Red Pumpkin Curry

21 Sep

Red pumpkin does a great job of absorbing spices and mingling with a range of flavors: spicy, sweet, tangy, salty. These traits of the vegetable are put to perfect use in this glorious red pumpkin curry recipe.

Red Pumpkin Curry: Kohra Ki Sabzi

You Need:

  • Red pumpkin – 500 grams
  • Tomatoes – 2
  • Jaggery – 2 teaspoons
  • Salt – to taste
  • Chaat masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Red chili flakes – 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Panch phoron* – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Asafoetida – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Fresh coriander leaves – for garnishing

*Panch phoron is a mix of five whole spices (fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds), typically used in Bengali cuisine. The name literally means "5 things used in tadka (phoron in Bengali i.e. tempering in hot oil)".

If you do not have panch phoron on hand, substitute it with its constituent spices, as close to those five as possible.

How To Make Red Pumpkin Curry:

Peel the red pumpkin. Chop into 2-cm cubes.

Red Pumpkin, Cut

Chop tomatoes.

Make a smooth paste of these dry spices – turmeric powder, red chili flakes, coriander powder, cumin powder – with a tablespoon of water.

Red Pumpkin Masala Heat a tablespoon of mustard oil in a skillet or kadhai. When the oil reaches smoking point, set heat to low add panch phoron. Let the fenugreek seeds in the panch phoron darken (this will take barely a few seconds), add asafoetida powder, stir and immediately follow with the spice paste.

Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, till the spice mix starts to bubble thickly and turns a deeper shade.

Add chopped tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.

Red Pumpkin, Cooking Now tip in the red pumpkin cubes. Stir well – the spices should coat the pumpkin cubes evenly. Sprinkle salt to taste. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring every other minute.

Sprinkle jaggery powder, mix well and cook till the pumpkin cubes are done to your liking. Take red pumpkin curry off the heat and stir in chaat masala.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve red pumpkin curry with chapatis or pooris.

Red Pumpkin Curry

Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try:

6 Responses to “Red Pumpkin Curry”

  1. vanita September 27, 2014 at 1:47 PM #

    First time at your place, and fall in love with it. Beautiful clicks, fine recipes..

    Cheers
    Vanita

    • S September 29, 2014 at 10:05 AM #

      Welcome here Vanita, and thank you for your nice words!

  2. Sadhna Grover September 29, 2014 at 9:54 PM #

    Nice recipe, can i use any pumpkin available here.

    • S September 30, 2014 at 8:49 AM #

      Any red pumpkin should be good with this recipe. You may have to adjust the cooking time and quantity of jaggery/salt, depending on the texture and taste of the pumpkin.

  3. Rajani October 1, 2014 at 10:04 PM #

    I do not like pumpkin so might not try the recipe but your vessel is beautiful and nice picture ..

    • S October 1, 2014 at 10:09 PM #

      Awww too bad you don’t like pumpkin. Glad that you like the vessel and the pic :-)

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