Pumpkin Chutney / Mathanga Chammanthi

I think it wouldn't be nice if I proceed without mentioning about my loyal reader Shilpa. Unlike other girls, she started cooking before marriage, has been experimenting in her kitchen along with her studies! She tries out many recipes for her parents, has tried out few from this site also, and met me while she was looking for a recipe of 'mathanga chammanthi' for her father. Recently, Shilpa sent me some pictures of the dishes she cooked with the remaining part of soya beans after she prepared soya milk! I really loved them since it is very clever to use it in this way, usually there remains lots of 'okara / soy pulp' once after you prepared some soya milk! I hope you too can use her methods, try out and let us know.. :)
Shilpa was worried about the quality of the pictures she has taken, I think you did great, I didn't like even to 'touch' camera, until I start blogging.. :)

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Matha Verakiyathu / Sweet Pumpkin Porridge With Rice Flour and Cocounut

My Grandma had lots of veggie plants like pumpkin,ashgourd,cucumber and green chilly in her land during my child hood days.We children spent our long two months of vacation (and of course other holidays too..) in her house every year.The land around her home had a real verdure, most of them were arecanut plantations.(kavungin thoppu/thottam, adakka krishi) The house had a green field next to the land, which had a water canal through it which was our swimming pool,(other pool too was there in the land) but we were afraid to go there during monsoon, and every one used the clear water in the field, which was not deep. I always love to remember those wonderful days.. We caught fish using bath- towel (thorthu mundu), put them in the water collected in the jars, and made our small aquariums.. It was for our self- satisfaction too, since the big boys among us used to catch fish using fishing rods and they didn't allow us to use it.We always left home in the morning, roaming in the land around home,watching birds, butterflies etc
Mostly Grandma made vegetable curries using the products from her own land, and sent them to the neighbors and relatives. Now she is old and can't do anything herself, but manages to do many of her own things herself. But still her Daughter in lawns plant some and this dish was made by mom using the pumpkins they had sent.Nadan pachakkari (can I call it organic vegetables?) tastes great, and of course the curry made with that had a wonderful taste.
Verakal means mixing , so this a dish prepared by mixing cooked pumpkin with rice flour, jaggery and coconut.



Matha Verakiyathu Ingredients
Pumpkin 1/2 kg
rice powder 1 cup
jaggery 1/2 cup or according to taste
coconut grated 1 cup
water
salt enough



How to prepare
Peel and chop pumpkin.
Melt jaggery, remove impurities and keep aside.(For this add little water in jaggery and heat it)
Mix rice powder with enough water to make a medium thick batter.
Cook pumpkin with enough water and salt.When it is cooked , mash it.
Add rice flour batter, melted jaggery and coconut into this. Keep it on a medium heat stirring continuously. When the water is completely dried up, remove from fire.Can be taken as a teatime snack.

Other Pumpkin Dishes

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Pumpkin peel / Mathanga tholi thoran with dry red beans

Don't discard your pumpkin peels next time, just cook a delicious side dish..

Ingredients
Pumpkin skin 1 cup
Dry red beans 1 cup
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Small onions chopped 4
Coconut grated ½ cup
Garlic cloves crushed 2 big
Green chillis 2
Curry leaves
Salt
Coconut oil
Mustard

How to prepare
Wash and chop pumpkin skin. Cook dry beans. When it is over, cook pumpkin peel with it adding little salt and water. Reduce water. Chop small onions, mix it with grated coconut, turmeric powder and curry leaves by crushing well with hands. Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, and fry crushed garlic and green chillies, for few seconds add coconut mixture. Stir well for few seconds also. Add the cooked red beans, pumpkin peel preparation to this and mix well .check salt.

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Mathan / Pumpkin Pachadi

HAPPY ONAM!
Here is a simple side dish for Onasadya.

Ingredients
Pumpkin ½ kg
Small onions 4
Garlic 1 clove (avoid if you don’t like)
Coconut grated 1 cup
Curry leaves few
Green chilly 3 chopped finely
Cumin seeds ½ tea spoon
Mustard to grind 1 tea spoon
Curd ¾ cup
Salt
Coconut oil

How to prepare
Peel and cut pumpkin.
Cook with chopped green chilies in water just enough to cook.
Grind small onions, garlic, mustard, cumin seeds, coconut grated etc with little curd.
Make a smooth solution.
Mix this with cooked pumpkin.
Heat it, don’t boil.
Add remaining curd and salt.
Mix well.
Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, pour in to the curry.

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Erissery/pumpkin and dry red beans curry

Ingredients and Method

Pumpkin – 1 cup
Dry red beans – 1//2 cup
Turmeric powder -1/2 tea spoon
Pepper powder- ½ tea spoon
Coconut grated – ½ cup
Dry red chilly -1
Coconut grated – 1 table spoon
Cumin – a pinch
Curry leaves
Salt
Coconut oil

Cook red bean with water and salt.
Cook pumpkin with turmeric, pepper, salt and water enough to cover.
Mix both the above.
Blend coconut with small onions and cumin.
Pour this in the mixture of pumpkin and red beans.

Heat this mixture and stop when it begins to boil.
Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds add red chilly, grated coconut(1 table spoon) and curry leaves.
Fry till the coconut turns brown.
Pour in the curry.
I would prepare the same curry using yam, horse gram etc. using horse gram instead of red beans brings a different taste.

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