Pumpkin Everyday – Spicy Pumpkin – South Indian Style

I cut open another pumpkin today, so time for another pumpkin recipe.  This is number 5 (for the others click on the pumpkin category or see the recipe index) and as I’ve called the posts pumpkin everyday I guess I should really do 7.  Regardless of how many I do I think this will probably be my favourite.  I often eat it with Chappatis so I have included a recipe for them below.

I am a big fan of chilli (as you may have guessed from other recipes in this blog) and even more so if it is combined with pumpkin.  I am very pleased with myself as this recipe contains very little oil and tastes great.  Thinking about it the coconut probably has a bit but we can overlook that surely…….

Spicy Pumpkin – South Indian Style (Serves 4 as a side dish or 2-3 as a lunch)

• 700g pumpkin, peeled and deseeded and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1/4 cup dessicated coconut soaked in 1/4 cup water
• 3 hot chillies (vary to taste)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dhal (optional – see below for picture if you are unfamiliar with urad dhal)
• 6 curry leaves
• 2 tsp oil
• A handfull of coriander leaves – chopped

Bring 3/4 cup water to the boil and add pumpkin and turmeric.  Cook pumpkin until soft.  Meanwhile make a paste of the chilli, coconut and cumin seeds.  When the pumpkin is cooked add the paste and cook for a further few minutes.  Mash together, add salt to taste.  In a small fry pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds.  When the mustard seeds pop add the urad dhal and the curry leaves stir a couple of times and add to the pumpkin mixture.  Cook for another couple of minutes.  Stir through chopped coriander leaves.  Serve with chappatis or rice.

*Note: The urad dhal is the white lentil at the bottom of the above picture.

Chappatis

• 300g Atta Flour (or a half/half mixture of wholemeal and plain flour if you dont have Atta Flour)
• 2 tblsp oil (many cooks leave out the oil but I find the dough easier to work with and the chappatis taste better cold if the oil is included)
• 125ml hot water

Sift the flour and then rub the oil into it.  Gradually add the water and bring together to form a dough.  Knead until no longer stickly.  Leave the dough for about half an hour to rest if you have time.  Divide the dough into 12 and roll into balls.

Roll out each ball into a round chappati shape.  Heat a frypan to a medium heat and cook each side of the chappati.  They can be cooked in a small amount of oil or dry.  They are ready to be turned when brown spots appear.  Keep warm while you cook the rest of the batch.