Doodhi Kofta Curry

Most people consider doodhi / white pumpkin to be a very tasteless and not very exotic vegetable like peas, cauliflower etc. However, since childhood a particular doodhi dish prepared by our cook at home was a favourite with all of us. His doodhi kofta curry was absolutely melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Because the cooks name was Martin, all of us named the dish Martin's curry. I would like to share this old family recipe with you. Maybe you will be inspired to try it out sometime.

Ingredients
250 gms Doodhi / Pumpkin (peeled and grated)
3 tbsps gram flour / besan
3 - 4 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
2 medium sized onions finely chopped
3tsps finely chopped ginger
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp jeera/ cumminseed
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
Few coriander leaves finely chopped
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Procedure

In a bowl mix grated pumpkin, gram flour, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1/2 tsp jeera seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1 chopped green chilli, some coriander leaves and salt and mix together. Heat oil in a kadai and take one tbsp of the Doodhi mixture on your palm, flatten like a cutlet and drop slowly into the hot oil. Fry on medium heat. Gently turn over till both sides are golden brown. Remove on white tissue. Fry all koftas like this and keep aside. Heat 2 - 3 tbsps oil in a pressure cooker. Add the remaining 1/2 tsps jeera seeds, 2 tsps grated ginger and 1 chopped green chilli. Lower flame and add chopped onions. Cook on low flame till onions are golden brown. Now add chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, jeera powder, turmeric and cook till tomoatoes are well blended. Add 3 cups of hot water and salt to taste and cook for 10 minutes on low flame after the cooker whistle blows. When cool open the cooker and blend the curry to a smooth paste either with a hand blender or wooden mixer. Add the fried koftas to this gravy and cook for 2 - 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in a glass dish.

This dish goes well with roti, naan or bread.