Pumpkin Curry

Apart from seafood, pumpkin curry was one of the many delicacies I enjoyed during my visit to Sri Lanka. Pumpkin curry may be an unusual dish in many countries, but a popular vegetable in Sri Lanka. From what I had, the Sri Lankan pumpkin curry is creamy and perfectly spiced. Trying it in my kitchen was in my mind, and I started hunting for recipes which seemed closer to what I had tasted. This pumpkin curry recipe made my day and is now on my favorite vegetarian dishes. This is a vegetable curry that is a must-try.

I love pairing pumpkin curry with coconut rice. You can eat it with plain jasmine rice as well. You can pair it with a spicy side dish like Dry Spiced Prawns. Try out this pumpkin curry recipe and let me know how it was!

Ingredients:

2 cups of cubed pumpkin pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
9-10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of red chili powder
1-2 green chilies, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup thin coconut milk
1/4 cup thick coconut milk
1-2 dried red chilies
1 1/2 cups of water
2 tbsp oil
Salt

To grind:

3 tbsp of coconut powder / shredded coconut, lightly roasted
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6 black pepper corns
1/2 tsp fennel seeds 
2-3 cloves of garlic

Method:

1. Wash the pumpkin well and discard the seeds. Roughly peel the skin. Cut it into medium-sized cubes. 

2. Heat oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Sautee for a 2-3 seconds or till they splutter.

3. Add the curry leaves, green chilies, red chilies, and the sliced onions. Fry on low to medium flame till the onions have softened and turned pink. To avoid browning the onions, cook on low flame and stir constantly.

4. Add the ground paste and sautee. Stir fry on low to medium flame for about 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and red chili powder and sautee for another 3 minutes on low flame. If the spices are sticking to the pan or burning, add about 2 tbsps of water. 

5. Add in the pumpkin pieces. Mix well so that the pumpkin pieces are coated in the spices. Add 1/2 a cup of water and cover and cook on low flame for about 3 -4 minutes.

6. Add the thick coconut milk. Stir well and bring to a boil. 

7. Reduce the flame and add the thin coconut milk. Mix everything well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low. The pumpkin pieces would have softened by now.

Enjoy with coconut rice or jasmine rice!