Boodhkumblakayi majjigehuli - white pumpkin stew

I had too much homemade curd left. I tend to prepare my own curd especially when I have lots of milk which is about to expire. Simple method is to boil the milk until it raises and then add a tsp or two of curd. Its a bit cold this time so it took about 24-30 hours to form this curd.

Yesterday evening we had been to the infamous Indian Street in Edison, NJ. Its a messy place to go on a rainy day. To our bad luck it was a complete mayhem. I had to buy few veggies and fruits for today's Ugaadi festival. One should always dig into the stock to find good veggies, at least that its what which works for me. Anyways, I managed to find the perfect piece just enough for 2 of us.

White pumpkin also known as Winter Melon or Ash Gourd is an excellent cure for kidney stones and to increase sperm count. My dad uses white pumpkin juice to reduce his sugar levels, which actually works. It has a short shelf life and must be used with in a day or two after buying.

There are many recipes using pumpkin in India. I personally prefer halwa, sambar and majjigehuli.
White Pumpkin does not have distinct taste of its own and has high water content so it is easy to cook and usually takes the taste of added spices.

Serves 3

Preparation time 20-25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of white pumpkin chopped to 1 inch cubes 
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ghee or oil
• 5-6 curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• salt as needed
• 1 cup curd

Ingredients to grind:

• 1/2 cup coconut shredded
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• A pinch of turmeric
• 4-5 strands of coriander stems along with leaves
• 3/4 tsp of cumin seeds 
• 1 tsp of coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste or 1/2 inch fresh ginger grated
• 1 tsp chana dal soaked in water for at least 20 mins or 1 tbsp besan
• 1-2 green chillies

Method:

• In a pan heat ghee and add mustard seeds and hing.
• Once the mustards splutter, add curry leaves and the chopped pumpkin.
• Add 1-2 tsp of salt and a cup of water and cook it with a closed lid.
• Add hing, coconut, chillies, turmeric, coriander leaves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ginger and the soaked channa dal into the mixer and grind it with little water into a coarse paste.
• It takes about 10 mins for pumpkin to cook. Test it with a spoon to see if it breaks. Once done add the masala which was ground to the pumpkin.
• Allow the mixture to boil. Once it boils turn the heat to low and add curds stirring constantly.
• Allow it to stand for a minute and switch off the stove. 
• Check for taste and adjust salt.

All good things start with sweet tooth - Carrot Halwa!!

I am a sucker when it comes to sweet. Tend to feel guilty when I eat those extra calories. But sometimes when you open the fridge, all you get is the same veggies like carrots, cucumber, tomatoes. Today I used those carrots which sits easily for almost a month.

Always try to make sure you buy your groceries from near farmers market or in organic sections.

So I used Splenda (type of sugar free) packets, about 10 to make this recipe. This on didn't have Sucralose so I used it. Today, we celebrate a festival called as Ugaadi which stands for Starting (Aadi) of a New Year (Yuga). This sweet is to commemorate Ugaadi festival, and yes, on a lighter note!

Carrot Halwa is the easiest of the desserts that can be made with minimal ingredients and is the most fail proof recipe. If you are an amateur, this is the best one amongst sweets. It has a coarse pudding texture which makes it easy for anyone to eat. Here is my method of preparation.

Serves 3-4

Preparation time 35-40 mins

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Medium sized carrots 
• About 3 cups of 1% or 2% milk (I used 2%)
• 3 tsp ghee or melted butter
• 2 tsp raisins (optional)
• 2 tsp broken raw cashews (optional)
• 2 tsp sliced raw almonds (optional)
• 10 packets of Splenda
• 3 tsp sugar
• A pinch of cardamom powder or cinnamon powder (optional)

Method:

• Peel the carrots and grate it using a small sized grater. Smaller the grater, easier to cook.
• In a non stick pan, heat the ghee and add raisins, cashews and almonds and reduce the heat to low.
• Remove the nuts and raisins from the pan without removing the ghee and keep it aside. Do not switch off the stove.
• To the same pan add the grated carrots and fry for 5 to 10 mins.
• Add the milk to the pan and increase the flame to medium. Allow it to boil.
• When the milk mixture starts to raise reduce the flame to low. Let the milk evaporate.
• Once the milk completely evaporates increase flame to medium and add Splenda and sugar and keep stirring until all the sugar melts and mix in the cardamom or cinnamon powder.
• Decorate with the nuts and raisins.

Enjoy hot or chilled (or with vanilla ice cream). Enjoy the sweetness guilt free