Lauki Kofta | Lauki ke Kofte

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

History of Kofta Recipe

Primarily a spiced meatball, ‘kofta’ is believed to have a Turko-Persian lineage which dates back to the 11^th 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

Aloo Kofta Recipe (Potato Kofta Curry)

Indian Curry Recipes

Kofta Recipe | Veg Kofta Curry

Navratri & Fasting Recipes

Kele ka Kofta | Banana Kofta

Paneer Recipes

Malai Kofta Recipe (Restaurant Style Paneer Kofta)

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This Lauki ke Kofte post from the archives, first published in 2013 has been republished and updated on December 2022.