Lauki & Millets Kofta Curry.
Talk about being resourceful, and trying to put up a healthy meal for the family. This bottle gourd, leftover millets and cottage cheese balls are made in aebleskiver pan (appe pan) with minimal oil. Once again, it’s the Indian superfoods on a plate. These kofta balls in luscious onion, tomato and coconut gravy are a bliss to the taste buds.
I have used some leftover cooked foxtail millets, grated bottle gourd and cottage cheese to make this. You can add more vegetables if you want or add tofu or potatoes instead of paneer. Cooked in minimal oil, and then dunked them in onion-tomato gravy. Served them with humble chapatis. You can opt to serve with naan, kulchas or rumaali rotis.
Our grannies say that gourd veggies are supposed to be consumed during monsoons and leafy greens like spinach are to be avoided. This is because the leafy vegetables could be the breeding ground for the germs and might not be safe for consumption. As always, there is so much wisdom and logic in our Indian cultural food.
If you like this lauki & millets kofta curry, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handles.
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Lauki & Millet Kofta Curry
Ingredients
For Koftas
- 1 Cup Bottle gourd/lauki Grated
- 1/2 Cup Foxtail millets Cooked and cooled to room temperature
- 1/3 Cup Cottage cheese/paneer Grated. Or use potatoes or tofu
- 3-4 Pcs Green chillies Finely chopped
- 1/4 Cup Coriander leaves Chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/2 Tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/4 Cup Gram flour
- 2 Tbsp Rice flour
- Water as required
- Oil as required
- 1/8 Tsp ENO/baking soda
For Curry
- 3/4 Cup Onions paste
- 1 Cup Tomato purée
- 6-7 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1.5 Inches Ginger minced
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Fresh and grated
- 3+1 Tbsp Fresh cream or coconut cream
- 2 Tbsp Cooking oil
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Pc Star anise
- 2 Pcs Green cardamom
- 6-7 Pcs Whole black pepper
- 1/8 Cup Coriander leaves Chopped
- 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 Tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 Tsp Roasted cumin powder
- 1.5 Tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 Tsp Garam masala
- 1/2 Tsp Kasuri methi
- Salt to taste
- 1/2-3/4 Tsp Sugar Optional
Instructions
To make koftas
- Squeeze the grated lauki. Mix all the ingredients together except oil. It should be semi thick coarse batter like mix. Use water/lauki water as required. Add ENO/soda and activate it with a tsp of water. Mix it only when it’s ready to go in the pan. I kept the batter is little on the wetter side and my koftas were melt in mouth soft.
- In an aebleskiver/appe pan, brush the cavities with oil. Pour a scoop of batter in each cavity. Cover and cook for 7-8 mins. Flip them and again cook uncovered for another 5-6 mins or until they turn golden brown from all sides.
- Take it out and keep aside.
To make curry
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the whole spices and cumin seeds. Let it cook until it turns fragrant.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook it for a min. Add the onion paste and let it cook until the onion turns golden brownish.
- Add in the tomato purée and cook it until it releases oil. Add salt and dry powdered spices except garam masala and kasuri methi. Cook everything for 2 mins. Add fresh coconut. Let it all cook together for 2-3 mins on low flame. Remove the whole spices.
- Add fresh cream or coconut cream and mix it well. Cook until it again releases oil.
- Add water. Cover and cook it for 7-8 mins on low flame on until the oil floats on top. At this stage I used an immersion blender to blend everything smooth (optional).
- Add kasuri methi and garam masala. Add sugar to balance. Taste and adjust seasonings.Add the kofta balls and switch off the flame.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut and 1 tbsp more cream. Enjoy!
Very Good…!
Thanks Shireen…