THIS DISH IS POPULAR DURING ONAM WHEN IT IS MADE WITHOUT ONIONS OR GARLIC BUT IF YOU ARE PREPARING IT FOR A NON RELIGIOUS OCCASION YOU CAN ADD PEELED SAMBHAR ONIONS AND WHOLE GARLIC TO IT.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 with rice

For cooking Pumpkin

• 250 grams yellow pumpkin, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
• 100 grams black eyed peas also called cow peas soaked in excess water overnight
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

For the coconut masala

• 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

For the top tempering

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies (Kashmiri or Bedgi) stalks and seeds removed
• 10 fresh green curry leaves on a stalk
• 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut or defrosted

METHOD

• Drain and wash the cow peas. Cook them with turmeric, red chilli powder and 4 cups of water until tender on a high flame. Add more water as required. When pressed between your fingers the bean should collapse. You could use a pressure cooker but this can result in the skins separating from the peas. Now add the pumpkin with 1 cup water and cook again 5 minutes. Reserve.
• Grind the coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds along with a 1-2 tablespoons of the residual pumpkin water to a coarse paste. Combine pumpkin pieces, remaining water, coconut masala in a large saucepan and cook on medium heat until the pumpkin is very tender and the water has dried up. The pumpkin should fall apart if pressed down with a spoon.Gently mash the pumpkin with the ladle for a coarse consistency. Add salt to taste. Scoop into a serving dish.
• Heat coconut oil and veg oil or ghee in a kadai and add mustard and cumin seeds, fresh green curry leaves, dried red chillies when the oil is hot. Let the seeds and chilli sizzle. Add in the fresh shredded coconut and fry till the coconut is golden brown. Pour the tempering over the warm pumpkin. Stir just before you serve the dish.