Lauki Kofta Curry (Bottle Gourd Kofta)
Lauki Kofta is a comforting Indian vegetarian curry with crispy bottle gourd fritters simmered in a rich tomato curry.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 275kcal
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop 1 tablespoon
Ingredients
Lauki Koftas
- 1 bottle gourd (lauki) ~500 g, peeled, shredded, and well wrung
- 215 grams besan (gram flour)
- ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon green chili diced
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- neutral oil for deep frying
Kofta Curry
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon green chili finely diced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 250 grams tomato sauce or tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon besan (gram flour)
- 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 30 grams sour cream room temperature*
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Make the Lauki Koftas
- Heat about 1 liter of neutral oil in a kadhai or deep pan over medium heat for frying.
- Wash, peel, and shred the bottle gourd. Wring it extremely well to remove excess moisture (you should remove about 2 cups of liquid). Reserve this liquid for later.
- Transfer the shredded lauki to a mixing bowl and add ginger garlic paste, diced green chili, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, ground coriander, and salt. Mix well.
- Gradually add the besan, mixing until a thick, scoopable batter forms. The mixture should hold its shape — add more besan if needed depending on moisture. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Once the oil is hot, use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to carefully drop koftas into the oil. Fry in batches, without overcrowding. This should yield around 30 koftas. Fry for about 4 minutes per side, turning gently, until golden brown and cooked through. The koftas should be crisp outside and fluffy inside.
- Air Fryer Kofta Option -Preheat air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil the basket and koftas. Arrange koftas in a single layer. Air fry for 14–16 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.
- Remove and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
Kofta Curry
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, add green chili and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly so the paste doesn’t burn.
- Add garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric, and Kashmiri chili powder. Bloom the spices for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, until the color deepens and the oil begins to separate slightly.
- Whisk 1 teaspoon besan into 5 cups water (including the 2 cups of lauki water), then add it to the pot along with salt. Bring the curry to a gentle boil and cook for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the sour cream until fully incorporated. Bring back to a gentle boil.
- Lightly crack a few koftas to help them absorb the curry, then gently add all koftas to the gravy. Cover and simmer for 5–7 minutes, until the koftas are soft and infused with flavor.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve 5-6 koftas plus the curry per person with roti or rice.
Notes
* Substitute sour cream with full-fat yogurt. Temper it first by mixing with a little warm curry to prevent curdling.
