Lauki ke kofte ki sabzi (grated bottle gourd dumplings in curry)

Louki, gheeya or bottle gourd… use any name but this vegetable hardly brings smile on anyone’s face. My mother used to prepare this in plain curry form with tomatoes and I always liked it. But other than my mother and me everyone else in the family used to eat it forcibly.

But there is one more way through which we can cook this vegetable and serve to our guests. It’s slightly time consuming but tastes wonderful and no one can deny once served on his\her plate!!!!

Process :

1.To prepare Kofta:
Besan (gram flour)     just enough to bind koftas

Grated bottle gourd 1+1/2cup
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
Chopped green chillies 1 tsp
salt… as per taste
Asafoetida… a pinch
Coarsely grinded fennel seeds 1/2 tsp

2.Gravy/curry

For paste:

Onion… 1 medium size
Tomatoes…. 3 medium size
Green chillies…. 3 medium size
Ginger…. 1tiny piece
Garlic……. as per your taste (I didn’t add)

Spices :

Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1tbsp +1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Green coriander leaves for garnishing.

Process :

Peel and grate bottle gourd.

Squeeze out all the juice from the grated bottle gourd. Keep this juice safe because we will be using it for curry.

Mix red chilli powder, salt, hing(asafoetida) , besan (gram flour) and fennel seeds (sauf) in grated bottle gourd and prepare koftas(small balls.)

Heat oil in a pan and fry these koftas keeping the flame between sim and medium. Once done, keep them aside.

Now chop onion, tomato, garlic,  ginger and green chillies.

Grind them in a paste and heat oil in a pan, crackle rai hing jeera and add grinded paste. Add rest of the spices.

Let this cook on medium heat until it leaves the oil from the sides.

Now add two cups of water including squeezed out bottle gourd juice and let it boil for 10-15 minutes on sim to medium heat. Add kofta in the gravy after 15 minutes.

Cook for 5 more minutes on sim heat and take out louki ke kofte ki sabzi in a serving pan and sprinkle green chopped coriander leaves. Serve with plain rice or roti.