South Indian Pumpkin Curry With Split Pigeon Peas Food

PUMPKIN CURRY WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a sauté pan, then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamom and mustard seed for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Stir the pumpkin or squash into the pan and coat in the paste, then pour in the stock and coconut milk. Bring everything to a simmer, add the chickpeas, then cook for about 10 mins until the pumpkin is tender. The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
• Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside. Just before serving, tear over mint leaves, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and warm naan breads.

TOOR DAL (SPLIT YELLOW PIGEON PEAS)

Steps:

• Prepare the dal: Soak the pigeon peas in a large bowl of warm water for about 1 hour. (They will have swelled a little.) Thoroughly rinse the soaked pigeon peas with fresh water, then tip the drained pigeon peas into a pot.
• Add tomatoes, turmeric, salt and 5 cups water, and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to purée some of the dal, leaving some intact and getting some very smooth, or whisk vigorously to break up some of the soft dal. Stir in the peanuts and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is very tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt. If the dal has become too thick for your liking, stir in a splash of water.
• Prepare the tempering: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the ghee. When hot, carefully add all of the tempering ingredients (the mustard seeds will sputter!) and swirl the pan until you can smell all the toasted spices, about 30 seconds. Pour everything over the hot dal.

EASY INDIAN-STYLE PUMPKIN CURRY

Steps:

• Put pumpkin into a large pot. Pour 2 cups water over the pumpkin so the cubes are floating. Season pumpkin and water with turmeric and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the pumpkin is tender yet firm enough to retain shape, about 15 minutes.
• Grind 1/2 cup coconut, 3 red chile peppers, green chile pepper, 2 tablespoons water, and cumin seeds in a food processor until you have a paste; stir into the pumpkin mixture and bring again to a boil. Cook until the liquid has thickened and coats the pumpkin cubes, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the curry into a large serving bowl.
• Heat 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 2 dried red chile peppers, mustard seeds, and black lentils in hot oil until they sputter, 2 to 3 minutes; pour over curry.
• Heat remaining teaspoon coconut oil in the skillet. Fry 1 tablespoon coconut in the hot oil until completely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour atop the curry. Garnish dish with curry leaves.

SOUTH INDIAN PUMPKIN CURRY WITH SPLIT PIGEON PEAS

Steps:

• 1. Place the pumpkin, pigeon peas, turmeric, salt, and water in a large nonstick saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and summer until the pumpkin and dal are crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.2. Add the coconut and cumin and continue to simmer until the pumpkin and dal are very soft and most of the water has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the red chili peppers and urad beans, stirring, until lightly browned about 30 seconds. Add the mustard seeds, they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the curry leaves and add to the pumpkin. Swirl lightly to mix, with parts of it visible as a garnish. Serve hot.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.