Stuffed lauki koftas

A pretty and different way to serve up a lauki kofta. Not fried too! This stuffing is of paneer and palak, you can even use mashed potatoes or any other stuffing of your choice.
Take a lauki that is not too thick so that it cooks through well.


Ingredients
1 medium lauki

For the stuffing
1 cup grated paneer
1/4 boiled chopped spinach (optional)
7-8 raisins
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons oil

For the gravy
2 medium onions, grated
3 large tomatoes,grated
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
salt to taste

To garnish
Dhanya
Grated cheese

1) Peel the lauki, peel and cut into 3 inch pieces. Scoop out the pulp (see pic 1 )
2) In a thick pan, put the lauki pieces and a little salt sprinkled over them. Cover tight with a lid and let it cook in the steam for ten minutes. This is just to make the lauki slightly tender. Remove and cool
3) Mix all the ingredients of the filling and stuff tightly into the lauki pieces
4) Heat two tablespoons of oil in the same pan and place the stuffed lauki pieces along the sides of the lauki. Cook till the pieces are browned along the sides. Keep turning the pieces once one side gets cooked.
5) When done, cool the lauki and slice into 1 cm thick pinwheels. Place on a tray
6) Prepare the gravy as the usual kofta gravy. Heat oil, fry the ginger ,garlic. Then fry the onions till nicely browned. Add all the masalas and salt and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and fry till the oil leaves the sides. Add water to get a thick gravy
7) Just before serving, pour the gravy over the koftas. Garnish with dhanya and grated cheese
8) Serve warm with parathas