Ash Gourd/ White pumpkin kootu.

A few days ago I happened to find white pumpkin in my Asian market. This is a rare occourance in my small town. I got a piece and typically I make a kootu with lots of coconut and channa dhal. I wanted to try something slightly different with this one. I ended up making this gravy and it was a slight variation to my original recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 small piece white pumpkin cut to bite size pieces
- small piece of tamarind (Soften it in the microwave)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or jaggary

Fry till they become golden brown
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp jeera seeds
- 3-4 red chilies
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp urad dhal
- 1 tsp rice (This thickens the gravy. You can substitute this with rice flour or atta)
- 1/2 cup frozen coconut (Add it after the above whole spices turn slightly brown)

Seasoning:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- few curry leaves

Method:
1. In a heavy bottom vessel boil your pumpkin in water and salt.
2. Meanwhile grind all the ingredients which you had fried with tamarind to a fine paste. So it is enough if your tamarind is slightly softened.
3. Add this mixture to your boiled pumpkins. Mix in jaggary and cook till the pumpkins become soft and tender to touch.
4. In a seperate pan add oil and the ingredients for seasoning. Once they turn brown add it to the pumpkin.

Serve this with fluffy white rice.

Sending this to Book Marked Recipe hosted by Priya

Avial

Ingredients:
- 4 cups mixed vegetables chopped into 2 inch pieces
(Some of the vegi we add are ash gourd, snake gourd, potatoes, carrots, beans, valakai(plantain), eggplant/bringal, chow-chow, unripe mango (mankai))
- 1 cup butter milk/ curds
- pich of turmeric
- salt to taste
- 1 tblspn coconut oil (optional)

Grind to paste:
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tspn jeera
- 1 tspn rice flour
- small lemon size tamarind softened
- 3 Green chili
- 2 red chili

Method:
1. In a deep vessel add all the vegetables with salt and turmeric. Boil them till they become tender.
2. Add the ground mixture. Let it boil for a few minutes.
3. Finally add the butter milk/curd. If you need it to be like kulumbu add buttermilk. But if you need it to be like kootu then add curds. Add curry leaves and coconut oil. Simmer it for a few minutes. Make sure it does not boil too much else the buttermilk will start to curdle.