This Lauki ke Kofte recipe has bottle gourd kofta dunked in a delicious, spiced tomato-based gravy. The first time I tried Lauki Kofta was at my in-law’s place. I never knew that this type of a delish, tangy curry could be made with bottle gourd (opo squash, long melon or lauki, dudhi, ghia). The famous version Malai Kofta is what I was accustomed to.
About Lauki ke Kofte
Lauki, dudhi, ghia, bottle gourd or opo squash is used to make the koftas or fried dumplings in this Lauki ke Kofte recipe. These are steeped in a tangy, mildly spiced gravy with a tomato base. This vegan gravy is rich and laden with flavors.
I fell in love with the koftas after trying this Lauki Kofta for the first time. They were perfectly melt-in-mouth. The gravy had a nice tangy taste coming from the tomatoes.
My mom-in-law’s recipe does not have anything else in the curry paste, which is majorly made with tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic. The tempering is of only cumin seeds.
I improvised on her recipe and turned it into a smoother and creamier version by adding cashews. The nuts add body to the gravy and enhance the taste.
There’s a good amount of prep work that goes in this curry. If everything is in place, it becomes easier.
For the dumplings part, I have made koftas which don’t absorb much of the gravy as they are not porous or very soft. You can add lauki pakoda or fritters. These will absorb the gravy, swell and can break as well.
The major difference between kofta and pakoda is the consistency of the mixture or batter. Kofta mixture is thick and pakoda batter has a pouring consistency. You can choose whatever’s feasible for you.
The Lauki ke Kofte is best enjoyed with roti, phulka, naan, parathas, roomali roti, jeera rice or even plain steamed rice.
How to make Lauki Kofta
Make Kofta
1. Rinse, peel and grate 1 medium-sized lauki or bottle gourd. Measure the grated lauki and you will need 2 cups of these.
Squeeze the grated lauki and keep the juice. We will use this juice in the gravy.
Note: If the bottle gourd tastes bitter, then throw it away. So do a taste test before you peel and grate the lauki.
2. To the grated lauki, add the following ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 finely chopped green chili
- salt as required
3. Mix well and form small sized round or oval balls. Run a bit of oil in your palms when shaping the kofta.
If you add water to this mixture, you will get a pakoda batter. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil to make pakoda. Remember to add less water to make the batter.
4. Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan for deep frying or shallow frying.
Gently place the lauki koftas in the hot oil. I first added just one to make sure if it breaks or does not break. You can opt to shallow fry or deep fry.
5. Fry koftas in oil, let all sides brown evenly turning over gently as needed. The first kofta which I added has already browned.
6. To absorb extra oil, drain fried lauki koftas on paper tissues.
Make Masala Paste and Sauté
7. In a blender or mixer-grinder, make a fine, smooth paste of the following ingredients:
- 2 large roughly chopped tomatoes
- 1 medium sized roughly chopped onion
- 1 chopped green chili or 1 teaspoon, chopped
- 1 inch chopped ginger or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 4 to 5 chopped garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons broken cashews.
There is no need to any water while blending these ingredients.
8. Remove the extra oil from the same pan in which you fried the koftas. Keep around 2 tablespoons oil. Or you could opt to use 2 tablespoons of fresh oil.
Heat the oil in another pan or in the same pan. Fry 1 teaspoon cumin seeds first on a low heat until they splutter. Add the ground masala paste.
Be careful as the paste splutters. If there is too much spluttering, just cover the pan with a lid not covering fully. Allow some steam to escape.
The spluttering stops after the paste mixture thickens. Remove the lid. Keep stirring the masala at times.
Sauté for total of 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low heat after you add the masala paste to the pan.
Make Lauki Kofta Curry
9. After sautéing it for 8 to 10 minutes you will see that the masala paste thickens slightly. Now add all the dry ground spice powders listed below:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
10. Stir and cook the masala for 3 to 4 minutes or till it leaves oil. The masala will also thicken more and look glossy.
11. Add the lauki juice and 1 cup water or as required. Stir and simmer the gravy for 10 to 12 minutes more. Don’t cover the pan with a lid.
12. Once the simmering is complete and the curry has thickened a bit, season with salt and stir. If you like a sweet taste in your gravy, add sugar as required.
Add the fried koftas to the curry and serve Lauki Kofta hot with roti, naan, steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.
Expert Tips for Lauki Kofta
- Prep Ahead: The preparation for this recipe is time intensive. Keep the gravy base and kofta pre prepared. You can blend the masala paste a day in advance and refrigerate it.
If you are preparing this recipe on special occasions, you can make and shape the kofta mixture and refrigerate them to ease your work. Next day, you can just fry the koftas and finish the gravy. - Batter Consistency: If you add water to the kofta mixture, you will get a batter consistency with which you can make lauki ke pakode. But remember to add some gram flour as well. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil to make pakoda.
Also note that you can shallow fry or deep fry the koftas. Since these pakodas will be lighter and fluffy, they will end up absorbing all the curry/gravy if you dunk them in it. So serve these pakodas when you serve the gravy. - Deep Frying: Fry the koftas in oil at the right temperature. The oil has to be hot enough for the kofta to come up gradually and swiftly. If the kofta remains at the bottom and comes up slowly, the oil is warm.
This will make your kofta absorb a lot of oil and it may fall apart. If the kofta comes up and browns too quickly, the oil is very hot. This will cook the kofta from outside and the inside will remain undercooked.
More Helpful Tips
- Sautéing Masala: The masala paste splutters. Be careful. If there is too much spluttering, cover the pan with a lid not covering fully. Allow some steam to escape. The spluttering stops after the mixture thickens.
- Curry Consistency: The Lauki Kofta gravy is usually smooth, creamy and slightly thick. You can keep the consistency slightly medium or medium-thick consistency too.
- Sweetness: Adjust the level of sweetness in the gravy by increasing or decreasing the sugar quantity.
- Adding Cream: You can garnish the Lauki Kofta with a tablespoon of heavy, whipping or two tablespoons of light cream. This will make the gravy richer.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the gravy and kofta and refrigerate them separately. Serve together. So heat the gravy in a pan. If the gravy is too thick, add a bit of hot water. Warm the kofta in a preheated oven at 120 degrees C (250 degrees F) for a few minutes.
FAQs
You can use soaked almonds in place of cashews. If you want it nut free, you can use a little cream.
Lauki Kofta is best served with roti, paratha, naan or roomali roti. I also love serving it with phulka. If you are avoiding gluten, plain steamed basmati rice or jeera rice goes well with it.
Yes, you can surely do that. You can make the kofta and gravy and refrigerate them separately. Combine while serving.
Heat the gravy and if it is too thick, add some water. Koftas can be warmed in a preheated oven at 120 degrees C (250 degrees F) for a few minutes.
Yes, you can. You can also use sugar as per your palate.
You can garnish this Lauki Kofta with some cream at the end. This also turns the gravy richer.
History of Kofta Recipe
Primarily a spiced meatball, ‘kofta’ is believed to have a Turko-Persian lineage which dates back to the 11th century. The Persian word ‘kufta,’ meaning ‘to grind,’ is where the word ‘kofta’ comes from. Over the years, koftas became vegetarian and even vegan.
Some of the most primitive Arab cookbooks are said to have a mention of kofta recipes in them. According to food historians, the kofta reached India with the Mughals. The special Nargisi Kofta was served in the royal courts that time. The British Scotch Eggs are believed to be inspired by this particular Indian kofta dish.
Just like this Lauki Kofta and popular Malai Kofta, India has a fair share of regional and national variations in koftas. From different types of meats, vegetables, lentils/pulses used in the making to various shapes like round, cylinder or patties, the kofta has really come off age.
Apart from India and Turkey, kofta is famous in many other parts of the world under different monikers. They are a part of the traditional cuisines of Morocco, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Albania, Bulgaria, Armenia, etc. Some authentic versions are uncooked too.
More Kofta Varieties To Try!
Gluten Free Recipes
Indian Curry Recipes
Navratri & Fasting Recipes
Paneer Recipes
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Lauki Kofta | Lauki ke Kofte
Ingredients
For making lauki kofta
- 2 cups bottle gourd – grated (lauki, dudhi, ghia or opo squash, long melon, calabash)
- 4 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon green chili – finely chopped or 1 green chili
- salt as required
- oil as required, for deep or shallow frying the kofta
For making masala paste
- 2 tomatoes – large-sized, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, – medium-sized, roughly chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon green chillies – chopped or 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon ginger – chopped or 1 inch peeled ginger
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, – small to medium-sized, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons cashews – broken or roughly chopped
Other ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 cup water or add as required
- 2 tablespoons oil – if using fresh oil
- salt as required
- ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required, optional
Instructions
Making lauki kofta
- Rinse and peel the lauki (bottle gourd). Grate it. Measure and you should get 2 cups of grated lauki.Make sure to taste the bottle gourd before you peel and grate. It should not be bitter. If the lauki tastes bitter, trash it.
- Squeeze the grated lauki and collect the juice in a bowl or mug. Keep the juice aside.
- Mix all the ingredients, except oil, for making the koftas with the grated lauki.
- Make small round shaped balls or patties.
- Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan. Fry the lauki koftas in oil, till they are evenly golden browned from all sides.
- Drain the fried kofta on paper towels so that the extra oil is absorbed.
Making masala paste
- Blend all the ingredients mentioned under 'for making masala paste' without water to a smooth and fine paste.
- If needed add a bit of water, but don't add too much water as then the masala paste splutters while frying.
Making lauki kofta gravy
- Remove extra oil from the frying pan in which the koftas were fried. Keep about 2 tablespoons oil. Or you could opt to use 2 tablespoons of fresh oil.
- Heat the oil and fry the cumin seeds first on low heat until they splutter. Then, add the ground masala paste.
- Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low heat stirring often. Then add all the ground spice powders.
- Stir and continue to sauté the masala paste till it starts leaving oil from the sides. The masala will also thicken and look glossy.
- Add the lauki juice and about 1 cup water or as needed to the sautéed masala paste.
- Stir and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the curry thickens a bit. Lastly, add the fried koftas.
- Switch off the heat and let the koftas be in the gravy for a few minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Lauki Kofta hot with roti, naan or jeera rice.
Notes
- If you add water to the kofta mixture to make a pakoda like batter, then do add some gram flour as well.
- If you do make a lauki pakoda, then serve it only when serving the gravy. Do not add them in the gravy or curry as they will absorb all the curry. The pakoda being lighter and fluffy, absorbs the gravy.
- Do not use tomatoes which are very tangy or sour.
- You can add sugar in your gravy, if you like it sweet.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Lauki ke Kofte post from the archives, first published in 2013 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Garam masala i would put double, otherwise very yummy recipe…And pictures help a lot. Thank you !
Thank you for this feedback and for the rating as well. Welcome!
Amazing recipe. One of the best I have eaten. Thank you Dassana.
Great and thanks for this super feedback. Most welcome.
Absolutely delicious recipe. We use the juice instead of water because it makes the curry most delicious.
Very easy to follow directions. I have made in the past but the tweaks I made based on your recipe really made it marvelous!!!!
Thank you.
Thank you for this feedback. Glad!
Had picked up a long dudhi in a world food store. Had no idea what to do with it until I saw this recipe. Was unsure when making it but absolutely delicious.
Nice to know and thank you for sharing your feedback on the recipe.
Perfect one
Great recipe. Makes for a delicacy out of the humble lauki. Thank you 🙏
Thanks Geetika for the review and rating on the recipe. Most welcome and happy cooking.
Hey Dassana,
I have tried so many recipes from your website and every single dish is a winner. It is my go to site for all vegetarian recipes. Thank you for sharing your talent with other cooks.
Thanks a lot Richa and so glad to know. Most welcome & happy cooking.
I tried this recepie today. It was just amazing 😋🙏.
Thanks for the feedback and rating. Good to know.
Hey Dassana, this turned out great! My Lord loves Lauki, this dish pleased him very much. Thank you❤ Also the new look of your blog is awesome!
Thanks a lot Sonal for the beautiful comment. Thanks for the feedback on the blog design too. Most welcome.
Wen to mix kofta wit curry I how much time before eating
Just mix the lauki kofta to the gravy before serving.
Turned out really well. Thanks Dassana. I just look up your recipes knowing the dishes will turn out very tasty.
Good to know and thanks for letting me know Kasturi. Most welcome and Happy Cooking.
I like your recipes very much .
thank you sreelatha.
I feel that adding only onion, tomatoes and ginger to the gravy tastes better than adding garlic to it as well. I have tried both the recipes, with garlic and without, without garlic in gravy tastes better as per me and my family. If you want a little garlic taste, you can put ginger garlic paste in the koftas batter. And of course cashews provide the richness in the gravy.
Hi Dassana,
I made the Lauki kofta of your recipe. Came out well with very good taste.
I like all your recipes. Used to go always to your recipes site for references .
Thank you.
thanks rangamani. glad to know that you liked the lauki kofta recipe. thanks for the rating too. welcome and happy cooking.
Hi Dassana
I am a great fan of your recipes.
I have tried many of them and all of them got me a lot of praises. All thanks to you.
After my marriage i shifted out of India so i have to cook all alone here. I have never been too much into cooking before & also being away from my mother your recipes helped me a lot. Thanks again.
that is such a sweet comment from you almas. thank you very much. i am glad that the recipes are working out so good for your. thanks again and welcome. wish you all the best.
Hi Dassana,
I have laddu besan at home which is a little coarse, can that be used for the kofta instead of regular besan. Also, can the koftas be shallow fried?
-Meera
yes you can use coarse besan. yes you can shallow fry.
Finger licking good! Once again- thank you!
Welcome Bharti
Hi Dassana
If I were to add cream to the gravy, at what stage should I do it? I am thinking of serving it for dinner party. Would the cream curdle as there are tomatoes in the gravy?
Thanks
bharti, once the gravy is done, then add the cream. that is after adding salt, you can add cream just before you add the koftas. so after adding cream, mix well and switch off the flame. cream won’t curdle.
Hey I am regular follower of your blog and have tried quite a few receipes. I have a question about the blender that you use for making chutneys or pastes for curries. I have used ninja and a few others. Havent seem to get a perfect one esp for curry pastes.
aarti, i use preethi mixer grinder (blue leaf) for curry pastes as well as making idli batter. very good and i have been using it for a few years now.
hi Amit, how to make porous kofta as ur recipe mentioned it’s not porous and doesn’t absorb the gravy
Ruchi, make it like pakora batter. So add some water in the kofta mixture. then it will be soft and will absorb gravy.
Hi, I tried your Kofta recipe and it turned amazingly delicious. I had some guest in the house (that was sudden) but they liked Kofta so much and showered compliments and I think you should be sharing the credits. And my Koftas looked much like the ones you have in your pictures. Mouth watering lol..Thanks again xoxo
Welcome Bineeta. Thanks for sharing this awesome feedback. Glad to know that everyone liked the koftas.
Quite good recipe,seems tasty.Thank you for sharing.
Welcome Astha
Hi tried it today gravy was yummy but the kofta was little,want to know the reason.pls let me know, I have tried other receipes had come out very well.
jalaja, you mean the kofta was less? you can add some more besan and make a pakora like consistency of the batter. then fry like pakodas. this way you will get more koftas.
Hi – I do not have cream or cashew nuts. Can I still make this recipe without these ingredients?
Priya, you can skip adding them.
Instead of cashew can I use almond
Shiji, yes you can use. blanch the almonds and then peel them.
It took a lot of time for my gravy to become thick and at last when it got thick the oil didn’t started separating. Where did I went wrong ?
salo, depending on the type of pan used, the flame intensity and pressure, cooking can takes less or more time. even after the masala becomes thick, it needs to be sauteed for some more minutes till you see oil clearly at the sides or in the masala paste. this takes some time. you can always regulate the flame from low to medium when sauteing masala. just that there has to be frequent stirrings or else the masala can burn.
Hi, have been regularly following / cooking your recipes. Trust me, you are a god-send. Love the detailed step by step instructions. Tku so much. Have a fabulous year. Best regards .. Latha
Welcome Latha. Glad to know that you are liking the recipes and their presentation. Thanks for your kind words.
Hi, I wanted to know instead of using besan can I use rice flour. Do let me know.
Priyanka, you can use. but rice flour will give a different taste.
Hi. I am hooked to ur website. All the recipes that I refer have turned out to be excellent. Thank you for your yummy recipes.
On a lighter note how do you remember all of the recipes? ☺Because I have to refer them every time I make it?
thanks a lot prachi for this lovely feedback. the recipes which i make often and have learnt from my mom and mother-in-law and in my college days, i remember them easily like dal fry or tadka, various sabzi, dal makhani, rajma, soups, veg manchurian, chilly paneer, lauki kofta, malai kofta etc. but for some recipes, i refer to my own blog while preparing 🙂
I have been trying your recipes since I moved to USA a couple of years ago. I do not recall but this will be some 50th or so recipe of yours that I made today. Really love the details you provide prior to the steps. So far there has not been any dish that I wanted to make that does not have details on vegrecipeofindia. You are slaying it , awesome work!!
thanks much mayuri. feels good to read your comment and i am glad to know that the details are appreciated. in fact at times i wonder should i go into details or just write simple steps. but then i also know that not everybody is pro or very good in cooking. also some tips and suggestions always helps when one is cooking reading a website, blog or a book. thanks again.
I made this recipe today. Never tried it before because my husband does not like kofta curries. To my surprise, he liked this lauki kofta curry as it has come out very well.
thank you ramani for this feedback. nice to know. i have corrected the spelling error.
My kofta absorbed the gravy..what should I do
nothing can be done now unfortunately.
Loved the recipe, especially the gravy turned out very well. Made the koftas in air fryer. Again making them today. Thanks for this recipe.
welcome shalini. glad to know this. i will give a try in my air fryer. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on lauki kofta recipe.
Can you pls tell me how long to fry in an air fryer? Cz even i have an air fryer & i want to fry them in my air fryer instead of deep frying them in the oil. Pls give me the details
Princy, you can preheat the air-fryer for 5 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. Add 1 tablespoon oil in the batter for air-frying. I am not sure on the exact time but should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Halfway remove from the air-fryer and brush with some oil. This will help them to become crispy.
The mixture was spluterring a lot, my kitchen got dirty too 🙁
Should I cover the kadai all the time even after adding masala and water?
Garima, cover till the mixture stops spluterring.
I made lauki kofta today. It tasted well but the koftas were a bit hard. Where did i go wrong?
looks like the kofta mixture was dry and hence the bit of hardness. some sprinkling of water could have made them moist. otherwise lauki koftas are not dense. they are soft and on adding them to gravy, become more soft.
i am going to try this soon. Also post lauki sabji different ways. my lauki sabji never taste good ? lovely kofta ?
surely try and let us know pari 🙂 thank you.
We can use potatoes in making lauki kofta and cream to make gravy
rachna, potatoes can be used and also cream.
A very yummy recipe.. We all enjoyed it thoroughly.. Tq..
Loved the recipe. Have tried it lot many times. Thanks!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the recipe…..
It became very easy because of step by step pics…. My family loved it very much
welcome shona. glad to know this.
Thanks for sharing. Easy to cook.love it
welcome madhvi thankyou so much 🙂
Very very helpful page…love it
thankyou so much sneha 🙂
Hello mam,
I tried your Recipe & it turned out to be so Yummy.
I am Thankful to u for creating this Website.
thanks a lot richi for this feedback. welcome and happy cooking.
Hi,
Can you tell me what is the substitute for besan?
you can use rice flour, maida (all purpose flour), arrow root flour or even corn starch or tapioca starch. but do note that the taste and texture will change with the type of flour you use.
Hii…. Thnx for the delicious receipe … Have a query … Will keeping this dish overnight will make the koftas hard .. Can i make this in the evening and take the same for my next day lunch …
no. the koftas won’t be hard. i would suggest to just make the kofta mixture and then fry them next day. prepare the gravy before and keep in the fridge. or you can fry the kofta a day before and then add to the gravy the next day.
it not a lost but it is word “LOT” sorry for typographical error
nandini, i deleted the comment with the error and published the comment without the error 🙂
I have tried lot of your recipe at home. I just say to you two words “THANK YOU”
welcome nandini and thanks from me to you too 🙂
U made it Very simple kaddu kofta. even alayman can become a master cook, I cook sweets, curriez and alll frm dis web site,
Thanks
Venky. Adv.
pleased to know this venky thankyou so much 🙂
Dear Dassana,I m newly married and capable of cooking only moms dishes myself.today my husband demanded lauki k kofte whić is his favourite.i have cooked quite well after following your recipe. Thanks a tonn.i have also tried other dishes from your site.but I couldn’t stop myself conveying my thanks this time. Never trusted websites for cooking. But u have won my trust. Love u.
we are very pleased sushma you trust our food blog it means a lot to us 🙂 thankyou for your positive words god bless you.
It’s really very very helpful for those who love cooking and also helpful to those who love eating such yummy and lovely dishes
thanks sandeepika for your positive feedback.
I like lauki kofta receipe
Hi i tried the lauki ki kofta its had become very tasty it was in different gravy ,i am a punjabi so we make this koftas ,in a common gravy of onion and tomotoe ,tried this method and shared the koftas with friends they too enjoyed it
thanks mamta for sharing positive feedback on koftas. glad to know this.
Hi,
Looks yummy. Have not made it but planning to go for it. But there’s a doubt. Suppose the 1st kofta u placed on the oil breaks thn what measure to be taken so that the rest of the koftas doesn’t break. As u mentioned above tht u placed 1 to ensure if itbreaks or not. Fortunately it didn’t but what if it breaks. Do we have to put more besan/lauki??Moreover, dear whencani expect the toddlers section u mentioned u’ll introduce inaloo matar blog. I m wholeheartedly looking forward to it.
Regards
teena
thanks teena. add some more besan if the first lauki kofta breaks. i am not getting time to make category for toddlers recipes. but will try to do it as soon as possible.
Hi I am going to give a try to this recipe tomorrow but I have a query beforehand since my earlier experience has turned down about making paste of onion and tomato gravy. Somehow that raw taste of onion still last after the gravy is cooked.
How to rectify this as I have seen in many recipes people have mentioned to use tomato and onion mix and then sauté it.
ann, you have to saute the onions tomato paste till you see the oil leaving the sides. the paste should thicken. and you should see nice amount of oil on the sides. that means the onions and tomatoes are cooked.
I made it for dinner yesterday & it came out delicious. I forgot to add cashews so my gravy was little darker but still very flavorful. Also in kofta I added ajwain so that it helps in digestion.
welcome prerna. good to know this.
I made this lauki kofta today which came awesome. I usually make this without tomato & cashewnut but both these ingredient made the curry delicious.
Thanks a lot!!!
thanks a lot shasi.
Made this just now.My first lauki dish and my first kofta.. so glad to share that it turned out delicious!! just like all the other recipes ive tried from your space.
Big Thanks to you Dasanna! Your blog is my one stop shop to make anything yummy!
🙂
welcome veena. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive review on recipes.
Too good recipe.My hubby love this gravy.as i m not good at cooking.just asking u a queston you fry kofta in medium flame or high flame?
thanks meena. i fry the koftas on medium flame. on high flame they will get quickly browned from outside and inside will be uncooked.
Dassana my mom makes delicious lauki koftas and I have been craving for it for some time! I came across your recipe and decided to give it a try it was delicious thanks a lot, loved it!!!
welcome suparna. glad to know that you liked the lauki kofta recipe. thanks for sharing your positive review.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe. I made this today but the taste was sour.
How do I correct it ?
welcome reva. the taste is sour because of the quality of the tomatoes. next time try adding some cream. it will balance the sour taste of tomatoes.
Thanks a lot. It turned out to be very good and all enjoyed it.
I packed it in my daughters lunch box also and she along with her friends enjoyed it.
welcome reva. thanks for sharing positive review in lauki kofta recipe.
My husband is such a fuss pot when it comes to food. Its so hard to please him. I made these today with rotis and he just loved them. Thanks a ton for sharing.
welcome rachitha. glad to know this. thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
I made this awesome Lauki kofta recipe of yours for dinner along with pressure cooker pulao from your site. It turned out yummy! Thank you very much dear Dassana!
welcome sathya. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
Tried it today. Loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe. I love your blog. Too good it is!
welcome karthika. glad to know this.
Hi Dassana,
My koftas were hard to bite 🙁 . I have been making lauki pakoras using a medium consistency batter and they are always good. But this time I tried my hand at koftas and they were hard 🙁 . What could have been the reason?
hard to bite? lauki is such a soft veggie, so i wonder how the koftas can be hard. even if you add less besan, then too the kofta should not be hard. you can make the koftas with medium consistency batter too. not sure what must have went wrong.
Hi, Lauki n cabbage are two veg. im weak in cooking, but this one helped me a lot, now im master in this, n experimenting with Fresh coconut etc., whenever I find myself difficult situation “WHAT TO COOK TODAY” , Your site is always good to fall back on, Thank you so very much, with simple yet yummy recipe.
welcome siris. glad to know that blog is helping you in cooking. keep trying more recipes and thats how one become good in cooking.
I tried this today ….everyone loved it ..thank you …..
thanks nita for the feedback.
I tried Lauki kofta curry today everyone liked it’s taste was amazing. This site is really helpful all the vegetarian. Method is very simple, everyone can try. Once again I thank you.
welcome seema. thanks for your positive feedback on site.
I made this yesterday. Came out awesome!! Thanks so much..
welcome sumi
Excellent.
Thanks
thanks malati.
Awesome recipe. Everyone loved this in our family. Thanks for a detailed step by step instructions with pics.
welcome bharathi
hi dassana, today i made this recipe for the 3rd time and each time i got so many compliments…:) … thank you so much…
welcome reena. glad to know that your recipe turned out very well.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe. LOVED the gravy. I didn’t have the squash, so served with veggie pakora instead. I can’t wait to make this again with your koftas!
welcome moni. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
Wonderful recipe…Thanks a lot!! 🙂
welcome meghna
Amazing & delicious recipe. Lauki / cabbage veggies are those vegetables which are normally not made often at home. But lauki/cabbage kofta or can say manchurian curry is so simple to cook yet tasty and yummy that I have cooked this dish second time now. Wow! You all my friends..please try it at home as well just need a little effort to grate, squash & deep fry the veggie.
thanks sonali for this positive feedback on lauki kofta and also for recommending it to other readers.
What could be used instead of the first ingredient. Looking for less vegetable like consistency and firmer Kofta.
Thanks
in this recipe, the first ingredient is essential as the recipe is of lauki or opo squash kofta. if you add any other veggies, it will be vegetable koftas. you can add any other veggies like grated carrots, zucchini, cabbage, french beans.
Thanks chef, it’s such a authentic recipe I am happy to make it
welcome bhanu
What an awesome way to cook bottle gourd!
Can you please tell me a substitute for cashews, as my son is allergic. Breadcrumbs?
thanks sana. you can add malai or cream. the malai which floats on top of milk can be added.
Very nice.. The gravy is yummy. Thank you
welcome priya
Just finished making kofta curry. Turned out superb. Love your blogs ☺
thanks ipsita for the positive feedback.
Vry nice recipe..thnkx fr sharing..wil try it today in dinner
welcome garima
Just finished cooking kofta curry and it looks delicious. Thank you so much mam for this wonderful recipe. I am a student and seldom get time for cooking and helping mom in chores and stuff but whenever i can i always cook your recipes:-)
Plus i added some bread crumps to thicken the gravy a little bit.
thanks monika for sharing this positive feedback. it helps to know that the blog is helpful to people. keep visiting and try more recipes.
maza aa gya
Yummy!!!! I tried it fo the first time! Jus a couple of minutes ago. Thank u ma’am fo yo wonderful recipe.. i am a Kannadiga. My mom jus loved it.
welcome anjali. glad to know you.
Hi dassana,
The receipe was good. I was able to make curry and it was good. But my pakoras broke into oil. How can I improvise that.
if the batter is of medium consistency, then the pakoras will break in oil. so if you follow the recipe for koftas as mentioned in this post, they won’t break. but if you make pakoras, they will break. so for pakoras, i suggest to just add them when serving. reheat the gravy before serving and then add the pakoras. if the pakoras are kept in the gravy for a time much before serving than they break.
Hey dassana
Made lauki koftas yesterday. Turned out awesome. I was scared it would not hold together n crumble in the curry so had to adjust the besan accordingly. I added saunf (fennel) to the koftas while making the batter… just around one n half tsps. It added a great yet subtle flavour.
thanks farah. i know saunf tastes very good in pakoras or koftas. even i add them while making pakoras.
Hi Dassana I tried this yesterday and it came out fabulous….. the gravy was thick and smooth…..hit with my family
thanks anitha for the positive feedback.
This is a wonderful guju recipe and I’m super glad to see you post it online! =)
not sure if its guju recipe. this is how we make the lauki kofta at home in our punjabi home.
Amazing recipe ….yummy yummy..I am trying it for a Friday dinner with guests
I WILL TRY ONCE AS LOOKING AWESOME
This is an amazing recipe, tried it for dinner, didn’t take much time and it was great. For a first time try I received a lot of compliments.
Thanks a lot!!!!
thanks zoya
Grt luv this……thanks for sharing in such a fantastic maner…
thanks bhavna
i love india
Hi Dassana,
This is a winner of a recipe. Made it for dinner today. Had it with chappatis , it tasted really good, especially the koftas..yum…Thank you.
thanks ashwini
My dad is a big fan of Lauki and Phulka, would love it.
I’m going to try it soon.
Very tasty, very easy and simple to make and is ready within an hour! Simply loved the taste. This was the first time that I ever had lauki kofta and it turned out delicious. definitely will go into my recipe book and will be made many more times! Good work and thank you for posting it.
thanks shruthi
using powder of roasted chanaa dal instead of besan makes it even better and easier to digest. Other day I made this and forgot to add garam masala(don’t use powdered cumin or corriander in this recipe) even then it tasted great. You can try using small quantity of sugar/honey to compliment the tang of tomatoes.
you mean sattu ka atta? without coriander or cumin powder, the curry base also tastes good. yup, some sugar can sure make the curry a bit sweet and balance the tang of the tomatoes.
OMG this looks soooooo delicious! My mouth is watering. *slurp*
I’ve had lauki pakoras in a tomato gravy before but your koftas look so much more neat and pretty. 🙂
try them susmitha. for a more easier way, you can make pakoras instead of the koftas.
wow yummy kofta I love it so much best side dish ever.
Lauki is such a verstaile veggie…u can use it to make sweets dishes as well as savory. Lauki halwa (made like gajar ka halwa) is one of my favs….I loved ur pics and recipe.
thanks manju.
What a lovely dish! Love your pictures too!
I have never tried this at home but my mom in law makes it often and I love it. You have definitely inspired me to cook this for dinner soon!
Such a stunning photography Dassana! Looks really delicious. 🙂
Simply love the recipe and the pictures…I am definately gonna try to make these for my cousins 16th B’day party brunch.
Thanks for sharing the recipe
Looks delicious! The pics are amazing Dassana. Lauki Kofta’s are a regular at my home. I never add cashew paste to the gravy…next time will add cashews for a more thicker and richer flavour.
Lovely Dassana.I always wanted to try this dish.
Oh! I love ghiya kofta curry but sadly, DH does’nt. But I think I am going to make this for lunch tomorrow! Want to see how the cashew will make the difference. Thanks! 🙂
wonderful dassana
i love the bowl as it enhances the look of the gravy
lauki or ghia kofta i have on my space too
check out when u get time
these are absolutely yummylicious
lovely blog you and i like these koftas