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.