Lauki Kofta Curry, the Best Vegan Recipe

This recipe for gluten-free and vegan lauki kofta is creamy, warming, spicy, and inviting. It's easy to cook and with minimal ingredients.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Ingredients

Instructions

Make the Lauki Kofta

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 medium potato and cook until knife tender. Drain, cool, and peel. Next, grate the potato into a cheesecloth.
Peel 1 medium lauki (bottle gourd) (use a vegetable peeler) and grate it into the same cheesecloth. Now, bring the cheesecloth together and squeeze all excess water into a bowl. We'll use this water later, so keep it!
Transfer the squeezed potato and lauki into a mixing bowl. It should be much drier now. To the same bowl, add 3 tablespoons chickpea flour, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, sea salt to taste, and 1 tablespoon cornflour. Mix well, then shape into small balls (or patties).

Fry the Lauki Kofta

In a large kadai, deep saucepan, or deep fat fryer, preheat 1 litre oil to about 180℃ (356℉).
Add 1 tablespoon cornflour to a small bowl and add your shaped balls. Toss the balls in the cornflour until they're coated in starch.
Once the oil comes to temperature, gently lower the kofta into the oil. Fry in small batches until golden brown, then drain on a kitchen towel. Repeat the process, then turn off the heat.

Make the Lauki Kofta Curry Gravy

Place a large kadai (or deep-sided frying pan) over low heat. Add 2 medium tomatoes (quartered), 140 g onion (quartered), 80 g cashew nuts, and the reserved water from squeezing the lauki and potato to the kadai. Cook this mixture until everything softens; about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender, cool, and then puree until smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same kadai or deep-sided frying pan. Turn the heat up to medium. Once the oil heats, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. They should crackle. Next, add 1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste and sauté for around 30 seconds, until the raw smell fades.
Next, add the pureed tomato-onion-cashew paste to the pan. I pass it through a sieve for the BEST velvety texture.
Immediately add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, and sea salt to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, for around 3-5 minutes, or until the oil separates from the sides of the gravy.
Once the oil separates, add 300 ml water to adjust the consistency. Keep cooking until you reach the thickness you like.
Sprinkle over ¼ teaspoon garam masala and ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (crush between your palms before adding). Add 1 tablespoon vegan cream to reduce the punchiness and stir everything through. Turn off the heat and serve.

Notes

* If you would rather not deep-fry the lauki kofta, you can use an air-fryer instead. Spray your basket with oil and preheat the air fryer to around 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Air-fry for around 20 minutes, turning halfway.