Okay this recipe for lauki kofta curry (bottle gourd dumpling curry) looks like a lot of ingredients, but I swear it is not a difficult recipe to make! It actually comes together very fast because there aren’t very many steps.

Kofta are dumplings/meatballs and for vegetarians they can be made with all kinds of vegetables, potatoes, and/or paneer. I chose lauki (bottle gourd) because we had one leftover in the fridge (I didn’t need as much as I thought for lauki dal).

Love these with the whole wheat triangle paratha that they have frozen at the Indian market and onions marinated in a little vinegar and sprinkled with chaat masala.

Recipe is based on both Veg Recipes of India and Spice Up The Curry.

To Grind
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 inch ginger minced
2 green chilis chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
2 tablespoons cashews

Other Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cream
1 1/2-2 cups water
Salt

Lauki Kofta
1 small bottle gourd
1/4 cup besan flour (chickpea flour)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoons cilantro finely minced
Salt
Flour for rolling the kofta
Oil for frying

1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilis, tomatoes and cashews to a food processor or grinder and blend until smooth.
2. Heat oil in a saute pan and add the cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and toast until the cumin smells really fragrant. Add the onion/tomato mixture carefully (it will splatter!). Cook over medium heat stirring often until most of the water evaporates and the raw smell goes away. This does take quite a while and I wouldn’t rush it or it won’t taste as good! Add the turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, ketchup, sugar, cream and water and cook over low heat while you make and fry the kofta.
4. To make the lauki kofta: grate the bottle gourd using a cheese grater then sqeeze the water out (add the water to the curry!). Mix with besan flour, chili powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, cilantro and salt. Roll into little balls and then roll in the flour. Heat oil to medium high heat then add the kofta balls. Cook for a few minutes on each side. I shallow fried and turned them about 6 times; you could deep fry them and only have to turn them once as well, but it wastes more oil.
5. Right before serving add the lauki kofta to the curry. Yum!