Parangikkai Thuvayal (Pumpkin Chutney)

As the summer vegetables start making way for the winter produce, I get the feeling that, this year, I may miss my new friends when I can't find them shouting out to me in the supermarket or our local markets. I've experimented a lot this summer and tried out dishes that a year ago I would have considered alien.

While planning a weekend lunch, I decided to make pumpkin sambar and remembered that I had fresh ash gourd as well. So I made ash gourd sambar instead and used my bag of frozen pumpkin to make this thuvayal. I was a little worried that it might taste a tad sweet, but this thuvayal surprised both of us.

1 cup Pumpkin, cubed
4 Red Chillies
1 tsp Mustard
3 tsp Urad Dal
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
3 tsp Oil
1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
Salt to taste

For the tempering:

1 tsp Oil

1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

7-8 Curry Leaves

Place the pumpkin pieces in a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tbsp of water and cook on high for 2 minutes. Squeeze out the water when cool.

Heat the oil and fry the red chillies, mustard, asafoetida and urad dal for a couple of minutes. Grind the chillies along with the tamarind paste and salt. Add the pumpkin pieces and grind again. Finally, add the fried mustard and urad dal and grind lightly.

In a frying ladle, heat the oil and add the mustard and asafoetida. Add the curry leaves after the mustard has spluttered. Add this to the ground mixture.

I'm sending this to dear Sug for the second edition of Vegan Ventures.


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