It's Halloween Time Again!

[rajsuman]

For us, pumpkins are available in the supermarkets only during halloween. I don't do much with it, except add it to sambhar. My mother learnt to make a Khatta Meetha Kaddu (Sweet and Sour Pumpkin) from a friend - it's absolutely out of this world and the best I've tasted. She also uses it to make pakoras and a simple stir-fry. I must get all these recipes from her, but in the meantime, what do you guys make with it?

Suman

[Episure]

It can be made into a halwa/sheera.

Chopped into cubes and stir fried with kalonji (nigella) seeds and red chilli powder, it makes a nice sabji to be had with puris.

[Pan]

There's a delicious pumpkin curry recipe in one of Madhur Jaffrey's cookboooks (I forget which one). In the days when my father used to eat pumpkin (he can't anymore because it has too much potassium for his diet), I made this every fall. I found that calabash/calabaza worked better than pumpkin or acorn squash, though.

[Episure]

I just remembered, a friend had brought over 8 tiny pumpkins from her farm. They were about the size of small melons. I scooped out the flesh and made a shorba(spiced soup) served in the shells. It looked very impressive but there is scope for improvement in the recipe. Shall try again if I get these midgets.

[Edward]

It can be made into a halwa/sheera.

Chopped into cubes and stir fried with kalonji (nigella) seeds and red chilli powder, it makes a nice sabji to be had with puris.

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Hello from Delhi everybody,

Episure, I love pumpkin with kalonji. Try it with kalonji(or cumin), green chili, and tejpatta. Cook it with a little water and then stir in some rich yogurt and the end and heat it through(but not until curdled). A little garam masala at the end is nice. Sort of a pumpkin korma.

Edward

[Peppertrail]

Here is a recipe for pumpkins Kerala style- Of course with lots of coconut.

Ammini

Pumpkin-Erissery:

4 cups - pumpkin cut into cubes

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (reduce for milder taste)

Salt to taste

1-½ cups of freshly grated coconut

1-teaspoon cumin seeds

For seasoning and garnish:

3 tablespoons vegetable, corn, or canola oil

½ cup freshly grated coconut

1-teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 hot red chili pepper, halved

A few curry leaves (if available)

Cook pumpkin cubes with enough water along with turmeric powder, cayenne powder and salt. In a blender, grind 1½ cups of the coconut with the cumin seeds and just enough water to a smooth puree. Add this to the cooked pumpkin cubes. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes and remove from the stove. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, add the mustard seeds, the red pepper, and the curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, remove the pan from the stove and pour the mixture over the cooked vegetables. Sauté the remaining coconut flakes in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until golden brown. Add the sautéed coconut to the cooked curry and stir gently.

Edited October 14, 2004 by Peppertrail (log)

[whippy]

one of my favorite seasonal combos: sauteed pumpkin with big, fresh pomegranate seeds! a bit of jaggery, garlic, chilis, yum!

oh yeah! this one's for you, episure, from "the cocktails of the ritz paris." 5 parts pumpkin juice, 4 parts maker's mark bourbon, 1 part lemon juice, sugar and fresh mint. lovely drink, this.

[rajsuman]

Thanks for the ideas and recipes. I'm going to try so many pumpkin recipes this season that my family will probably feel thankful for the brief availability of the vegetable. Yesterday I tried Yamuna Devi's recipe for Gujarati-style toor dal and pumpkin soup. It was wonderful and with its yellow, orange and green hues, looked very pretty. Please PM me if anyone wants the recipe.

Episure, would you mind describing the soup in more detail? I got this tiny pumpkin because it looked so cute - but it was so difficult to cut that I was wondering if bigger ones taste better than smaller ones. Do they?

Pan, hopefully the recipe you mention will be in one of the three MJ books I own.

Suman

[Episure]

one of my favorite seasonal combos:  sauteed pumpkin with big, fresh pomegranate seeds!  a bit of jaggery, garlic, chilis, yum!

oh yeah!  this one's for you, episure, from "the cocktails of the ritz paris."  5 parts pumpkin juice, 4 parts maker's mark bourbon, 1 part lemon juice, sugar and fresh mint.  lovely drink, this.

←

Whippy,

This sounds nice especially if it's juice from a ripe sweet pumpkin. I'm not much into bourbon but I'll try it with vodka. My leanings in whisky are completely anchored to the stuff that comes from a small island off the scottish west coast.

Whilst we are at it will someone educate me about the connection between Halloween and Pumpkins.

Edited October 14, 2004 by Episure (log)

[Episure]

Episure, would you mind describing the soup in more detail? I got this tiny pumpkin because it looked so cute - but it was so difficult to cut that I was wondering if bigger ones taste better than smaller ones. Do they?

Pan, hopefully the recipe you mention will be in one of the three MJ books I own.

Suman

←

Suman,

Bangalore is full of these cute looking pumpkins, you have to ripen these small babies till they are sweeter. Slice off the top 1/3rd and scoop out the flesh. Puree the flesh with tomatoes, dried red chillis, garlic, tamarind and just a wee bit of asafoetida. Cook it and add a tadka of cuminseed and what have you, refill the shell and serve. You may want to keep this ready and hot in an oven.

Now that I am writing this recipe, it strikes me that it is possible to make a nice pumpkin rasam and serve it the same way.

Hot pumpkin soup = Soorma Bhopali

[Peppertrail]

Suman:

This recipe for butternut squash also works well for pumpkin soup.

Ammini

Butter nut squash soup

2 cups - butter nut Squash cut into cubes

1/4 cup diced carrot

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

½ cup cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

In a baking dish spread butter nut squash and carrot pieces and coat them with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake at 400 degree F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven let it cool to room temperature. Grind it into a smooth puree. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the coriander powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and sauté for a minute or so. Stir in the squash/carrot puree along with salt and 2 cup of water or stock, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for several minutes to let the flavors meld, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the stove and let it cool down. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Just before serving return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Add the cream and let it simmer for a minute or so. Ladle into a soup bowl and garnish with black pepper and a scattering of pumpkin seeds.

[TheFoodTutor]

I made toasted pumpkin seeds with cumin, and this is what I did with the leftovers:

Hee hee. The pumpkin seeds are mighty tasty.