Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pumpkin Curry

Sweet pumpkin is also known as Kaddu, Manjal Pooshanikkai, Gummadikayi in different Indian languages. Often considered as a lowly, humble vegetable, pumpkin actually packs a great punch in terms of nutrients. It is a weight watcher’s delight.

Sweet pumpkin has less calories and more nutrients. To explain this better, it has four times lesser calories than sweet potato, 50 times lesser Sodium but 3 times more Vitamin C, double the folic acid, and similar Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron content. This means that you can eat more of sweet pumpkin than sweet potato (up to 4 times more) and still benefit from its rich nutrients without the calorie overload. More health for lesser calories, now is that not a winner?

Sweet pumpkin seems to be this gentle, powerful giant among vegetables. It looks elegant despite its rotund form, swathed in deep green or mustard yellow skin revealing a firm sweet golden flesh when cut. Lends a quiet dignified presence to a dish, knows to be at home in sweet or savoury recipes with equal ease. Delicious whether cooked with skin or without. Pumpkin often comes to my rescue when I have to cook in a hurry.

Every family has their favourite pumpkin recipe. This is ours. I hope you have as much fun cooking it and enjoying as we do.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes, Cooking Time – 10-15 minutes, Serves – 4-6.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain egg, gluten, soya, lactose, yeast, corn, nuts.
• Suitable for gluten, lactose intolerance or nut allergy.

YOU NEED -

COOKWARE – Knife, Cutting board, Fry pan

INGREDIENTS -

1. 2 cups chopped sweet yellow pumpkin (with* or without skin)
2. 1/2 cup finely diced onion
3. 1 cup chopped tomato
4. 1 scant tsp salt
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric
6. 2 tsp jaggery powder
7. 1 tsp garam masala powder
8. 1 tsp sambhar powder
9. 2 tsp cooking oil
10. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
11. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
12. 2 tbsp coriander leaves for garnish

*Sweet pumpkin takes longer to cook with skin and lesser time without skin.

METHOD -

1. Clean, peel and chop all vegetables. Set aside separately.
2. Heat oil in a fry pan, add mustard and cumin.
3. When they sizzle and crackle, add in onions, fry on high flame for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink-brown.
4. Next to go in is the chopped pumpkin. Saute on high heat for a minute, sprinkle water and cover and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Finally add the tomatoes. Keep tossing over high heat until tomatoes mush up.
6. Add salt, turmeric powder, jaggery, garam masala and sambhar powder. Mix everything well. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes more.
7. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes -

• Sweet pumpkin cooks very quickly. Cook lesser if you want to retain the shape of the vegetables. Cook longer if you like a mushy texture.
• Keep stirring while on high heat to avoid scorching.
• Add the powders after the vegetables are mostly done. This helps to retain flavours better.

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