Dudhi Kofta Recipe For Shivratri Vrat

Shivratri is just around the corner and many of us will be on a fast. Fasting on Shivratri does not involve staying without food for the entire day. Since it is a day-and-night fast, the person observing it should eat a few things to keep up the energy.

Hinduism prescribes a few ingredients which can be easily consumed during the vrat or fast. These are ghee, Indian rock salt, buckwheat or kuttu flour, vegetarian curries without any onion or garlic etc. Hence there are a number of vrat recipes that are prepared and eaten by the devotees during various fasts.

Today, we have a special dudhi kofta recipe which you can try out if you are observing the Shivratri vrat. This recipe is healthy, filling and delicious. Dudhi is nothing but the Indian bottle gourd which is grated and then made into balls or koftas and then cooked in tomato gravy.

So, try out the dudhi kofta recipe for your Shivratri vrat.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Bottle gourd or dudhi- 1 (medium, grated)
• Gram flour- 2tbsp
• Ginger paste- 1tsp
• Tomato puree- 3tbsp
• Cumin powder- 2tsp
• Turmeric powder- 2tsp
• Red chilli powder- 2tsp
• Coriander powder- 1tsp
• Cumin seeds- 1tsp
• Raisins- 1tbsp
• Hing (asafoetida)- a pinch
• Rock salt- as per taste
• Coriander leaves- 2tbsp (chopped, for garnish)
• Ghee- for frying
• Water- ½ cup

Procedure

1. Grate the bottle gourd or dudhi and then drain the water in it by squeezing it in a muslin cloth.
2. Once you have squeezed out all the water from the dudhi, keep it aside.
3. Heat a pan and roast the gram flour in for a few seconds.
4. Then add the grated dudhi to the pan and roast it till all the remaining water is soaked.
5. After that remove the pan from the flame and keep it aside to cool down.
6. Heat ghee in a deep pan for frying the dudhi koftas.
7. Once the dudhi mixture cools down, add one teaspoon of cumin powder, one teaspoon of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of red chilli powder, rock salt and mix well.
8. Make small, round balls out of the mixture and fry the balls in the ghee on medium flame.
9. Once the koftas turn golden brown on all the sides, transfer them to a plate and keep it aside.
10. Now heat one tablespoon of ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, raisins, hing and fry for a few seconds.
11. Then add the ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and fry for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
12. Then add the tomato puree and cook for 4-5 minutes.
13. Add rock salt and water. Cook for 2 minutes.
14. Now add the fried koftas to the gravy and simmer on medium heat for 3-4 minutes
15. Once done, switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

The Shivratri vrat recipe of dudhi kofta is ready to be served. You can consume this dish with kuttu chapatis or vrat ke chawal.