Zucchini Kofta Curry: Taroi (Galka) Ke Kofte Ki Subji

And there you have another kofta recipe. This is more like a requested recipe. A week back a reader emailed me asking for an interesting and yet healthy zucchini recipe. In Hindi zucchini is called as taroi, tori, turai or galka. In India people think it is boring and a very pale vegetable. Only when I moved to London I realized that is a very versatile ingredient, people have used it in cakes, pasta dishes, sushi rolls and what not.

I wanted to produce a recipe that is Indian and ofcourse healthy too. Dont you think zucchini is like bottle gourd (luaki) in taste and texture? I do, and that's why just like Lauki Kofta Curry, I made koftas out of zucchini too. For a healthy twist, all you need is paniyaram pan and little extra time. I said little extra time because these koftas are made on a very slow flame and that what helps to give the perfect texture. You need to cover the pan and keep an eye so that it cooks evenly from all the sides and there you will have crisp on outside and soft from inside koftas- don’t forget zero oil :)

Trust me Zucchini Kofta Curry/Subji will be your favorite. Dunk these koftas in tomato gravy or yogurt gravy and enjoy its hot scoops with moong daal parathas or methi theplas.

Ingredients:

(For Kofta)

1 large zucchini/taroi

2 tablespoons chickpeas flour/besan

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf

1 green chilli

1 garlic clove/lehsun

1 teaspoon coriander leaves/dhaniya

(For Gravy)

3 medium tomatoes

2 onions/pyaz

1/2 inch ginger/adrak

5 cloves garlic/lehsun

1 green chilli

2 tablespoon yogurt

2 tablespoon oil

Pinch asafoetida/hing

1 teaspoon cumin seed /jeera

1 tablespoon gram flour/basen

1 tablespoon coriander powder/dhania

1/2 teaspoon turmeric /haldi

1/2 teaspoon salt -adjust to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper powder/lal mirch

2 tablespoon finally chopped coriander/hara dhania

1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

(For Kofta)

Peel the skin of zucchini and grate it finely. Add 2 pinches of salt in it and leave it for 2 minutes.

Chop green chilli, garlic and coriander leaves finely.

Squeeze out water from grated zucchini. Apply pressure with your palms and squeeze as much water as possible.

In a mixing bowl add everything together and make soft dough.

Heat paniyaram pan on a high heat, when it gets hot turn the flame to low. Make balls from the dough and put into each whole (cavity) of the pan. Cover and cook when it turns golden brown in colour.

Keep turning the koftas and cook till all the sides are crisp.

(For Gravy)

Blend the tomatoes, green chillies, garlic, onions and ginger to make a puree.

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high. Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds and gram flour. Stir for minutes.

Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, and cook on medium heat until the tomato mixture starts leaving the oil and reduces to about half in quantity.

Next add yogurt and cook for another minute.

Add about 1 cup of water and the salt. As it comes to boil reduce the heat to medium-low and let the gravy cook for few minutes.

Add the prepared koftas and let it simmer for another 7 to 8 minutes.

Turn of the heat and add the coriander and cover the pot.

Notes:

Once you mix everything together, don’t delay in making the koftas because the salt will make the dough watery.

These are absolutely no oil koftas, however you can add little oil in each whole of the paniyaram pan for more crispy koftas.

Paniyaram pans are easily available and I use the non stick one. You can buy one from here as well.

Serving suggestions:

Serve them with any Indian bread-roti, parathas or naan.

Serve along with rice or pulav.

For the complete Punjabi thali serve it with paneer butter massala, aloo chole and dal makhani.

More Kofta Curry:

Lauki Kofta in 1 Tablespoon oil

Paneer Kofta 

Cabbage Kofta 

Dahiwale Luaki Kofta

Lauki Kofta In Tomato Gravy, 1 Tablespoon Oil Subji

What’s there in a name?? Lauki, ghiya, doodhi or bottle gourd whatever you name it, the fact that it is a very healthy vegetable and no name can change this feature.  Digestion problems, want to lose weight, need good skin and hair consume bottle gourd-period!! So once a week no matter what I make use of lauki, be it lauki theplas, or dahi vali lauki ki subji or lauki muffins. 

Today’s post is lauki kofta in tomato gravy. Just a week back I posted low fat lauki kofta recipe, the same koftas are used dunked in tomato curry. This curry is very Punjabi and north Indian style as this contains lot of spices, ginger and garlic. All these spices are cooked on low heat with onion and ginger garlic paste, and finally tomato is added followed by handful of Indian spices-the result is rich and flavorful curry.

Also, it has just 1 tablespoon of oil in this recipe, I mean why use more oil when you are actually are making use low fat zero oil koftas. So indeed this is a healthy curry, with no compromise in texture and taste.

Before I move ahead and share the recipe, please see the low fat lauki kofta recipe.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion chopped

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

1 large tomato chopped

1 tablespoon oil

Pinch asafoetida/hing

1 bay leaf/tej patta

1 black cardamom/badi elaychi

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1/4 teaspoon garam massala powder

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat oil in wok/kadai. When hot add in cumin seeds, asafoetida, bay leaf and black cardamom.

Then add ginger garlic paste and chopped onion. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook on medium heat till onions are cooked.

Add chopped tomatoes and all the spices. Add another 1/2 cup of water and turn down heat to low. Cook covered for 10 minutes or till tomatoes are done.

Let this cool down. In the grinder add 1/2 cup of water and above mixture and blend everything together into smooth gravy.

Heat the wok again and boil the gravy. Add more water if needed. Finally mix in chopped coriander leaves.

Add koftas just before serving.

Notes:

I used less oil and thus I kept adding water, you can use more oil and less water :)

If the gravy is not thick enough, dilute 1/2 teaspoon of corn flour in 1 tablespoon of water and add when you boil the gravy.

You can use the same gravy for paneer koftas or cabbage koftas.

Garam massala is available in any Indian grocery store, if you want the recipe, see here.

Serving suggestions.

Serve with any Indian bread-parathas, puri or theplas.

Serve as a side with rice, biryani or pulav.

You can make the complete Punjabi thali, add  in with-  dal makhani, jeera rice and kulchas.

For rajasthani thali pair it with  marwadi lehsun ki chutney and marwadi methi daal.

For gujarati thali, serve it with aloo tamatar nu shaak, khamman dhokla and keri nu ras.

Low Fat Zero Oil Lauki Kofta

It all happened after I posted this picture on my Facebook page, everyone is excited, shocked and eager to know if it is really possible? My friends and family cannot believe that this is true; they want to know how I did it. Okay, no more suspense, I am talking about low fat kofta recipe. Koftas are deep fried, loaded with calories but here I present before you zero oil kofta recipe. I have been making kofta this way for over 3 years now, it’s just that I am posting it up on my blog today to prove my friends and family that it is true and I am not lying :)

This is lauki kofta recipe but you can make paneer kofta or cabbage kofta too this way. Lockey, ghiya dudhi or bottle gourd whatever you call it, it is the fact that is very healthy and a must have if weight loss is in your mind. It is high in dietary fibre and it contains 96% water and that is why, I always try to include lauki in my diet either by having lauki theplas or even lauki muffins. Remember there is no diet that will do what healthy eating does:)

To make koftas without oil, all you need is paniyaram pan and little extra time. Grate the vegetables, seasoned with any spices you wish and add binding flour, here I used gram flour also know as chickpeas flour or besan. I said little extra time because these koftas are made on a very slow flame and that what helps to give the perfect texture. You need to cover the pan and keep an eye so that it cooks evenly from all the sides and there you will have crisp on outside and soft from inside koftas- don’t forget zero oil :)You can dump these koftas in curry or just have it plain with chutney of your choice. Here is how to make Low Fat Lauki Kofta.

Ingredients:

1 large bottle gourd/lauki

2 tablespoons chickpeas flour/besan

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf

1 green chilli

1 garlic clove/lehsun

1 teaspoon coriander l eaves/dhaniya

Method:

Peel the skin of lauki and grate it finely. Add 2 pinches of salt in the grated lauki and leave it for 2 minutes.

Chop green chilli, garlic and coriander leaves finely.

Squeeze out water from grated lauki. Apply pressure with your palms and squeeze as much water as possible.

In a mixing bowl add everything together and make soft dough.

Heat paniyaram pan on a high heat, when its very hot turn the flame to low. Make balls from the dough and put into each whole (cavity) of the pan. Cover and cook when it turns golden brown in colour.

Keep turning the koftas and cook till all the sides are crisp. Serve hot.

Notes:

Once you mix everything together, don’t delay in making the koftas because the salt will make the dough watery.

You can add coriander seeds, red chilli powder or any kind of spices or massala of your choice.

These are absolutely no oil koftas, however you can add little oil in each whole of the paniyaram pan for more crispy koftas.

Paniyaram pans are easily available and I use the non stick one. You can buy one from here as well.

Serving suggestions:

You can use these koftas in dahi vali gravy (yogurt gravy).

Serve them as it is with chutney or raita.

Wrap these koftas in tortilla wraps or pita pockets with some fresh salad and sauces.

Cabbage Kofta Curry, Perfect Side Dish

Kofta curries are my favourite and I prefer them any day. By the koftas are fried pakoras balls simmered in spicy gravy and there many variations of making it. I made lauki kofta in curd gravy and I got some nice response there. I have tried making the royal paneer koftas too (which is my much-loved dish). This time I attempted making koftas using cabbage and I find it irresistible now. As inexpensive as cabbage is, it is one of the richest when it comes to protective vitamins.

Grated cabbage is mixed with little gram flour and spices which in turn produces crispy pakoras. Later these fried pakoras are immersed in hot and spicy tomato gravy. Now, Mr. Husband is not a very huge fan of cabbage, so I fooled him saying that those were lauki koftas and he relished every bite. Ofcourse I did tore the veil later and he smiled and said- really? You must make them often *happy dance*. So, If like me you are bored making same cabbage dry subzi then you have to give this dish a shot.  

Ingredients:

For Koftas:

2 cup shredded cabbage /patha gobhi

3/4 cup gram flour or as needed

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed /jeera

2 teaspoon chopped coriander/hara dhania

1 teaspoon shredded ginger/adrak

1 chopped green chilli/hari mirch

1 teaspoon salt

Oil to fry

For Gravy:

3 medium tomatoes

2 onions/pyaz

1/2 inch ginger/adrak

5 cloves garlic/lehsun

1 green chilli

2 tablespoon yogurt

2 tablespoon oil

Pinch asafoetida/hing

1 teaspoon cumin seed /jeera

1 tablespoon gram flour/basen

1 tablespoon coriander powder/dhania

1/2 teaspoon turmeric /haldi

1/2 teaspoon salt -adjust to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper powder/lal mirch

2 tablespoon finally chopped coriander/hara dhania

1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

For Koftas:

Mix together all the kofta (dumpling) ingredients. Adjust gram flour as needed to make a texture of very soft dough.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat.

Check if the oil is ready, just put one small piece of the mix in the oil, it should sizzle and come up right away.

Slowly drop about 1 tablespoon of the dumpling mixture into the frying pan one at a time.

Fry the koftas in small batches.Turn the koftas occasionally. Fry the koftas until they turn golden-brown all around.

Gravy:

Blend the tomatoes, green chillies, garlic, onions and ginger to make a puree.

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-high. Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds and gram flour.Stir for minutes.

Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, and cook on medium heat until the tomato mixture starts leaving the oil and reduces to about half in quantity.

Next add yogurt and cook for another minute.

Add about 1½ cups of water and the salt. As it comes to boil reduce the heat to medium-low and let the gravy cook for few minutes.

Add the prepared koftas and let it simmer for another 7 to 8 minutes.

Turn of the heat and add the coriander and cover the pot.

Notes:

Make the dumpling mix just before you are ready to fry the koftas otherwise it will become watery.

Just omit garlic and onion if you don’t like in the gravy.

Taste:

Spicy, soft and hot

Paneer Kofta Curry / Cottage Cheese Dumplings Curry- A Royal Treat

Paneer is like a chicken for vegetarians. Whenever we have some special guests coming at our place for dinner or lunch one thing that will always be there in the menu is Paneer. Let it be matar paneer, achari paneer, paneer corn burji, malai palak paneer, paneer tikka masala, kadai paneer or the most royal one -Paneer butter masala.

One can make so many dishes from paneer. Our good old Indian cheese is so versatile that it is used in starters, main course, parathas and even desserts. I made paneer some days back and I did not have time to wait till paneer firms to be cubed out. Thus I had to use the curdled panner, so I opted to make paneer kofta curry. Hmmm! What else, it started raining and the weather played an important role in setting the stage :-) Below are the Ingredients

Ingredients:

For The Koftas:

Crumbled Paneer-2 cups
Bread slice-2
Red Chilli Powder/lal mirch-1/2teaspoons
Salt- to taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves/dhaniya -2tablespoon
Chat Masala Powder-1/4 teaspoon
Oil-For Deep Frying

For The Gravy:

Butter/Makkan-3 tablespoon
Tomato/ tamatar-3
Onion/ Pyaz-2
Garlic/ Lehsun -5 cloves
Ginger/ adrak-a small piece
Garam Masala-1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder/ lal mirch -1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder/ haldi-1/4 teaspoon
Clove/ laung-1
Cinnamon/dal chini-a small piece
Coriander Leaves/ dhaniya-2 tablespoon

Method:

For Koftas:

• Mix all the ingredients along with the bread slices to form soft dough.
• Heat oil in a kadai/wok
• Divide the dough into equal parts and shape each portion into a ball.
• Deep fry the balls until golden.
• Keep it aside.

For the Gravy:

• Grind tomatoes to form puree.
• In a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and ginger to a coarse paste.
• Heat butter and when it starts melting add cinnamon and clove.
• Add chopped onions and saute till golden.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
• Add the tomato paste along with the red chilli and garam masala.
• Add salt and turmeric. Mix well and let it cook until dry. When butter starts floating, add enough water to bring it to gravy consistency. 
• When it boils, add the koftas and coriander leaves and switch flame to low.
• Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot with any flat bread.

Notes:

• Red chilli powder can be adjusted as per one's taste.
• Bread can be replaced with 1 medium size boiled mashed potatoes.
• If paneer is not home made, then grate it with grater and then use.

Taste:

Soft dumplings in spicy sauce 

Look more paneer recipes here

Lauki Kofta Ki Dahivali Curry/Fried Bottlegroud Dumplings In Yougurt Sauce

Bottle gourd in India is known by many names; people call it lauki, doodhi, ghiya-and It is a very nutritious vegetable. I love pretty much any kofta-based recipe and lauki kofta has been on my mind for ages now.Last year when I went to mom-in-law's place she taught me how to make this curry. So here comes my thanks to her. Enjoy with rice, roti or parthas.

Ingredients :

Grated Lauki/Bottleguord  – 1 cup

Besan/Gram flour/Chickpea flour – couple of spoons to bind the koftas

Yoghurt/Curd/Dahi -1.5 cups

Cashew nut powder/Kaju ka powder – 2 tsp

Onion – 1 medium finely chopped

Green chillies – 2 chopped

Coriander/Dhaniya powder – 2 tbsp

Chilli powder -1 tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric/Haldi powder – a pinch

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Mix the grated luaki with little salt and keep it aside for 5 mins. Now sqeeze out as much water as you can out of the lauki and mix it with little besan and chilli powder. The quantity of besan should be just enough to bind the koftas and to absorb the little moisture it has.
2. Now heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the koftas to golden brown. Keep aside the koftas in a tissue or kitchen towel to drain the excess oil
3. Now to make the gravy add a spoonful of oil in a skillet and splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. Then add green chillies and onions with little salt.
4. Once the onion gets cooked, whisk up the yoghurt nicely with coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and add it to the skillet. Keep stirring frequently so that the yoghurt does not fall apart. Let it simmer for around 5 minutes
5. Now add the powdered cashews and then bring it to a boil and switch it off. The cashew powder just thickens sauce a bit.
6. Put all the fried koftas in the gravy and mix.

Eat piping hot with bread or rice.