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Taste with a twist

One can make the best use of pumpkin: not only to carve it to decorate the table, but also to make dishes that are not too calorie-rich. Swirl it into a subzi or twist it a little for a dal, it tastes superb with the slightest touch of spices. And there is always the dear old halwa. Try out these fast-to-cook recipes.

Kaddu ka dalcha

Ingredients Channa dal - 100 gm Bottle gourd cubes - 800 gm Tamarind pulp - 50 gm Red chilli powder {lcub}frac12{rcub} 2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1 tsp Green chillies (slit) - 10 Garam masala (whole) - 20 gm Onion (sliced) - 50 gm Ginger garlic paste - 30 gm Tomatoes chopped - 50 gm Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tsp Oil - 50 ml Salt / pepper to taste Curry leaves - 5 sprigs Method: Boil and mash the channa dal. Sauté whole garam masala and sliced onions in a pan and allow them to turn golden brown in colour. Cook ginger garlic paste with red chilli powder, curry leaves, turmeric powder, slit green chillies, salt/pepper and chopped coriander leaves for a while. Add cubes of bottle gourd, chopped tomatoes and mashed channa dal and cook till the bottle gourd is done. Finish with tamarind pulp and give it a dum for 10 minutes.

Shorba Ingredients Red pumpkin - 300 gm Salt to taste Chopped coriander - 1 tbsp Onions (chopped) - 50 gm Carrots (roughly chopped) - 50 gm Basil - 1 tbsp Maida - 30 gm Butter - 30 gm Pepper to taste Cream - 3 tbsp Method: Peel and cut the pumpkin in dices. Boil the pumpkin in water with onions, carrots, basil and coriander. Strain the vegetables and puree it. Make a white roux of maida and butter. In a pan, cook the pureed vegetables; add in cream and the roux. Adjust the consistency and seasoning of the soup according to your choice. And the shorba is ready.

Kaddu ki subzi

Ingredients: Red pumpkin - 500 gm Salt to taste Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp Kalonji - /1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp Anise seeds -1/2 tsp Bay leaves {lcub}frac12{rcub} 2 Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Raisins - 2 tbsp Oil - 2 tbsp Method: Soak the raisins in water. Cut the pumpkin into cubes with the skin. In a pan, add oil and sauté kalonji, cumin seeds, fenugreek, anise seeds, mustard seed and bay leaves till they start crackling. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir it for some time. Cover the pan and let the pumpkin cook on a low flame till it is done.

Halwa

Ingredients White pumpkin - 1 kg Ghee - 100 gm Milkmaid - 250 gm Sugar as required Dry fruits (chopped) - 2 tbsp Method: Peel and grate the pumpkin. Boil the pumpkin in water. Drain the water and keep the pumpkin aside. Fry the dry fruits in oil till you get a light golden colour. Sauté pumpkin in ghee for 10 minutes. Then add Milkmaid and again cook it for five more minutes, sugar, if required more, can be added at this time. And the pumpkin halwa is ready.

O. P. KHANTWAL

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