I often buy Bottle gourd (Sorekaayi in Kannada /Lauki in Hindi) whenever I'm at the Farmers Market or the Indian store. I usually make Bottle Gourd Peas Saagu or Bottle gourd Dal. I add it to Vegetable Sambar too at times. Wanted to try something different this time, so made these Paneer Lauki koftas. I remembered reading about Lauki koftas very long back, but hadn't tried making them. I was skeptical if the family would like bottle gourd this way, so I added Paneer for good measure. They turned out perfect and everyone loved them!
Paneer Lauki Kofta Curry:
You will need:
For the Koftas:
1 cup grated Sorekaayi (Bottle Gourd/Lauki)
1 cup grated Paneer
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp Red chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/3 cup Besan (chickpea flour)
Oil for frying
For the Gravy:
2 tbsp Oil
1 large onion chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
2 Green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
6-8 whole Cashews
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chili powder
2 tsp Kasuthi Methi
2 tbsp Heavy whipping cream
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Chopped cilantro
Prepare the Koftas:
Peel the bottle gourd, remove the skin and spongy part on the inside. Grate into a large bowl. Place the grated bottle gourd in a clean thin kitchen towel and squeeze out the liquid. Grate the Paneer.
Combine the grated bottle gourd, paneer, salt, garam masala, red chili powder and besan. This will make a soft dough. Make smalls koftas. These can be shallow fried or deep fried. I deep fried them. Set the oil to heat and fry the Koftas on medium heat. Make sure the oil is not too hot, this will make the koftas brown very quickly without cooking the inside. Fry all the koftas and remove to a paper lined towel. Set aside while you prepare the gravy.
Prepare the Gravy:
Heat oil in a pan. Add the cashews and once they turn light brown, add the onions. Sauté until done, then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté until fragrant. Add the green chilies, turmeric powder and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Turn off heat and cool the mixture. Grind to a smooth paste using a blender.
Heat butter in the same pan. Add cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds. Now add the prepared paste and saute for a minute. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, salt to taste and red chili powder. Combine well. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well. Cover and bring to a simmering boil, about 6-8 minutes. Add crushed kasuthi methi and cream. Combine and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
To serve: Place kofta in a bowl or plate, pour the hot gravy over the koftas. Top with chopped cilantro. Serve with Chapatis, Phulkas or Naan.
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