Pumpkin Curry

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Pumpkin is boiled in water till little soft. Oil is tempered with spices and cooked pumpkin is added along with sour tamarind extract, sweet jaggery and red chili powder. Coarsely ground mustard seeds and scraped coconut gives this dish its distinct flavor.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Pumpkin Curry

Ingredients:

Red Pumpkin 1/4 th of Small One
Scraped Coconut 2 tbsps
Jaggery 2 (2 inch blocks)
Tamarind 2 – 3 inch sized ball
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Red Chile Powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 6
Broken Red Chiles 5
Coconut Oil or Peanut Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash, peel and chop pumpkin into large chunks.
Soak tamarind in quarter cup or more of warm water for sometime and extract all the thick juice.
Make sure coconut is scraped or grind it into paste.
Pulse mustard seeds into coarse powder.

Bring to boil a cup of water, add the chopped pumpkin, turmeric powder and salt.
Boil till pumpkin turns little soft and later strain the pumpkin chunks.

Heat oil in a pan on medium flame , add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add red pumkin chunks, tamarind extract and jaggery.
Let the jaggery dissolve completely during which pumpkin pieces start to fall apart.
Then stir in scraped coconut, mustard seeds powder, red chile powder and salt.
Stir well, taste and adjust any seasonings if required.
Serve pumpkin curry with plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Little older coconut tastes good with this dish.

Suggestions: If the pumpkin curry is too sour, add more jaggery. If the pumpkin curry is too sweet, add more tamarind extract.
Variations: You can also grind green chiles with coconut for extra spice.
Other Names: Gummadikaya Pachadi, Mathan Puli Pachadi.