PARANGIKOTTAI CURRY
Parangikkai/ Yellow Pumpkin is available in plenty during Sankranti/ Pongal season. It is one of the many farm produce which is thankfully offered to Sun God during the harvest festival. Cutting through the huge vegetable is quite a task due to its hard shell-like skin. My grandmother's cook used to hurl it down on the floor to break open the pumpkin since his knives failed to do the job! A pumpkin variety called Parangikottai (Baby Pumpkins) are smaller and tender and they taste as delicious as the huge Parangikkais. Taste them in this delicious dry Curry and you are sure to be addicted to it!
INGREDIENTS
Baby Pumpkin/Parangikottai - 1 ( roughly yields four cups of cubes when chopped.)
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Split Black gram dal - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2 (Broken)
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Asafoetida -1 pinch
Curry leaves - a few
Fresh coconut gratings - 4 tbsps
Salt - 1/4 tsp or more depending on your taste ( It should be just enough to enhance the sweet taste of the Pumpkin)
METHOD
1. Peel and chop the Parangikottai/ Baby pumpkin into small cubes.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds.
3. Add the dals and fry till they turn slightly golden in colour.
4. Add broken red chillies and fry till they become crisp.
5. Stir in the curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder.
6. Add the chopped pumpkin pieces and salt and stir well.
7. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame stirring now and then.The vegetable will cook in its own juice.
8. Check now and then so that it does not become mushy.
9. When the curry is just done mix in the freshly grated coconut.
10. Keep stirring till the Curry emanates a pleasant aroma and then switch off flame.
Parangikottai Curry is a delicious side dish and goes very well with rice as well as rotis.
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