YELLOW PUMPKIN DRY CURRY

YELLOW PUMPKIN DRY CURRY

Have you come across people who now eat all vegetables which they hated as kids? My husband is one such. He never touched pumpkin, gourds and the like in his childhood but these days eats them quite cheerfully. This underscores my view that people (and children especially) dislike not the vegetable, but the way in which it is cooked. My hubby agrees with me now that dishes made with pumpkins can be tasty!

Besides, pumpkins are nutrient rich as shown in this article in the Mayo Clinic Health System.

I use yellow pumpkins in my menus from time to time. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Yellow Pumpkin Kootu, Mathanga Pulinkari, and Ash Gourd Pumpkin Coconut Stew.

Yellow Pumpkin is called Parangikkai in Tamil, Kaddu in Hindi, Kumbalkayi in Kannada and Duddhe in my mother tongue, Konkani.

Today's recipe is adapted from Parangikkai Curry from the popular blog, Rak's Kitchen.

We tried this out the other day and enjoyed it very much with rice and rasam.

Ingredients:

• Yellow Pumpkin, cubed, 1 and 1/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp 
• Salt, to taste 

To Be Ground To a Paste: 

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 4 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 3
• Cumin Seeds, 3/4 tsp
• Small Onions, peeled, 4

For the Seasoning : 

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Oil, 2-3 tsp

Method:

Wash the pumpkin, and remove the skin and seeds. Cut the pumpkin into cubes. Keep aside

In a small mixer jar, grind together the fresh coconut gratings, red chillies, cumin seeds and small onions to a coarse paste using just the required amount of water. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai and when it gets hot, on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the urad dal and when it changes colour add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

Now add the cubed pumpkin and fry for 1 minute

Add turmeric powder, salt and the ground paste prepared earlier, and a little water. Mix well

Cook covered over medium flame for 4-5 minutes till the pumpkin gets done, stirring from time to time. Take care that it does not get overcooked as pumpkins tend to get cooked quickly. 

Once the pumpkin gets cooked and the water evaporates completely, remove the lid and cook the curry till the coconut mixture turns a golden brown
Switch off the gas and transfer the pumpkin dry curry to a serving bowl
Serve as a side dish to the main meal