Parangikai Poriyal | Kumbalakai Palya | Seasoned Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a delectable vegetable and used in variety of dishes like pies, curries, sauteed, muffins etc. Pumpkins are not only economical, but also highly nutritious and its is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamine, Niacin, folate and catrotenes.

At home my mom makes Kumbalakai palya for chapathi. It is very simple and easy to make. Pumpkins are cooked with onions, green chilies and seasoned with mustard seeds. In the end, it is topped with freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves.

I made it with spaghetti squash. This recipe can also be made with butternut squash, chayote squash and pumpkins. 

Ingredients

1 medium sized Pumpkin, ( about 1 kg) cubed

1 Onion, finely chopped

4 Green Chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 sprig of Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 cup Water

 1/2 cup Grated Coconut

3-5 sprigs of Cilantro, finely chopped

4 tsp oil

Salt

Procedure

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add mustard seeds.  when it starts to sizzle add green chilies, curry leaves and onions. Saute until onions turns transparent

• Add turmeric powder and pumpkin. Mix well and saute for a minute 

• Add 1/2 cup of water and adjust salt as per taste
• Pressure cook up to one whistle. After cooker has cooled, add coconut and cilantro

• Serve it with chapathi or steamed rice and sambhar

Tip-

• I have used pressure cooker, instead  you can saute pumpkin in a pan closed it with a lid and cook for 20 minutes