Peel and grate Bottle gourd. Discard the centre pulp seeds region. Add salt .. keep aside for 10 mins.

After abt 10 mins, bottle gourd would have left water. Now squeeze the excess water , thoroughly. Repeat the squeezing step 2-3 times.

Make sure to remove water from bottle gourd thoroughly. Reserve the juice to be used in the curry later.

To the squeezed bottle gourd .. add salt, haldi, red chilli powder, ajwain, coriander leaves, besan and rice flour.

Combine everything without adding water. Dough for Kofta is ready. Make sure it's not too gooey. Also, don't add too much besan, the taste of bottle gourd will be lost.

Shape as small balls to make koftas .

Deep fry or shallow fry the koftas in appe pan . Keep the fame on low .. else the centre wouldn't be cooked and the outer cover would have got browned quickly.

When Koftas are golden, drain on tissue. Keep aside.

To make gravy, Add a tsp of oil to a pan / kadai . Saute Onion, ginger garlic and green chilli.

Once Onion's are translucent, add chopped tomatoes, salt and almonds/cashew. Saute till tomatoes turn mushy.

Cool down and grind it a fine paste.

To the same kadai, add oil/oil + Butter/butter. Temper cumin seeds and Bay leaf. After jeera splutters.. add haldi and red chilli. Saute for 10 -20 seconds. Adding red chilli to hot oil while tadka gives a good deep red color to the gravy.

In goes .. ground onion - tomato paste. Saute for 3-4 mins.

Add little curd, dhania powder and crushed kasoori methi .Saute for 1-2 mins till raw smell of curd goes.

After masala is sauteed well .. add bottle gourd juice, that we had kept aside. Mix. If required add some more water. Bring the gravy to boil...

When gravy is boiling , drop kofta into the curry and add garam masala powder. Simmer and boil for 4-5 mins.

Lastly, garnish Lauki kofta curry with chopped coriander leaves and with little cream.

Enjoy tasty creamy lauki kofta curry with choice of flatbread like naan / chapathi / roti or serve it with jeera rice etc .