White Pumpkin & Swiss Chard Curry

White pumpkin (Gummadikaya in Telugu) is a very versatile veggie and can be used to make dals, curries and stews. This time around I had a bunch of Swiss Chard that needed to be used up, so I added it to the curry to boost the nutrition. To make the curry creamy and not make it too dry, I added coconut cream, the top layer in unshaken canned coconut milk. All in all the curry turned out to be quite tasty.

Here’s how I made it:
Ingredients:
White Pumpkin – 3 cups, diced into 1” cubes (Zucchini should be a good substitute)
Swiss Chard – 1 small bunch, chopped
Chana dal – ½ cup, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Green chilies – 3, sliced
Coconut cream – 1tsbp, just skim the thick cream that forms on the top of regular coconut milk can
Turmeric – 1/8 tsp

For tempering:

Mustard Seeds – 1tsp

Cumin seeds – 1tsp

Dry red chilies – 3

Method:

• Microwave pumpkin with ½ cup water until tender.
• Heat 2tsp oil in a sauté pan; add the tempering ingredients and once they splutter add green chilies, soaked chana and cooked pumpkin with any leftover water after microwaving.
• Mix well and add the chopped chard. Cover and cook till chard is wilted and the dal is completely cooked.
• Add coconut cream and salt, simmer for another 2 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice or roti.

White Pumpkin in Tamarind Gravy (Gummadikaya Pulusu Kura)

Vegan Mofo Day 10:

White Pumpkin aka Ash Gourd in India is a very versatile vegetable (wow.. alliteration right there). You can make both sweet and savory dishes with it. My mom makes halwa with it, but I’ve never tried it myself. I usually make aviyal or this curry with it. But this time wanted to try something slightly tangy and sweet with it. Curry tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients:

Ash Gourd/ White Pumpkin/ Gummadikaya – 1 small piece, 3-4 cups when chopped
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Green chilies – 2, slit
Tomato Paste – 2tbsp
Sambar powder – 1tsp (I use MTR brand)
Tamarind paste - 2tbsp (Thanks Anise for pointing this out)

Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Jaggery/ Brown sugar – 2tsp
Roasted peanuts – 2tbsp, coarsely ground
Sesame seeds – 2tsp, dry roasted and ground to powder
Salt – to taste

For tempering:
Urad dal (Minapappu) – 1tsp
Chana dal (Senagapappu) – 1tsp
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Dry Red chilies – 1-2
Curry leaves – 6-8

Method:

• Microwave the chopped pumpkin with ½ cup of water & pinch of turmeric until ¾th cooked but not completely cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
• In a sauté pan, heat 2tbsp oil; add the tempering ingredients and once the seeds start to splutter, add onions and green chilies.
• Sauté until onions turn translucent.
• Add tomato paste, sambar powder, turmeric and ½ cup of water. Cook on medium-low flame until almost all the water evaporates.
• Add the cooked pumpkin along with the water; cover and cook until the veggie is completely cooked through.
• Add tamarind paste and jaggery and more water if the curry looks too dry. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Stir in ground peanut & sesame seeds, mix well and simmer for 5 more minutes for all the flavors to meld.

Serve with steamed rice and plain dal or with rotis.