Pumpkin Curry with Cashews
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Fried cashews impart a rich nuttiness to this unique, seasonal curry.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin- 1 small, Peeled, deseeded and chopped into cubes
- Turmeric or haldi- A pinch
- Cashews- about 3 tbsp (45 ml)
- Salt to taste
- Tamarind pulp- 1 tbsp (15 ml)
- Oil- 2 tsp (10 ml)
- Channa dal- 1tbsp (15 ml)
- Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
- Cinnamon- 1" piece
- Red chillies- 3
- Asafoetida or hing- a pinch
- Dry coconut- 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Instructions
- Take the pumpkin cubes in a thick bottomed pan. Add the tamarind juice, turmeric and water to cover the pumpkin and allow the vegetable to cook on low flame.
- Heat a tsp of oil in another pan and fry the hing, cinnamon, channa dal, coriander seeds and red chillies.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely and grind to a fine powder adding the dry coconut in the end.
- When the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked, mash it with a potato masher and add salt.
- Add the ground spice mix and allow the mixture to simmer for 2-3min and take off the heat.
- Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they pop, add the cashewnuts and fry till they turn brown.
- Add the seasoning to the gravy and mix well.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: South Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 160
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Pumpkin Masala Curry
- Quick Chicken Curry
- Dhingri Matar – Creamy Indian Mushroom and Pea Curry
- Creamy Curried Pumpkin Soup
Frequently Asked Questions
What is asafoetida (hing) and why is it in this curry?
Asafoetida, called hing in Indian cooking, is a pungent dried resin that smells sharp raw but mellows into a savory, onion-garlic depth when heated. In this curry, just a pinch goes into the spice-fry step alongside the channa dal, cinnamon, and red chillies before everything is ground with dry coconut into the masala paste.
What is the final tempering step with mustard seeds and cashews for?
Heating the remaining oil until the mustard seeds pop, then frying the cashews until golden brown is a South Indian technique called tadka or tempering. The popping mustard seeds release a nutty, slightly bitter flavor, and the fried cashews add richness and crunch that is stirred into the curry just before serving.
