Kerala Style Butternut Squash/ Pumpkin Curry (Mathanga Curry)

A very Happy Halloween to all of you !! Hope you all had a fun-n-frolic filled fall season. My little girl is down with a cold :( so we skipped the trick-or-treat this time, but I did manage to dress her up in her Elmo costume and take a couple of pictures. I absolutely love this time of the year as it is neither too cold nor do I have to brave the scorching heat of the summer. The trees look absolutely marvellous with the vivid colored leaves ranging from golden-yellow to blood red to purple. Even a short drive to the grocery shop is a treat to the eyes with all the trees looking their best!

Since my roots are from Kerala I thought of posting a Kerala recipe for this occasion. I have been making this dish very frequently especially during the fall season when Butternut squash is in season, every year. Butternut squash has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin so you can substitute it for pumpkin. 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 Lb - Butternut squash or any Pumpkin

1/4 Cup - Yogurt

1 Cup - Water

Salt

To grind

1/3 Cup - Grated fresh Coconut

1/4 Tsp - Cumin / Jeera Seeds

2 - Fresh Green chilly

1 cm - Fresh Ginger

1 clove - Garlic

1/8 Tsp - Turmeric powder

Tadka / Seasoning

3- Red chilly

1/2 Tsp - Black Mustard seeds

Few - Curry Leaves

3- Shallots, thinly sliced

Oil

Direction

• Wash, peel and and chop the butternut squash.

• Cook the butternut squash in 1 cup of water and salt in a pressure cooker for about 10 minutes or until done.
• Add coconut, jeera, green chilly, ginger, garlic and turmeric powder and grind it in a blender. Add this ground paste to the cooked squash
• Whip the yogurt and add it to the cooked squash
• In a separate pan, splutter mustard seeds, red chilly curry leaves and shallots and add it to the squash. Adjust the salt. Serve hot with Rice