Yellow pumpkin tamarind gravy (Parangikai* Vatha Kuzhambu)
Ingredients
- 350 gr yellow pumpkin parangikai
- 1 tamarind lemon sized
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 pinch hing**
- 1 tsp jaggery grated
- 1 tsp rice flour
- 1 tsp salt
For seasoning
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp methi seeds (Fenugreek)
- 1 tsp channa dal (lentils with a sweet and nutty taste)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 red chilies
Instructions
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Heat oil in a kadai (circular, and deep cooking poand add the mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the methi seeds and the channa dal and fry until golden brown. Add the curry leaves and the broken red chillies as well.
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Remove the skin of the pumpkin and cut into cubes. Add the cubed pumpkin and fry it for a couple of minutes.
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Extract the tamarind juice and add it to the fried pumpkin.
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Mix 1 tsp of rice flour in 1/2 cup of water and add it.
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Now add the chilli powder, the coriander powder, the turmeric powder, the salt, hing and jaggery and bring the mixture to a boil.
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Then simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the gravy thickens a bit.
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Serve with hot rice and paruppu thuvayal***/ appalam (Appalam is the main dish on Indian meal. A appalam is a thin, crisp, disc-shaped food from the Indian subcontinent made from peeled black g flour (urad flour), fried or cooked with dry heat.)
Recipe Notes
*Parangikai / Yellow Pumpkin is used in various South Indian dishes. The vegetable has a subtle sweet taste and is certain to tickle the tastebuds when used in Vetha Kuzhambu (Tamarind gravy)
** Hing
Hing or heeng is the Hindi word for asafetida (sometimes spelled asafoetida). Derived from a species of giant fennel, Asafoetida has a unique smell and flavor, while on its own, the smell may strike you as overpowering and somewhat unpleasant, in cooking it mellows out and produces a flavor similar to onion and garlic.
*** Paruppu thogayal
Recipe from https://www.subbuskitchen.com/paruppu-thuvayal/
Paruppu Thogayal is a side dish from the Indian, Sout Indian, Tamil Nadue cuisine,
It is a very delicious thogayal variety that is more like an accompaniment than a mix for rice. Its a best side dish for Aracha Rasam, Jeera Rasam, Milagu Kuzhambu or Vathakuzhambu or any other rice varieties.
The author of the below recipe is by Sowmya Venkatachalam
Ingredients (4 people):
1 cup toor dal (pigeon pea) 1 cup – 250ml
3 red chili
½ tsp peppercorns
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp ghee
salt as needed
few curry leaves
Instructions:
Pour the ghee in the pan and fry the peppercorns, red chillies and toordal till the dal changes its color to light brown.
Grind these along with the salt, curry leaves and grated coconut by adding water ltitle by little and grind it to coarse but thick paste. The thogayal should not be so much dry and crumbly or it cannot be so smooth paste like chutney. So add water little by little at a time and grind the thogayal.
Paruppu thuvayal is ready to serve with plain rice or with Aracha Rasam, Milagu Rasam, Jeera Rasam, or Vathakuzhambu
The recipe and photography for the Parangikai Vatha Kuzhambu by amuthiskitchen.com / Authentic traditional South Indian Recipes with special focus on Tamil Nadu cuisine.