Khatta Meetha Kaddu/ Pumpkin

Khatta Meetha Kaddu/ Pumpkin

Ingredients

• Yellow pumpkin - 1/2 kg (  nicely chooped in 1 inch cube size)
• Oil -   2 tsp ( I used peanut oil , you can use any neutral vegetable oil)
• Rai - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin/Jeera - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel/ Saunf - 1/4 tsp
• Bay Leaf/ Tej patta - 1 leaf
• Cloves/ Laung - 2 
• Cinnamon/ Dal cheeni - 1/2 inch
• Coriander seeds/ Sabut dhaniya - 1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp
• Mango powder/Amchur  - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric /Haldi - 1/2 tsp
•  Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera powder -  1/2  tsp
• Sugar/ Jaggery - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves / kadi patta - 5-6
•  Fresh coriander 
• Dried red chilli - 1 piece
• Chopped Tomato - 1 big
• Salt - as per taste

Steps :

• Heat oil in a kadhai.
• In hot oil add all sabut masala like : Rai, Jeera, Fennel, Bay leaf, Cloves, Cinnamon, Coriander seeds, methi seeds and Red Chilli. Let them cook for 1 min.
•  Add Chopped pumpkin, turmeric, salt. give it a nice mix . Cover and cook it on simmer for 7-10 mins until pumkin is little soft.
• Now add Mango powder, Jaggery, Red chilli powder, crushed curry leaves, chopped tomato.
• Cover and cook for 5-6 mins until pumkin is soft and cooked well.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.
• Server hot with Chapati, Poori.

Tips:

• You can add chopped onion if you like along with  sabut masala and fry it until translucent.
• I removed the skin of the pumkin as B chopped them for me, but you can keep the green skin and cook it along. This tastes yum.
• Increase / decrease jaggery/ chilli as per your taste.
• You can add hing ( asafetida) as well if you like and get nice fragrance, but for me sabut masala's were enough.
•  In north people cook this during Kanya poojan on ashtami  day along with halwa, kala chana and poori.
• Do not add hing, onion if you are making satvik/ vrat ka khana

Dukimaar Bhutta / Sweet Corn Curry

Dubkimaar Bhutta or SweetCorn Curry

Trying to write after a number of years.  Time flies and now the little dragon is six years old, which translates to that now I have some time in hand to do what I love the most. Also, this lockdown situation is making me pursuing all the things which I was forgetting or postponing in the name of no time.

Time is tough and staying at home the entire day during lockdown is also draining. I am badly missing going out for work, walk, food, travel that used to make me a happy child every time I was out of the door. I know my son is just like me in these things. 

So, to make things easier in daily routine and to cherish this time instead of being grumpy and stuck. I decided to pursue different things at home with the stuff available. I am sure this will take my creativity to another level and will teach me how to stay calm and slow down during these tough times.

"Toughest is the one who survives the tough times"

I saw this recipe long back on "chef at large"  Facebook community. I am sorry I do not remember the name of the lady who shared it, but it was an Indian who lives overseas. If you know the name please share it with me. So, that due credit can be given to her.

I do not have that recipe written but the cooking style was similar, so it stuck with me and is an all-time favorite.  How to enjoy this curry is very interesting, dunk the corn in the gravy and eat corn kernels and suck the gravy.



Ingredients - server 2 hungry souls :)

1. Sweet Corn - 1 piece cut in small discs 
2. Onion - 2 
3. Tomato- 4 
4. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
5. Salt  as per taste
6. Dhaniya powder - 1stp
7. Amchoor - 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala - 1tsp
9. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Ginger Garlic paste - 1tsp
11. Fresh coriander for garnish
12. Water -  3 cups
13. Oil - 3 tsp

Recipe:

1. Cut Sweet corn in small circular discs, one-inch size if possible.
2. Make onion and tomato puree
3. Pressure cook sweet corn with turmeric and salt for 4-5 whistles. until corn kernels are soft yet retain their shape.
4. Heat oil in kadhai , add cumin seeds, let them sputter.  Now, add onion and tomato puree.
5. Add all the masala except garam masala. Let it get cooked on a slow flame for 10 mins. Wait till the masala starts leaving oil.
6. Add boiled sweet corn along with the water in which it was boiled.
7. Add garam masala and cook it on slow-medium flame for another 10 mins until the gravy is little thickened.
8.  Garnish with fresh coriander.
9. Serve with freshly steamed jeera rice or chapati.


 I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 To enjoy this curry the most, make sure after eating kernels you dunk the corn in gravy and then suck the juices. It's yummy and satisfying!

Do share the outcome if you try this recipe!

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