Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin Curry


My mom used to make a wonderful kootu with channa dal and ash gourd. However, I just do not get ash gourd in this part of the world and even the occasional trips to Indian grocery store does not bring any joy. So to me, the next best thing would be pumpkin. Surprisingly, I have always noticed pumpkins for carving but seldom noticed culinary ones. But this time, I managed to lay my hands on one and have frozen a part of it as well. I was desperate to do something different with the pumpkin and was looking to make a curry to go with chapatti/roti. While the idea of having pumpkin as side dish may not always be taken well, I decided to add few chunks of potatoes as well. The potatoes also help thicken the curry. In order to add a twist and some protein, I added peanuts/groundnuts and that made the dish very nice. I finished my quota of chapattis but could not have enough of the curry so just kept gobbling some with yogurt. I would urge you to try this rather simple and healthy curry. Here is my recipe…

1 cup chopped pumpkins
1 teaspoon kalonji (black nigella seeds)
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 bay leaf
1 medium potato, cubed
1 handful of peanuts
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Handful of chopped coriander leaves
2 green chillies, slit
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Heat some oil in a cooking pan and add kalonji,bay leaf and fenugreek seeds. Once it crackles, add the onions and fry until soft

Add the tomatoes, green chillies and ginger and cook until tomatoes are mushy

Add the pumpkin, potatoes, coriander leaves and peanuts and add enough water to immerse the contents, season with required salt and pressure cook for couple of whistles

Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and simmer to desired thickness. I left it a little watery like a stew.

Serve hot