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Tender, melt-in-your-mouth bottle gourd dumplings simmered in a rich and creamy tomato-onion gravy. A classic North Indian vegetarian dish that turns a simple vegetable into a restaurant-worthy meal.
For 4 servings
Prepare the Lauki for Koftas
Make and Fry the Koftas
Start the Gravy
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Tender, melt-in-your-mouth bottle gourd dumplings simmered in a rich and creamy tomato-onion gravy. A classic North Indian vegetarian dish that turns a simple vegetable into a restaurant-worthy meal.
This north_indian recipe takes 60 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 369.23 calories per serving with 7.82g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
Cook the Masala
Finish the Gravy
Combine and Serve
Instead of deep-frying, shape the koftas and bake them at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes or cook them in an air fryer until golden and crisp.
Create a small cavity in each kofta ball and fill it with a mixture of chopped cashews, raisins, and a pinch of garam masala before frying.
Use oil instead of ghee for the gravy and either omit the fresh cream or substitute it with a plant-based cream like cashew or coconut cream.
For a Sattvic version, skip the onion and ginger-garlic paste. Enhance the flavor with a pinch of asafoetida (hing) in the hot ghee and increase the amount of tomato puree and cashew paste.
Bottle gourd (lauki) is rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which helps in maintaining a healthy digestive tract, preventing constipation, and promoting gut health.
With a water content of over 90%, lauki is an excellent vegetable for keeping the body hydrated and cool, especially during warmer months.
The gravy, made from tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and various spices, is packed with antioxidants like lycopene and allicin, which help combat oxidative stress in the body.
The use of besan (gram flour) in the koftas provides a good amount of plant-based protein, which is essential for muscle repair and overall body function.
One serving of Lauki Kofta Curry contains approximately 350-450 calories, depending on the amount of oil absorbed during frying and the use of fresh cream. Using healthier cooking methods like baking can reduce the calorie count.
It has both healthy and indulgent aspects. The base ingredient, lauki (bottle gourd), is very healthy, low in calories, and high in fiber and water. However, the traditional preparation involves deep-frying the koftas, which adds significant fat and calories. The gravy is nutritious, made with tomatoes, onions, and spices. To make it healthier, consider baking or air-frying the koftas.
Absolutely! For a healthier alternative, you can cook the koftas in an appe (paniyaram) pan with a few drops of oil, or bake them in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Koftas can become hard if you add too much besan (gram flour) to the mixture or if you over-mix it. The mixture should be just thick enough to hold its shape. It should feel light and airy.
This usually happens for two reasons: either the koftas were not fried properly and were still soft inside, or they were boiled in the gravy for too long. Always add the koftas to the gravy just before serving and simmer gently for only 2-3 minutes.
Yes, it's easy to make this dish vegan. Simply replace the ghee with a neutral vegetable oil and either skip the fresh cream or use a dairy-free alternative like cashew cream or a splash of full-fat coconut milk.