Easy Pumpkin Sabzi/ Gummadikaya Teepi Kura

Back from a long hiatus! But my passion for good food is intact. The only thing different now is in addition to being a lazy foodie is the aversion to some very common ingredients, viz. onions and garlic. So I thought I might start blogging about the recent experiments in my kitchen with a conspicuous lack of the above said bulbs.

Today's post is a simple recipe utilizing Pumpkin which is available year round in the USofA. It is called Gummadikaya in Telugu and Kaddoo in Hindi. This particular kura (literal meaning vegetable dish) goes well with plain rice or chapathis.

Gummadikaya Teepi Kura/ Easy Pumpkin Sabzi

Ingredients:

3 cups of Pumpkin- peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 sprig Curry leaves (Kari patta)

3 tbsps Jaggery (Gur), grated. 

Seasonings:

2 tsps oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds (rai)

1 tsp split Black gram dal (dhuli urad)

2 small dry Red chillies, broken into halves

Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) - optional.

Salt to taste

Method:

Steam the cubed the pumpkin pieces either in a pressure cooker or using a steamer basket. If you do not have access to either, then put the pieces in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for about 3 mins. Check it halfway through and stir once and finish microwaving. The aim is to get 'al dente' pumpkin without turning it mushy or watery.

Put a thick bottomed pan or kadai on medium heat. Add the oil and wait till it is hot. Put in the Mustard seeds and wait till majority have spluttered, then add the Black gram dal and saute till the white dal turns to a light brown color. Now add the broken dry Red chilly pieces, Asafoetida and Curry leaves. **Caution - move slightly away from the pan while adding the Curry leaves since they splutter horribly due to high water content.**

Immediately put the pumpkin cubes into the pan. Give a gentle stir. Sprinkle salt as per taste, give another stir, cover and let cook for about 3-5 minutes. Uncover pan and sprinkle the jaggery. Sugar or brown sugar may be substituted for the jaggery but taste will be compromised. 

Stir gently and cover. From this point on, you may cook the pumpkin to a desired state of doneness. I like it where the pieces still hold shape but have partly turned mushy (as shown in the picture above). But if al dente is preferred then turn off the heat as soon as the jaggery has dissolved.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with hot rice.