Dudhi/Lauki Kofta Curry

Dudhi is such a mild veggie that I usually like to cook it with minimum spices. But last weekend, I found such tender dudhi (bottle gourd) at the Indian store that I splurged and bought extra. After making my regular dudhi chi bhaji and some dudhi theplas, I still had one dudhi leftover. So I decided to make Dudhi/lauki kofta curry.

Here's how I made it:

For the koftas -

1 c. grated dudhi - squeezed to remove as much water as

4 tbsp lightly roasted gram flour

1 tbsp rice flour

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd or to taste

1 tsp salt or to taste

Mix all of the above. For into balls (makes about 25 - 30). Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on a paper napkin.

For the curry -

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 chopped green chilli (more or less depending on heat level desired)

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/2 tsp red chilli pwd

1/2 tsp garam masala pwd

1/2 tsp Kitchen King masala pwd

1 tsp kasuri methi

1 tsp salt or to taste

2 tsp oil

Heat the oil. Fry the onions till lightly browned. Add the green chilli, ginger, garlic & fry 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and fry for 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin pwd, coriander pwd, red chilli pwd and salt. Fry 2-3 mins. Take off heat. Cool slightly and grind in mixie. Degree of coarseness is as desired. Return the curry to the pan, add the garam masala, kasuri methi & kitchen king masala. Mix well & heat thru. All the koftas and bring to a gentle boil. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro. This dish goes well with any kind of Indian bread.