Pumpkin is one vegetable which is either loved or hated by people. Growing up pumpkin was a regular in my house, my mom always made sambar out of it. Pumpkin, kala chana and green eggplant sambar is one of the quintessential Udupi Brahmin style sambar which is made on festivals and also in the “Ashta mutts” or eight monasteries of Udupi. Will have a separate post for the sambar later on.
This dish is a North Indian style dry pumpkin with spices and very simple to make. This takes about 10 minutes to prepare and about 20 minutes to cook. I should say the tough part is actually peeling and cutting the pumpkin. Costco or some grocery stores also carry cubed pumpkin during Fall season which makes life easier.
I have not been able to convince Niki to eat this dish in spite of making it regularly. The name kaddu or pumpkin deters her from eating it. Wonder why? I have not lost hope, maybe someday…..
I usually make this dish during “Shrardh” or in September when Hindus pay homage to the ancestors.

Servings
Serves 6-8 people
Prep Time
10-15 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Total Time
30-40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 ½ cups pumpkin, cubed
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 red chilies
- 2 cloves
- ½ inch piece cinnamon
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp hing/asafetida
- 2 tsp cumin and coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp amchur/raw mango powder
- 2-3 tbsp jaggery/gud
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 green chilies, chopped
- Cilantro to garnish
- 2-4 tsp oil
PREPARATION
Step 1
Add oil to pan, when hot add red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, mustard, cumin seeds and fenugreek. Saute for a minute or two until mustard splutters add cumin and coriander powders, asafetida, turmeric and red chili powder.
Step 2
Now add the cubed pumpkin, green chilies and chopped tomato. Cover the lid and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add salt, raw mango powder, jaggery, garam masala, red chili powder. Stir. Cook until pumpkin is soft yet holding shape and not mushy.
Step 4
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with puris or rotis.

The famous proverb "you are what you eat” as quoted by the French author Anthelme Brillat-Savarin is very true. Food nourishes you from the inside out. Good health is of utmost importance to me. Vegetarianism and Veganism are gaining immense popularity these days. Natural, organic, healthy and homemade is my mantra.
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