Our first Onam in our newly renovated home. This is one of the dishes that I had not made before , though it is definitely a part of any Onasadya in our homes in Kerala. I was never a fan of pumpkin until I started cooking myself.
I am going to put up the easiest version. Exactly as I made the dish. With the help of a pressure cooker.
Pumpkin - 400 gms (peeled , deseeded and cut into cubes)
Vanpayar (red cow peas) - 1 cup or more
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2 nos
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 1 stem or more
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
dried red chilly - 2 nos
Soak the peas for 30 minutes and then add about 1 and 1/2 cups water, and pressure cook till three whistles. Once the steam escapes, add the pumpkin cubes, chilli and turmeric powder and cook on a medium flame till the pumpkin turns soft enough to mash. (Leave a few lumps of pumpkin for texture.)
Do not add any water if possible. Avoid pressure cooking again because the pumkin may be overcooked.
Grind the grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a fine paste. Add this to the cooker. Once the errisery starts to bubble, turn it off. It should not have too much water or too little.
In a hot kadai, heat the coconut oil, splutter mustar seeds, curry leaves and the dry red chillies. Add it to the cooker and stir twice.
Delicately flavored and great with rice. I think it would make a good curry for chappatis too..
And given below - my husband and our daughter with our Pookkalam (flower arrangement) - another tradition of Onam.
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