Pumpkin Coconut Curry

1. Chop Pumpkin into medium size pieces. They get mushy if small.

2. Add them in pressure cooker, add water upto the level of pumpkin pieces, add some salt and cook for 2 whistles. I kept for 3, so they got too mushy.

3. In a non stick pan, add oil, mustard, cumin seeds, 2 dry red chillies, fistful of pumpkin pieces(optional). Keep a lid immediately to avoid pumpkin seeds splattering. Now carefully add 1 medium onion chopped, 2 green chillies chopped (dont add more chillies as this chrry should be milder) , curry leaves, tiny pinch of hing, turmeric and mix well. Now add the boiled pumpkin pieces along with the water. 

4. Now make a fine paste with 4 tbsp yogurt, 4 tbsp freshly grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds.

5. Add this paste to the curry, and adjust salt, you can add 1-2 tsp sugar to balance the taste.

6. Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve with any roti or rice. We had it with Akki Roti and it was very yummy.

Akki Roti with Dill and Val beans

Chop one bunch dill leaves finely, add 1 big onion finely chopped, boil one cup of val beans with some salt and add to the mixture.

Now add 4 green chillies finely chopped, half cup freshly grated coconut, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp black sesame seeds, salt, 3 cups rice flour, add boiling water and mix like soft dough which is of spreadable consistency. Add one tbsp oil on top , cover with lid and leave it for 5 min.

Now take a Silica sheet, apply oil lightly , and apply oil to your hand as well and spread it thinly. 

Now heat a tawa, apply little oil, then flip the roti on it, cover with lid and cook, now apply oil on the top too and flip and cook on other side too. Serve with onion, tomato curry or any chutney.

Pumpkin Masala

Ingredients:

Pumpkin around 1/2 kg

Onions 2 medium chopped finely

Besan powder 2 tbsp dry roasted

Oil 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Ginger 1/2 inch piece

Garlic cloves 6

Green chillies 3

Dry Pumpkin seeds 2tsp (optional)

Red chilli 1

Curry leaves few

Hing a pinch

Turmeric powder a pinch

Sugar 1tsp

Cumin powder 1 tsp

Method:

1. Make a paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies by adding little salt and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a non stick pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilli and let them crackle. Now add dry pumpkin seeds (optional) and give a quick mix and immediately add onions as the pumpkin seeds pop otherwise.

2. Now add hing, curry leaves, salt, turmeric powder and mix.

3. Now add ginger garlic green chili paste and cook for a min.

4. Now add the pumpkin pieces, some salt as required, and then add sugar and cook for around 5 mins till the pieces get soft and cooked.

5. Now add cumin powder, roasted besan and mix well. You can add the powders little early also when the pieces are half cooked itself if you want to have the pieces seen. But I like to have it more mushy and hence I added the powders at the last. Cook for 2 min in simmer.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti, rice or even dosa.

Raw Banana Spinach Gravy

1. Cut 4 raw banana into half and put in a vessel of water, add salt, turmeric powder and boil until fully soft. Then peel and cut into cubes.

2. Put oil in a pan, add oil, mustard, cumin seeds, trading dal, red chilli, hing, one big onion finely chopped, curry leaves, salt and cook.

3. Now add turmeric, 3 cups of chopped spinach and cook until soft.

4.Now add the banana pieces and cover and cook.

5. Take a small cup of fresh coconut, 1 inch piece mango ginger or normal ginger, 6 cloves garlic, 6 green chillies or as per taste, salt, 1-2 tbsp papplulu and make a smooth paste by adding water.

6. Now add the paste into the banana mixture and cover and cook for 10 min in low flame.

7. This will gp very well with Roti.

Chettinadu Crab Pepper Masala

Method:

1. Take 8 blue crabs, clean and separate legs. Cut each leg into further halves so that it's open from both edges.

2. Add 4 tbsp oil in a clay or iron kadai.

3. Add 1tsp cumin seeds, 1tbsp pepper corns, 15-20 shallots, once shallots turn slightly brown, add 1 small cup fresh coconut pieces and cook until they also turn slightly golden colour.

4. Cool and grind the above.

5. In the same pan, add 4more tsp oil, add fennel seeds, 4 small green chillies slit, curry leaves, 3 large onions finely chopped, salt, ginger garlic paste. 

6. After the raw smell goes, add 2-3 large tomatoes puree and cook until oil separates. Now add turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1.5 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garamasala, and cook till pil separates.

7. Now add crab pieces and cook for about 10 min in medium heat .

8. Now add the ground paste, 2 tbsp tamarind paste mixed in water, mix well cook for 15-20mins and garnish with Coriander leaves.

9. SERVER HOT WITH Rice