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Food Cooking and Cuisines

Recipe video: Kerala Pumpkin Erissery

A gluten-free and vegan dish that captures the spirit of Onam



PREP TIME 10 m
COOK TIME 20m
SERVES 3 to 4
Ingredients

    250 gms Pumpkin

    ½ cup split pigeon pea lentils

    ½ tsp Red chilli powder

    ½ tsp Turmeric powder

    1 Green chilli

    1 Sprig curry leaves

    Salt to taste

    750 ml water

     

    To grind

    ½ cup Grated coconut

    1-2 Green chillies

    2 Garlic cloves

    ½ tsp Cumin seeds

    ¼ tsp Turmeric powder

     

    To temper

    1 tbsp Coconut oil

    1 tsp Clarified butter

    ½ tsp Mustard seeds

    2 Shallots, chopped

    ¼ cup Grated coconut

    2 dried Red chillies

    1 sprig of curry leaves

     

Ingredient Substitution Guide

METHOD

Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, remove the seeds, and peel off the outer skin. Then, dice the pumpkin into cubes. Rinse the split pigeon pea lentils and set aside.

In a pan, cook the cubed pumpkin with half a teaspoon of red chilli powder, half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, one green chilli, curry leaves, and water. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over a medium flame.

Pressure cook the split pigeon pea lentils with 250 ml of water. Cook until the pressure cooker whistles three times, then turn off the flame and wait for the pressure to settle.

Once the pumpkin is well cooked, mash it with the back of a spoon. A coarse mash is sufficient. Add the cooked split pigeon pea lentils and mix well. Season with salt as needed. Cover and cook for another five minutes.

Meanwhile, coarsely grind the ingredients listed under 'to grind,' then add them to the pumpkin-lentil mixture. Cover and cook for an extra five minutes.

Finally, heat coconut oil in a pan. Add one teaspoon of clarified butter. Once hot, crackle the mustard seeds, add chopped shallots and grated coconut, and fry until the coconut turns brown. Then, add the dried chillies and curry leaves, sauté for a few seconds, and pour the mixture over the curry. Serve hot with rice.

Sobha Varghese
A homemaker based in Mumbai, who runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

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