Pumpkin Erissery | Mathanga Erissery | Onam Sadya Recipes

Pumpkin Erissery recipe with step by step photos.Pumpkin is one of  those favorite vegetables for the little one and hence I get pumpkin at least once a week.It is boring to eat the same preparation again and again and hence tried this pumpkin curry-kerala style for the first time.I had got a brief about this recipe from a Kerala friend and also checked the recipe in Mallika Badrinath's cook book and also referred maria's menu.Though the versions are slightly different from each other but the basic ingredients remain the same.My friend's version and Mallika badrinath cookbook version use red chilies for spicyness and do not add shallots in the recipe and the version I am posting is slightly different with the addition of green chilies and shallots but the remaining ingredients being the same.I have also mentioned few more options in the notes where pumpkin can be replaced with other vegetables.Few use red cowpeas along with pumpkin in this yeriseri recipe.

Pumpkin erissery also known as Mathanga errisery is one of the items that is served for Onam sadya.As Onam is around the corner I thought of posting a sadya recipe which will be apt for the festival.I am a novice to Kerala cuisine and have just a basic knowledge of the cuisine because of my blogging journey.I would like to explore more about this cuisine and will post more recipes in future.I have posted another famous kerala dish Avial which is a medley of vegetables in a coconut base,if you are interested check it out.

Check out other Pumpkin recipes in my blog:

• Kaddu ki Sabzi | Pumpkin Curry | Bhopla Bhaji
• Sweet Pumpkin Curry | Sihi Kumbalakayi Gojju
• Gummadikaya(Pumpkin) Pulusu
• Gummadikaya(Red Pumpkin) Sambar
• Pumpkin-Carrot Soup
• Red Pumpkin Yogurt Salad

Here is how to make pumpkin errisery recipe with step by step photos:

Pumpkin(Mathanga) Erissery Recipe:

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: Kerala | Category: Side dish/Curry

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Yellow Pumpkin

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 cup grated Coconut

2-3 Green chilies

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt,to taste

to temper:

2 tsp Coconut oil/regular oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

4-5 Shallots,sliced

2-3 Red chilies

a sprig of Curry leaves

3 tbsp grated fresh Coconut

Method:

• Wash and remove the skin and seeds of pumpkin and cut into small cubes and add enough water to it and cook for 8-10 mins.You can even pressure cook it for one whistle.Once it is cooked drain the extra water and slightly mash half of the cooked pumpkin pieces.

• Dry roast or roast the grated fresh coconut in little coconut oil until it turns crispy and keep it aside.

• Grind the grated coconut with green chilies,turmeric powder,cumin seeds and salt to a fine paste by adding enough water.

• Meanwhile in another pan heat coconut oil and crackle mustard seeds and add urad dal and fry until it turns red and then add sliced shallots and fry until they become slight pinkish and then add red chilies and curry leaves and let them wilt.

• Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked pumpkin pieces and mix it nicely and let it cook.
• Pour this tempering over the cooked pumpkin erissery.

While serving add the fried coconut over the curry and serve it hot.

Notes:

1. You can add even red cow peas in the curry and cook it along with coconut and follow the same recipe.
2. Green chilies can be replaced with red chilies.
3. Raw banana,yam or Raw papaya can be used instead of pumpkin to prepare erissery.
4. Coconut oil gives a nice flavor to the curry and hence do not skip it.If you do not like you can use regular vegetable oil.
5. The addition of shallots is optional and is used in some parts of Kerala.

Technorati Tags: pumpkin erissery recipe,pumpkin recipes,kerala onam sadya,kerala recipes,mathanga erissery recipe,yellow pumpkin recipes,side dish for rice,yeriseri recipe

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Kaddu Ki Sabzi | Red Pumpkin Curry | Bhopla Bhaji

My mom rarely used to prepare any pumpkin dish as she does not eat this vegetable.All she used to prepare with red pumpkin was a slightly sweetish gravy which pairs up beautifully with chapatis/plain rice flour rotis and also fryums using the thick pumpkin skin.Beyond those two recipes I never had tasted any other variations.After I started cooking I have started using this vegetable in my cooking more often and this version of Pumpkin curry I have learnt from my neighbor after shifting to Mumbai.It is a simple curry recipe which suits best even for those fasting days with few modifications in the recipe.

Check out other Pumpkin recipes in my blog:

• Gummadikaya(Pumpkin) Pulusu
• Gummadikaya(Red Pumpkin) Sambar
• Pumpkin-Carrot Soup
• Red Pumpkin Yogurt Salad
• Pumpkin Curry | Meethi Kaddu ki Sabzi 

Kaddu Ki Sabzi | Red Pumpkin Curry Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Side dish for Rice/Rotis

Ingredients:
350 gms Red Pumpkin
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
a pinch of Asafoetida
3/4 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Amchur powder
1-2 tsp grated Jaggery
2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
5-6 Curry leaves,optional
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and peel the pumpkin,remove the seeds and chop them into 1/2 inch uniform cubes.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle cumin seeds and add fenugreek seeds and fry for 30 secs.
• Add asafoetida,curry leaves and chopped pumpkin pieces and fry for a minute.
• Add turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry for another 2-3 mins until the masalas coats the pumpkin properly.
• Add jaggery to it and mix well and add 1/3 cup of water to it and cover it wit lid and cook it for 12-15 mins until it becomes soft.You can cook it until the pumpkin pieces becomes soft or slightly mushy based on your preference.
• Add amchur powder,garam masala powder and salt to it and mix well.You can slightly mash few pumpkin pieces with the back of a ladle, do not mash all the pieces.The consistency should not be either thick or too mushy and runny, it should be slightly soft with chunks of  pumpkin pieces.
• Add coriander leaves to it and switch off the flame.

Serve it hot with Rice/Roti/Parathas/Pooris.

Notes:

1. If you are preparing it during fast you can use sendha namak instead of regular salt and follow the same recipe.
2. The addition of jaggery enhances the taste of the curry,but if you do not want it you can avoid it completely.
3. You can replace red pumpkin with sweet potato and follow the same process,even it tastes nice but the cooking time may vary.

Technorati Tags: red pumpkin curry, kaddu ki sabzi, bhopla bhaji, side dish for rotis, side dish for rice, no onion no garlic recipes ,upwas recipes, north indian side dishes

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Mukkala Pulusu | Kadambam Pulusu | Dappalam

'Mukkalu' in Telugu literally means 'Pieces' and 'Pulusu' means 'Stew'. In Mukkala Pulusu, we use various vegetables which are chopped into big chunks, cooked in tamarind extract and spiced up slightly.It is usually paired with Mudda pappu(mashed plain toor dal) and papds/fryums which is the ideal combination.While a few add some rice flour mixed in water to thicken this pulusu, I usually prefer to add some toor dal as it not only thickens the pulusu, it also adds to the taste.

Usually Pulusu would be prepared with a combination of leftover vegetables but I usually buy various vegetables in small quantities to prepare this pulusu.I love this dish very much and hence I prepare it more often than I prepare sambar.

Though the ingredients that we add in Pulusu and sambar are similar,the taste of pulusu is totally different from Sambar.We add less quantity of toor dal and more vegetables in pulusu unlike Sambar where we add more quantity of toor dal and less vegetables. Pulusu is very tangy,spicy and slightly sweet compared to sambar.

Mukkala Pulusu | Andhra Style Mixed Vegetable Stew Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Toor dal

1 very big lemon sized Tamarind

2 tbsp grated Jaggery

1 1/2 tbsp Sambar powder or 1 tsp Red chili powder

5-6 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Vegetables:

1 Drumstick,cut into 1 1/2" pieces

7-8 Pumpkin pieces of 1" cubes

7-8 Bottle gourd pieces of 1" cubes

1 Carrot,cut into big chunks

1 small Sweet Potato,cut into big chunks

5-6 French Beans,cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1 Onion,cut into 8 quarters

1 Tomato,cut into 8 quarters

2 light colored Green chillies,slit

(other optional vegetables - potatoes,brinjal,ladies finger,raw papaya,winter melon)

to temper:

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2 Red chillies

a sprig of Curry leaves

a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

• Pressure cook toor dal for 3 whistles until done.Mash the toor dal nicely and keep it aside.
• Soak tamarind in water for 10-15 mins and remove tamarind pulp and keep it aside.Add 1 cup of water to it.
• Add chopped vegetables(chop the vegetables in big chunks),slit green chillies,onions,tomatoes,few curry leaves to the tamarind pulp and add salt and turmeric powder and pressure cook for one whistle.
• After the pressure drops down add cooked dal to the boiled vegetables and add grated jaggery,salt and sambar powder(or red chili powder) and cook for few more minutes until you get the required consistency..The consistency should neither be very thick nor very thin.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a small tadka pan and crackle mustard seeds,red chillies,curry leaves and asafoetida and fry well and add this to the boiling Pulusu(stew).

Serve it hot with rice and papad/Curd chili/fryums.You can serve it with cooked and mashed toor dal(mudda pappu).

Notes:

1. I usually add vegetables like drumsticks,pumpkin,bottlegourd,beans,carrot,sweet potato which I strongly recommend to use them as they impart a nice flavor to the stew.But you can add other vegetables like brinjal,ladies finger,winter melon,potatoes too in the recipe.If you are using ladies finger I would suggest to saute them in oil before you boil it with other vegetables.
2. Few do not add toor dal in the recipe,in that case you can thicken then pulusu/stew with a tbsp of rice flour(which is mixed in water) and boil it along with pulusu until you get desired consistency.But I always prefer to add the dal to thicken instead of rice flour mixture.It is your wish,but do not add more amount of toor dal as it will change the taste of it.
3. We use more amount of tamarind pulp in the recipe,so adjust the jaggery and salt according to your taste buds.
4. You can add red chili powder or sambar powder or a mix of both in the recipe.
5. Always cut vegetables into big chunks for this pulusu.

 

Technorati Tags: mukkala pulusu, dappalam recipe, mixed vegetable stew, andhra dappalam, kadambam pulusu, south indian recipes, andhra style pulusu, mixed vegetable pulusu

 

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Avial Recipe | Kerala Style Aviyal - ONAM Sadya Recipes

Every cuisine offers its unique taste even if it has several common ingredients in between them.Coconut is one such common ingredient which is used abundantly on a daily basis in both Kerala and Karnataka cuisines though the flavors and taste of the dishes differ with the additional masalas added in each dish.While I do not prepare many kerala recipes regularly, I like to indulge in few of them once in a while. A few dishes like avial,Appam-vegetable stew,puttu-kadala curry,neyyappam, few kheer varieties do feature once in a while in my cooking.

Avial is basically mixed vegetables mixed in ground coconut and yogurt gravy, which reflects the rich coconut flavor in each and every bite.Ideally, avial is served with adai and is a well known combo. I am not fond of the adai and avial combo or I can say I am too lazy to prepare avial for adai when a simple chutney would go nice with adai.I know its just an excuse,but I usually pair avial with plain white rice.We like Avial in a slightly gravy form than a very thick curry(which is the usual Kerala Avial),so it is your wish to adjust the consistency according to your requirements.

Aviyal Recipe | Mixed Vegetables in Coconut-Yogurt Gravy:
(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh Curd,beaten well
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
a sprig of Curry leaves(12-15 leaves)

Vegetables-peeled and chopped lengthwise:
1 Potato,cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 Raw banana,cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 Carrot,cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 Drumstick,cut into 2" pieces
6-8 French Beans,cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup sliced Red Pumpkin
1/4 cup sliced Yam

to grind:
1 cup grated fresh Coconut
1 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 Green chillies
1 tbsp Rice,soaked for 1 hr
a pinch of Turmeric powder(optional)
Salt to taste
Method:

• In a big pot add water and add chopped vegetables like potatoes,carrots,drumsticks,french beans and let them boil for 5-6 mins until half done.Now add the remaining vegetables ,raw banana,yam,red pumpkin and boil for another 6-8 mins until completely done.Do not make the vegetables mushy,they should be firm to touch and slightly crunch to bite.If you have more water in it remove some.

• Meanwhile grind grated fresh coconut,cumin seeds,soaked rice,green chillies,turmeric powder and salt to a fine paste using little water.
• Add the ground paste to the boiling vegetables and reduce the flame and cook until it comes to a boil for 5-6 mins.Adjust the consistency of the gravy according to your wish.I like it slightly thicker one instead of either dry or thin consistency.
• Heat coconut oil in a small tadka pan until it is luke warm.
• Add curry leaves and heated luke warm coconut oil to the boiling gravy and switch off the flame.Cover it with lid,this will help in retaining the flavor.
• When it is warm add beaten curds and mix well and serve it.You can add the beaten curds and simmer for another 2-3 mins,but do stir continuously in order to avoid the curdling.
  

Serve it with hot rice/dosa/adai.
Notes:

1. You can also add vegetables like snake gourd,chow-chow,white pumpkin and peas to avial.
2. Always retain the crunch of vegetables which is a key to good aviyal.
3. Do not skip coconut oil in the recipe which adds a typical Kerala touch to the recipe.
4. If you want a white colored Avial avoid turmeric powder in the recipe.Also add slit green chillies to the boiling vegetables instead of grinding to a paste with coconut.
5. Cut the vegetables uniformly for even cooking.

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RED PUMPKIN SAMBAR | GUMMADIKAYA SAMBAR

Sambar is one of the most common dishes served in any South Indian meal.While some varieties of sambar(drumstick,ladies finger,pumpkin,yellow cucumber,radish,mixed vegetable) go well with Idli,Dosa and Rice , some others (chow chow,beans,carrot)go well with only rice. South Indians use most vegetables and greens in Sambar by making some tweaks to the recipe. This is another regular recipe from my kitchen.

RED PUMPKIN SAMBAR RECIPE:
(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
250 gms Red pumpkin,washed and cut into 1" cubes with skin
1/2 cup Toor dal
8-10 small Onions(peeled) or 1 big Onion(diced)
2 medium Tomatoes,roughly chopped
1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut
a gooseberry sized Tamarind
1/2 tsp grated Jaggery
Salt to taste

to roast and grind:
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
5-6 Red chillies
5 Byadige Red chillies(for color)
2 tsp Bengal gram dal(Chana dal)
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp Oil

to temper:
1 tsp Ghee/Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
a sprig of Curry leaves
a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

• Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric for 3 whistles until the dal is soft.
• Pressure cook pumpkin cubes ,peeled or diced onions,chopped tomatoes with salt in tamarind water and cook it until the pumpkin pieces are soft.
• Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and add chana dal and roast until it is red in color and remove it and keep aside.In the same pan add coriander seeds,fenugreek seeds and red chillies one by one and roast them until red.Let them come to the room temperature and powder it.
• Add grated coconut to it and grind to a smooth paste.
• In a big vessel,let the cooked vegetable mixture come to a rolling boil.Add cooked toor dal and ground masala to it and add enough water and salt and gated jaggery to it and let it boil for 7-8 mins until the raw smell of the ground masala goes away.
• Taste sambar at this stage and adjust according to your taste buds.
• In a small pan heat ghee and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and hing and fry for 30seconds and add this tadka to the boiling sambar and give a quick mix and switch off.

Serve it hot with Idli/dosa/Rice.

Variations:

• You can follow the same recipe for vegetables like Drumsticks,Bottle gourd, White pumpkin, Chow-Chow, Radish and Carrot.
• For a variation you can skip the roasting the spices part and replace that with 2-3 tbsp Sambar powder and grind it with coconut and follow the same process.

Notes:

• For a Vegan version use oil instead of ghee in the seasoning.
  

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Meeti Kaddu ki Sabzi | Sweet Pumpkin Curry

I rarely get pumpkin at home as hubby dear is not very fond of it and the only thing he prefers is sambar with kaddu. I hence try to make various varieties with pumpkin, only when I have to cook for myself. This one I tried from Vidhu Mittal's book 'Pure and Simple'.The recipe was quite easy to make and has simple flavors.The addition of jaggery brings out the natural sweetness of pumpkin and makes it more tastier.If you like pumpkin you can try out this curry for a variation with rotis.

Meeti Kaddu ki Sabzi | Sweet Pumpkin Curry Recipe:
(serves 2)
Recipe Source: Pure and Simple

Ingredients:
250 gms Sweet Pumpkin
2 tsp finely chopped Ginger
1 tsp finely chopped green Chillies
1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
1/4 tsp Methi seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder
1 tbsp grated Jaggery
a pinch of Hing
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Wash the pumpkin well and remove the skin of pumpkin and cut pumpkin into thin pieces.
• Slice the peels into very thin.I used just 2 tbsp of peels in the recipe as I was skeptical about its taste in the curry.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add hing and methi seeds and let them brown.
• Add finely chopped ginger and green chillies and fry well.
• Add turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry well.
• Now add the sliced peels and also the chopped pumpkin and fry for 2 mins.
• Add 1/2 cup of water to it and cover it and cook well for 4-5 minutes until pumpkin is cooked soft.
• Add grated jaggery and cook well again for 2 mins.The gravy would have thickened by now.
• Add chopped coriander at the end.

Serve it hot with roti/naan/rice.

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Red Pumpkin Yogurt Salad

Red pumpkin is one vegetable which I do not cook much as hubby does not like it,he eats it only in sambar and that is the only way I always end up making with it.When I saw this recipe in Sukham Ayu,I liked the simplicity of the salad with a typical south Indian touch and was in mind from such a long time to make it.So,this time when I brought pumpkin I saved a small piece of it to make this salad for my lunch.It is a very simple one and you can make it in a breeze,the coolness from the yogurt,the sweetness from the pumpkin and crunchiness from the onions is well balanced with salt and the heat from green chili.

Ingredients:
1 cup bite size pieces of red pumpkin
1 small red onion,finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 small green chili,finely chopped
2 tbsp yogurt
salt to taste

for tadka:
1 tsp oil/ghee
1/4 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp urad dal
5-6 curry leaves
a pinch of hing

Method:

• Steam the red pumpkin pieces for 4-5 mins until its tender still firm.Cool them to a room temperature.
• in a bowl,mix in the red pumpkin pieces,chopped onions,green chilies,chopped coriander,salt and slightly beaten yogurt and mix well.Keep it refrigerated for an hour.
• Meanwhile heat oil/ghee in a small pan,crackle mustard seeds,urad dal,hing and curry leaves for a minute.
• Mix in the tadka with the salad and serve it cold.

Variations:
Red pumpkin can be replaced by diced cucumber/steamed white pumpkin/Zucchini for a variation.

This salad is going to participate in the 'Only' Salads event hosted by me,which is started by Pari of Foodelicious.

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Pumpkin Stew(gummadikaaya pulusu) ......the pumpkin mela continues...!!

This stew is prepared with the left over pumpkin piece which i used for preparing the soup.Did not understand what to do with this left over piece of pumpkin so called my MIL(she is my source of Andhra recipes) to find out how i could utilize this tiny piece.She gave me this recipe and so rushed to the kitchen and came out with this simple dish in a couple of minutes which was just perfect for a simple lunch.I am a kind of girl who prefers Andhra food for lunch and this was just perfect for me.

Ingredients:
1 cup diced red pumpkin
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 green chillies chopped
1/4 cup tamarind pulp(approx 3 tbsp)
1 tsp sambar powder(store bought or homemade)
1 tbsp grated jaggery
salt

for Tadka:
1 tsp urad dal
5-6 curry leaves
1/4 tsp methi seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing

Method:
Heat oil and add all the ingredients for tadka and fry for a minute.Add chopped onion and green chillies and fry until translucent.Now add pumpkin and mix well.Cover with a plate and pour water over it and cook for 6-8 mins until pumpkin is soft by stirring occasionally.Add tamarind pulp,jaggery,salt,sambar powder and water to it and mix everything well and let it boil for a couple of minutes.

Serve with hot rice and papad.

I am sending this to 15 Minute Cooking hosted by Mahimaa.

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Pumpkin-Carrot soup

During my grocery shopping last week this piece of pumpkin attracted me enough to carry it along with me.In my two and half years of kitchen adventures i never got to use the pumpkin in my cooking,so i thought of giving a start with a soup.Soups are always welcome at my place and hubby likes especially light and clear soups with some toasted bread.Most of the times my dinner just comprises of soup,toasted bread and salad.I prepared this soup in a simple way like how i prepare basic tomato soup just that i replaced tomato by pumpkin and added celery to give a nice flavor to the soup.

Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin slice,cut into cubes
1 carrot sliced
1 stem of celery
1 small onion sliced
4-5 garlic pods
2 cloves
1/2 " cinnamon
1 Bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil/butter
1/2 tsp pepper powder/pepper corns
salt




Method:
Heat olive oil in a pot/pan and saute sliced onions and garlic until soft, throw the chopped veggies into the pan and saute for a minute.
pour 3-4 cups of water,dry masalas(cinnamon,cloves and bay leaf,pepper corns if using) and cover it and cook until all the vegetables are soft.cool it down,remove the bay leaf and blend it into a nice smooth mixture.
Heat the mixture again in the pan and add water to get the required consistency.
Season it with salt and pepper according to your taste.

Serve hot with toasted garlic bread/simple bread.

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