Lauki Kofta Curry
Healthy Indian lauki (bottle gourd) koftas in a light tomato-onion gravy — easy, beginner-friendly and ideal for weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash, peel and grate the lauki (bottle gourd). Squeeze the grated lauki well to remove excess water and reserve the liquid for the gravy.
- In a bowl, combine the squeezed lauki with gram flour, red chili powder, garam masala, chopped green chili and salt. Mix well to form a dough-like mixture.
- Shape the mixture into small round koftas (balls) using lightly oiled palms.
- Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Shallow fry (or air-fry / pan-fry) the koftas until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.
- In the same pan, add a little oil. Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic (and green chili if using). Sauté until onions turn translucent.
- Add chopped tomatoes and broken cashews. Cook until tomatoes soften and oil starts leaving from the sides.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to roast the spices.
- Pour in reserved lauki juice (or regular water) and bring to a simmer. Let the gravy cook for 8–10 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Add garam masala powder, stir and taste for salt. Then gently add the fried koftas into the gravy. Simmer 5 more minutes so koftas absorb some gravy.
- Turn off heat. Garnish with chopped coriander (optional). Serve hot with roti, naan, or steamed rice.
Notes
For a healthier version, you can air-fry or shallow fry the koftas instead of deep frying. You can also skip cashews for a lighter gravy. Taste a small piece of raw lauki before using — if it tastes bitter, discard it and choose another lauki.
Abhinav is the Founder of Diet Dekho, helping people manage weight and lifestyle health through simple, practical nutrition and personalized diet plans.