Pumpkin Curry (Without Dal ) / ಹಸಿ ಹುಳಿ)

Pumpkin is one of the handy vegetable and we do prepare varieties of dishes.

I have prepared different curries and the posted in my blog. Here is one more curry using Pumpkin. It has no dal and the spices are not roasted. Try this curry surely you all will like it I am sure.
I have used Pumpkin, coriander seeds, jeera/cumin seeds, red byadagi chilly, little coconut and little tamarind pulp.
Pumpkin can be kept for a long time and it can be used. People do bake this vegetable and have it. We Indians use in our cooking.
Let us the recipe Now :

No Onion - No Garlic Pumpkin Curry 

Ingredients :

Cooking :
Pumpkin : 1 Bowl (Half of one small pumpkin).

Grinding :
Coconut : 1 Small cup
Daniya /Coriander seeds : 1 Tbs
Jeera/ Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Byadagi Chilly : 4 to 5

To Add :
Tamarind Pulp : 1 Tbs
Salt : As required
Turmeric : A little

Seasoning :
Coconut Oil /Any cooking oil : 1 Tsp
Byadagi chilly : 1
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tsp
Methi Seeds : 3 to 4 Seeds
Ingh/Asafoetida : A little

Method : 

1. Wash and peel off the skin and the pulp from Pumpkin and cut it into small pieces.

2. Cook pumpkin pieces with little water.

3. Soak a small marble size tamarind and take out the pulp and add it to cooked pumpkin.
4. Grate coconut and grind it with coriander seeds, jeera and byadagi chilly.

5. Add salt and turmeric to cooked pumpkin pieces and cook for a minute.

6. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in between.

7. Now Pumpkin Curry is ready.

8. Shift it to a serving dish.

9. Prepare Seasoning with coconut oil (Optional), mustard seeds, ingh, 1 byadagi chilly and curry leaves. Add this to Pumpkin Curry and serve.

Note :

Do not over cook pumpkin pieces. Adding more or less byadagi chilly is optional. Use of coconut oil is optional. No Onion or garlic is added here.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3. 

Tava Fried Pumpkin Flower Fritter.

Pumpkin Flower Fritter is an old and traditional dish that goes well with South Indian Meal.

We normally have  Papads, fried pakodas or bajji as one of the side munch while having our lunch or dinner. It is nice to have these crunchy bites. Here I have prepared fritters from Pumpkin flowers.
We have put pumpkin creeper in our garden. The plant is growing very nicely but not much of buds attached to flowers. These flowers dry up soon and fall off. The idea is to use the flowers when it blossoms and have the good nutrition from the flowers.
I have used rava, rasam powder, jeera/cumin seeds and salt. No tamarind or tamarind pulp is used here.
This is one of the easy and quick dish that goes  perfect with your rice and sambar or any curry. This is one of the Udupi dish and normally done with patrode batter.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Pumpkin flowers : 6 to 8
Rava/Semolina /Sooji : Medium sized : 1/2 Cup
Rasam /Sambar Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 Tablespoons.

Method :

1. Wash and clean Pumpkin Flowers.

2. Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of medium or chiroti rava, required salt, rasam powder, turmeric powder and jeera in a big bowl.

3. Add required water and prepare batter. ( Idli  batter consistency).

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil.
5. Dip flower pieces in rava batter and place them on the tava. Sprinkle some oil on the top and cover.

6. Cook on medium and low flame. Turn the other side and cook for a minute.

7. Pumpkin flower fritter is ready to serve.

Note :

Let the batter be bit thick, like idli batter. Adding more rasam powder/chilli powder/sambar powder is optional. Adding more oil while cooking is optional. I have used red pumpkin flowers. You can use Ash gourd flowers also.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.
Watch :

Pumpkin Acchar /Pickle flavoured Curry

Pumpkin /Sihi kumbala kai is a healthy vegetable which can be kept for a long time. I have prepared this curry with little mustard along with sambar powder. It is called as Pumpkin Achar Curry because the spices gives out slightly pickle taste.

Our home in Brahmavar/Near Udupi used to have at least 3 to 4 pumpkins and that pumpkins were used to store for the rainy days in olden days. I am calling those days as olden days since my father in law used to grow pumpkins, ash gourd and mangalore cucumber in the field and the grown vegetables are to be stored in Padasale/Pooja room. These vegetables are used in rainy seasons because during the rainy days normally you would not get much vegetables. The days are gone and now is all dream that we have seen.
Let us see some benefits of eating pumpkin in our diet.
Pumpkin is low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. It is also low in sodium. It has a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is filled with  Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Phosphorus. It has a good source of dietary fiber. Pumpkin is good for people who suffer from blood pressure. It is rich in anti oxidants which helps in preventing damage to our eyes.
Pumpkin Acchar /Pickle flavoured Curry has no onion or no garlic in it. Do not add more mustard seeds, it might give out bitter and strong spice taste.
Let us see the recipe now :
Things needed :
To Cook :
Red Pumpkin : 1 Bowl. ( 1/4 part of one medium sized pumpkin)
To grind :
Coconut : 1 Cup ( 3 to 4 Tablespoons)
Mustard seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Rasam / Sambar powder : 1 Tablespoon
To add :
Tamarind pulp : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
Seasoning :
Cooking oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : A little
Curry leaves : 5 to 6 leaves

Method :

1. Wash and remove the hard part of pumpkin and cut them into small pieces.
2. Cook with little water till it turns soft. ( Do not over cook )

3. Grate coconut and grind it with rasam /sambar powder, jeera/cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
4. Add required water to grind and remove it from mixi jar.

5. Soak a marble size of tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp from it. Keep the pulp aside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked pumpkin pieces. Add salt, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder to it.

7. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Add ground coconut mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
 

8. Shift the curry to a serving dish.

9. Keep small pan on the fire and heat. Add a teaspoon of oil, mustard seeds. Let mustard seeds splutter.
10. Add little ingh/ asafoetida and cut curry leaves. Put this seasoning to prepared pumpkin curry.
11. Mix it well and Add cut coriander leaves.
12. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

 Note :

Do not over cook the pumpkin pieces. No need to add any garlic or onion to this curry. Do not use more oil to season.  Do not add much mustard seeds to grind because the food might give bitter taste.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.
Purely South Indian dish.