the oil temperature reaches about 170°C (a small piece of dough should float up quickly and bubble).
- Fry the balls a few at a time for 4-5 minutes, until the surface is *golden and crispy*.
- Remove the fried balls and use kitchen paper towels to absorb excess oil. Set aside.
Making the Sauce
- Pour 30ml cooking oil into a frying pan and heat for 10 seconds.
- Add chopped onion and stir-fry until the *onion turns golden brown* (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add ground ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute until the *aroma is released*.
- Add chopped tomato and stir-fry until the *tomato becomes completely soft and splits oil* (about 5 minutes).
- Add 3g turmeric powder, 5g red chili powder, 5g coriander powder, 3g cumin powder, and 5g salt.
- Stir fry for 2 minutes to blend the spices with the tomato thoroughly.
- Add 200ml water, stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Gently place the fried kofta into the sauce, turn heat to low, and simmer for 3-5 minutes to let the balls absorb the sauce.
- Sprinkle 3g garam masala and chopped green chili.
- Turn off the heat, sprinkle with coriander leaves for garnish, and serve.
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Notes
This North Indian vegetarian dish features lauki (bottle gourd) grated into strands and mixed with chickpea flour to form balls, which are then deep-fried and simmered in a rich tomato-onion curry. The lauki is refreshing, while the chickpea flour provides plant protein and fiber, making it a filling and balanced meal. The cooking involves deep frying and sauce preparation; the steps are numerous but easy to master if followed in order, taking about 40 minutes in total.
Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 571 kcal
Note: Before starting, decide how many servings to make. One complete portion is enough for 2-3 people.
Per Serving:
Kofta portion
- Lauki (Bottle Gourd): 1 piece (approx. 400g)
- Chickpea Flour: 80g
- Salt: 3g
- Red Chili Powder: 3g
- Coriander Powder: 3g
- Cooking Oil (for frying): 500ml
Sauce portion
- Onion: 2 pieces (approx. 200g), chopped
- Tomato: 3 pieces (approx. 300g), chopped
- Ginger: 10g, grated
- Garlic: 4 cloves (approx. 12g), grated
- Green Chili: 1 piece, chopped
- Cooking Oil: 30ml
- Turmeric Powder: 3g
- Red Chili Powder: 5g
- Coriander Powder: 5g
- Cumin Powder: 3g
- Garam Masala: 3g
- Salt: 5g
- Water: 200ml
- Coriander leaves (for decoration): 10g
- Squeezing the water out of the lauki is a key step; too much water will cause the balls to fall apart.
- Do not simmer the balls in the sauce for too long, or they will soften and lose their texture.
- This dish is typically served with Naan (Indian flatbread) or boiled rice in India.
- The term "Kofte" originates from Persian/Arabic, meaning "pounded or crushed", and is widely found in South Asia and the Middle East.