Description
Veggie style kofta made grated bottle gourd, baked and served in spicy tomato onion sauce. Normally in any kofta the meat or veggie balls are deep fried and then served with a thick rich sauce. Here I've baked the veggie balls and served in a light sauce.
Doodhi Kofta / Dudhi Kofta / Surakkai Kofta / Sorrakkai Kofta / Cheraikai Kofta / Sorakaya Kofta / Sorekai / Lauki Kofta / Bottlegourd Kofta Curry / Maharashtrian / Kofta Curry / Kofta masala
| Ingredients-1 | |
|---|---|
| 2 cup | Bottle gourd (shredded) |
| 3 no | Onion shallots( chopped) |
| 1 inch | Ginger (finely chopped) |
| 2 nos | Green chili (finely chopped) (medium) |
| 1 pinch | Baking soda |
| 3 tbsp | Besan flour (kadalai maavu) |
| ¼ tsp | Red chili powder |
| 2 pinch | Ajwain powder |
| ½ cup | Coriander leaves (chopped ) |
| ¼ tsp | Salt |
| ½ no | Potato (boiled and mashed) |
| Ingredients-2 | |
|---|---|
| 2 nos | Onion (roughly chopped) |
| 2 nos | Tomato (ripe, chopped) |
| 1 inch | Ginger (crushed) |
| 3 clove | Garlic (crushed) |
| 1 no | Green chili (slit open) |
| 3 nos | Cashews |
| 1 tsp | Poppy seeds |
| 1 tsp | Cumin seeds |
| ¼ tsp | Turmeric powder |
| 1 tsp | Red chili powder |
| 2 tsp | Coriander powder |
| ½ tsp | Garam masala powder |
| ½ tsp | Salt (or to taste) |
| 4 tsp | Oil (for gravy) |
| 1 tsp | Oil (for veggie saute) |
| ½ cup | Low fat milk |
| 2 stks | Corainder leaves (chopped for garnishing) |
Instructions
For Kofta: Wash, peel the skin, cut open, remove the spongy tissue from inside and grate the bottle gourd flesh. Half a bottle gourd should yield about 2 cups of grated flesh. Place the grated bottle gourd in a colander and sprinkle little salt over it. Let it stay for 10 minutes, slowly the gourd will release water. Squeeze tightly to drain all the water from the flesh and keep aside. Boil the pototo with little water and cook thoroughly. Let cool and mash it with your hands or grate and keep aside.
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small pan, add the ingredients from table-1 chopped shallots, green chilies and ginger. Saute for few minutes, add the drained bottle gourd flesh, chilli powder, ajwain powder and salt. Fry for few seconds and switch off. Let cool completely, add baking soda, garam flour, mashed potato and chopped corainder and mix well to form a thick dough. Shape them into small golf size balls and keep aside . (This recipe makes 10 to 12 golf ball size koftas)
At this stage you can either choose to deep fry or bake the koftas. If deep frying heat oil in a kadai and fry till golden and keep aside. I've choosen to bake mine and here's how you proceed..
Preheat oven to 400 F, lightly grease a baking sheet, line the koftas leaving little space between each and bake for 35 minutes placing them in the middle rack. Turn them a couple of times inbetween to brown them evenly.
When done try to remove carefully, as quickly lifting out of the sheet could break the koftas. This is how they look after baking. Only problem with baking is its doesn't look evenly browned but will be perfectly cooked through. I'm 
though !!
For gravy: Heat 3 tsp oil in a sauce pan, splutter cumin seeds, fry roughly chopped onion, ginger, galic and green chili till lightly brown and add chopped tomatoes. Cook till tender and soft (avoid tomato skin if possible). Swtich off and let cool completely. Grind this along with cashew and poppy seeds to make a thick paste adding little water. Again heat up the pan, add the remaining oil, cook the gravy adding turmeric powder, red chili powder, corainder powder, garam masala and salt. This should take about few minutes. Now add the milk and simmer until it thickens to desired consistency. Add the baked koftas, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with paratha or roti.
Notes
I've included low fat milk and did the entire prepartion with light olive oil to make it low fat. You may go for the other version by adding cream, garnish with dry fruits and nuts toasted in ghee, increase the cashew count and saute in butter to make it rich and creamy.
Potato is mainly added to act as a glue to hold the veggie, you may also substitute with little white corn flour. You can also substitute baking soda with 1/4 tsp baking powder.
Yield: Serves 4 approx.
Comments
16 responses to “Bottle Gourd Kofta”
Hi
I liked best was you baked koftas. Can we freeze them or not. As I stay in a place where it is hard to get indian veggies. I bring them from the city. I look for recepies which can be mostly freezed.
Thks for sharing.
Mullai, I made this gravy and it turned out to be very tasty!! i baked the koftas and followed ur steps and the result was awesome..thx for sharing.
Mullai,
I like your healthy version of kofta, I am planning to make this recipe with cabbage instead of bottle gourd.
Swathi, cabbage, pumpkin or zucchini suits well, even exotic mixed veggies will taste wonderful. Good luck.
Hi
very nice reciepe and also different receipe,
I have doubt you said we can fry the kofta when frying It won’t break the kofta, because I am not having oven. Or we can cook it itli maker,
regards
amudha
Amutha, it will never break while deep frying. Check the oil temperature, try a sample, adjust with more besan flour, if there's a problem and then proceed. You can always shallow fry too, anything which is comfortbale. Adapt to suit your needs. thanks.
Mullai-na Mullai thaannu nirubichiteenga…
Really the recipe looks so attractive and nice with well explained step by step pictures……..Wonderful work Mullai
Ur creativity is Unique!!!!
Sadhana Raveen
mullai i searched for this receipe thanks for sharing. gravy color is looking very nice…
Hi Mullai,
Different recipe !
Looks very delicious!
wow. looks so inviting:-)
I tried a similar version earlier on my own, but without potatoes. i think the potatoes will do a good job. When i made, the koftas were soggy and delicate. This time i am sure they would be firm due to potatoes.
and this , baking idea sounds excellent.
Mullai,
This is new and different recipe. Have not tried koftas with bottlegourd. Healthy splendid recipe which quenches the taste buds. Thanks for sharing.
wow tempting…i like koftas….will try soon.
Koftas In gravy..looks yummy..really mouth watering pics..thanks for sharing Mullai..
Always wondered what else to do with bottle gourd other than kootu..now a different version,that too baking the koftas makes it calories friendly..the koftas in the gravy looks delicious.great job mullai!!!
wow nice to have variety of recipes that too delicious