Kumaoni Kaddu Ki Sabji (Kumaoni (Indian) Pumpkin Savory)

Pumpkin whether it is green or the ripe yellow one both are highly nutritious as it is a good source of vitamin A. In Kumaon Kaddu (pumpkin) is made in many different ways. My grandmother use to rush to her kitchen garden, when we used to land at her place all of a sudden, and make Kaddu with Bhanhga (a Kumauni spice not to be confused with bhang which causes intoxication) andwe used to enjoy it with rice or puri. What a taste!!! Was it the love of my granny or the hunger  I do not know, but the taste is so vividly etched in my taste buds and memory. Not only my son and daughter but their spouses who are not Kumauni also love this preparation of pumpkin. I wish when my grandchildren are born they can also remember my cooking the same way as I do my grandmothers cooking!

Preparation Time:10 min

Cooking Time: 30-40 min

Servings: 8 medium servings

Ingredients Required For Making Uttaranchali Kaddu Ki Sabji:

• 500 gm. Red (ripe) pumpkin / Green Pumpkin

• 100 gm. Bhanga (Kumauni spice)

Bhanga Seeds

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 4 Red whole chilies

• Salt to taste

• 1/2Teaspoon turmeric powder

•  1/2Teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds

• 1 Pinch Asafoetida
• 1/2Teaspoon Jambu (Optional)

Jambu

• 5 ml. Mustard oil/Cooking oil

• 100 ml. Water

Direction For Making Uttaranchali Kaddu Ki Sabji:

• Remove all seeds and the soft inner portion to which seeds are attached.

• Wash the pumpkin after removing the seeds and the soft portion to which seeds are attached.

• Cut the pumpkin (Kaddu) to small pieces.

• In a cooker take

• Washed and cut Pumpkin

• 100 ml. water

• Salt

• Turmeric powder

• Close the lid and cook on high flame till pressure is built in the cooker.

• Lower the flame and cook for another 10 min.

• Switch off the gas, and allow the cooker to cool slowly.

• Take a thick bottom wok and heat it on high flame, when the wok is hot lower the flame.

• Add the bhanga seeds in the wok and roast the seeds with constant stirring till they become light brown color.

• Remove the roasted seeds in a bowl and allow them to cool.

• Grind the roasted seeds when they are cold to a smooth powder.

Roasted and powdered Bhanga

• Take oil in a thick bottom wok and heat on high flame till smoking hot. 

Mustard oil being heated in the wok

• Lower the flame and add mustard seeds, the let the seeds splutter for 30 sec.

• Add cumin seeds, whole red chili and cook for 30. Sec. The cumin seeds will splutter and become light brown and red chilies will become brown in color.

Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds and whole red chilies added to hot oil

• Add asafoetida and immediately add boiled pumpkin.

Boiled Pumpkin added to the seasoning

• Add salt if required.

• Add red chili powder and cook on low flame with regular stirring and mashing. 

Cooking the boiled pumpkin with regular mashing

• The pieces of boiled pumpkin should get mashed nicely.

Pumpkin pieces mashed and the vegetable getting thick

• Add the powder of roasted bhanga seeds.
  

   

  Roasted and Powdered Bhanga added to  of Green Pumpkin

Roasted and Powdered Bhanga added to Yellow pumpkin

• Mix nicely and cook for maximum 2 min.

Bhanga mixed and the vegetable being cooked for 2 min. more

• Add the juice of lemons and mix.

Lemon juice added and gas switched off

• Switch off the gas.

• Add grated ginger, cut green chili, and chopped cilantro.

• Cover and let the flavors of green chili, coriander and ginger soak in the vegetable.
• This vegetable can be stored in fridge for 10-15 days also.

 Serve hot with Dal-Chawal / Puri

Tips:

• Do not remove the peeling from pumpkin because it contains Vitamins.

• Do not add too much water while boiling the pumpkin as pumpkin itself contains lots of moisture and will lose water while being boiled.

• The bhanga should be ground to fine powder to get smooth vegetable and maximum flavor and taste of bhanga in the vegetable.

• One or two roasted red chilies and some salt can be added to roasted bhanga before grinding this ensures that the bhanga is ground to fine powder.

• Do not take out the lemon juice too much in advance as it will turn bitter; squeeze the lemon just before you have to add the juice to the vegetable.

Suggested Variations:

• Mustard oil is best for this preparation but if do not wish to use mustard oil then any other cooking oil can be used. Do not take ghee/dalda it will spoil the taste.
• 2-3 cm piece of jaggery can be added to the vegetable before adding lemon juice.
• Tamarind pulp can be used instead of lemon juice, but the flavor of lemon add to the taste of this preparation.
• Jambu added to the Tadka (tempering) gives heavenly flavor to this preparation so if you have it use it along with rest of the ingredients of tadka.