Lauki Kofta Recipe – Desi Style Bottle Gourd Kofta Curry

Take about one cup of grated bottle gourd in a mixing bowl. Add besan, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, finely chopped green chillies and salt to taste.
Mix everything thoroughly. Lauki naturally contains plenty of moisture, so there is no need to add extra water to the mixture.

Take small portions of the prepared mixture and shape them into small round koftas.
Heat approximately two tablespoons of oil in a kadai. Carefully place the koftas into the hot oil and cook them over medium heat.
Let them cook undisturbed for about 1 to 1½ minutes initially. Then gently turn them from time to time so that they cook evenly on all sides.
Once the koftas are nicely cooked and golden, transfer them to a plate. Prepare the remaining koftas in the same way.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in the same kadai. Add two bay leaves and half a teaspoon of cumin seeds.
Once the cumin starts crackling, add one finely chopped medium-sized onion. Cook the onion until it is nicely sautéed.

Add two chopped medium-sized tomatoes and 3–4 green chillies to a blender jar.
Blend them into a smooth puree and keep it aside.

Once the onion is cooked, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté briefly.
Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and sabji masala. Cook the spices briefly over low heat to release their aroma.

Add the prepared tomato and green chilli puree.

Cook the masala over low heat while stirring regularly. Continue cooking until the masala is properly roasted and the oil begins to separate.

This step helps develop the rich flavor of the Lauki Kofta Curry.

Pour approximately 1½ glasses of water into the cooked masala. Add half a teaspoon of salt and mix well.
You can adjust the amount of water depending on your preferred gravy consistency. Keep it slightly thinner initially because the koftas will absorb some of the gravy.
Cover the kadai and allow the gravy to come to a good boil.

Once the gravy begins boiling, carefully add all the prepared koftas.

Crush half a teaspoon of kasuri methi between your palms and add it to the gravy.

Cook the Lauki Kofta over low heat for approximately 4–5 minutes. This allows the koftas to absorb the flavors of the masala and gravy.

Once the gravy reaches the desired consistency, turn off the heat.

Add half a teaspoon of roasted cumin powder at the end. Adding roasted cumin after switching off the heat helps retain its aroma and flavor.

Your homemade Desi Style Lauki Kofta Curry is ready to serve.