Hearty Dinner - Bengali Pulao with Lauki Kofta

The days are very long nowadays, the sky being bright till almost 7o’clock. This is the summer time & outside is really very hot. This time I always try to make the meal very mild , as well as tasty . My husband was asking for some kofta for quite a while now . They are not something that I make very often .
Last time when I visited India , my mom given me some Gobindobhog Rice ( one kind of basmati rice ) , which I normally use for Payesh or for Pulao . Its quite a long time now , that I brought them ,So I thought to make some Lauki Kofta ( Lau-er kofta ) & Bengali Pulao last week .

So here is the recipe :





Ingredients for lauki kofta :-

1. 1 medium size lauki .
2. 4 tbsp besan .
3. 1 small onion chopped finely .
4. 2 small tomato .
5. 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste .
6. salt to taste .
7. 2 tsp red chilli powder .
8. 4 tsp coriender powder .
9. 1 tsp garam masala powder .
10. whole garam masala ( 1 bay leaf ,2 green cardamom ,1" piece cinnamon , 2 laung ) .
11 2 tsp of dahi / yoghut .
12 green chillies chopped finely .
13 Handful of chopped coriender .
14 Oil .
15. 2 tsp fresh cream ( optional ) .



Method for kofta :-

1. Grate the lauki in a foo processor & mix some salt . Keep it for 5 min .
2. Now squeeze the extra water from it & add besan in the grated lauki, mix it well with hands preferably .
3. Take 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and add the besan lauki paste to it .Mix the paste well in the kadai till it becomes dry .
4. Now remove it from heat & mix chopped onion , chopped green chilli , chopped coriender leave , salt ,red chilli powder & dhaniya powder .
5. Make small kofta balls from the mix . Keep these balls aside .
6. Now heat oil in a kadai & fry these balls till golden brown . Now remove from the heat & keep in a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil .
7. In a food processor grind the onion , tomato, ginger-gerlic paste , dahi into a paste & keep aside .
8. Take 2 tbsp of oil and add whole garam masala in it , once the masala start crackle add the onion paste to it 7 fry till raw smell disappear .
9. Once it turns golden brown , add red chilli powder , dhaniya, garam masala and salt to it.
10. Fry the masala till the paste leaves oil , now add the cream .
11. Fry for another 2-3 min & add 1/2 cup water . Once the gravy start boiling add the koftas & garam masala powder .
12. Boil for another 2 min & remove from the heat . Sprinkle some chopped
green coriender .



Ingredients for Pulao :-

1. 1 cup basmati rice ( I used gobindobhog rice ).
2. 2 green chilli finely chopped .
3. 1" piece of fresh ginger cut into juilions .
4. 1 carrot chopped into small pieces .
5. 1/2 cup green peas .
6. 1 tsp turmeric powder .
7. Whole garam masala ( 1 bay leaf ,2 green cardamom ,1" piece cinnamon , 2 laung , 2 black cardamom , 4 black peppercorn ) .
8. Salt
9. 5-6 tsp sugar ( you can adjust as per your taste ) .
10. 4 tsp ghee & 4 tsp of oil .
11. 1/2 cup cashew nuts & raisins .
12. 3-4 stands of saffron , soaked in milk ( optional ).

Method :-

1. Wash the rice & soak it in water for 30 min .
2. Now in a pressue cooker add the oil+ghee .
3. Now add all the ingredients & mix properly . Add 2 1/2cups of water & close the lid .
4. put the pressure cooker in the gas & cook it on slow heat till 3 whistle .
5. Remove from the heat & let it cool till the pressure release completely . Now bengali pulao is ready to serve .

We had ours with lauki kofta . It taste great .

Note :- We bengalis like sweetness . But if you want you can use the suger less .