How about combining a healthy vegetable with a rich and tasty gravy. Sounds interesting ain’t it? Bottlegourd is known for a lot of health benefits. However it is not a popular favorite..infact a lot of people stay away from it..for its not very appealing look or whatever. I guess that’s the reason this kofta recipe was born!
Doodhi kofta is bottle gourd dumplings in rich gravy. The dumplings are camouflaged with spices, deep fried in oil and then soaked in the rich gravy. Seems mouthwatering but definitely not healthy.. Right?..ok that’s why I decided to give it a little twist by baking the koftas. That way it would be healthy and we don’t have to compromise with the taste. So let’s begin..
Ingredients:
For the kofta
- 1 medium bottle gourd
- 1 boiled potato
- 1 tablespoon ginger and green chilli paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 pinch fenugreek powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chick pea flour (Besan)
- Salt
- Finely chopped coriander
For the gravy- 1 onion
- 4-5 medium tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 10-12 cashews
- 2 tablespoon curd
- Salt
- Fresh Coriander
Procedure:
Lets prepare the koftas first.
Grate the bottle gourd and boiled potato in a food processor or grater (kaddu kas).
Add all the other wet and dry ingredients required for the kofta.
Divide the mixture into equal parts and make small balls.
Dust them with some all purpose flour.
Grease a baking pan and bake the kofta balls at 350 degrees farenheit till they are brown ( about 45-50 minutes).
Now while the koftas are getting ready let’s prepare the gravy.
Roast the cashews, grind them into a powder and keep them aside.
In a kadai/wok fry the onions till golden. Add the tomatoes and stir well.
Add ginger garlic paste.Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and curd.
Keep stirring till all the raw smell has disappeared and it forms a smooth paste.Add the cashew powder and cook for a minute. Then turn of the gas.
Once the koftas are ready add them to the gravy and heat for 2-3 minutes. You can do this just before serving.
Garnish with coriander and serve with hot rotis, phulkas,nan or plain rice.
Notes:
You may deep fry the koftas in oil if it is not possible to bake them.
You can follow this recipe by skipping the onions and garlic. It still tastes amazing !
