Pumpkin Halwa

A great way to use pumpkins in Indian cooking is when making curries and/or sambhars. These dishes are usually served with rice but they can also be enjoyed as it is. The first time I ate pumpkin was on Thanksgiving at my uncle's house many years ago. We had just moved to the States and celebrated our first American holiday. My aunt served me a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream. It was delicious but a bit too sweet for me at that time. Since then, I've adjusted to the taste and enjoy it every year.

These days, pumpkins are being incorporated into a lot more recipes than just pies. It's about time don't you think! We're adding our recipe into that pot...just in time for Diwali, the Festival of Lights which falls on Nov. 2.

Check out our recipe for Pumpkin Halwa below:

Pumpkin Halwa

Ingredients:

- 500 grams Pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 0.5" cubes

- 3.5 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk

- 1/8 cup Instant Dry Milk powder

- 2 pinches Cinnamon powder

- 2 pods Cardamom, seeded and powdered

- 1/8 cup dry coconut powder

- 2 tbsp Butter

- 5 to 6 Almonds or Cashews, sliced (for decoration) and toasted

Procedure:

In a thick non-stick sauce pan, heat butter and the pumpkin cubes. Stir fry for a minute and cook the pumpkin until soft under closed lid for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Mix intermittently. When the pumpkin is cooked, using a thick wooden spoon or potato masher, mash the pieces well into paste. Now add sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon powder, instant dry milk powder, and coconut powder and mix well. Cook the mixture by mixing regularly to avoid sticking until it moves from the walls of the container. Add the cardamom powder into the halwa mixture. Transfer it into a greased plate and top it with the toasted almonds or cashews.

Click on the headline to read more about How pumpkin moved beyond the pie, and into curries, cereal bars, and M&Ms… from Food Navigator-Usa.com.

It's Pumpkin Picking Time!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, everywhere!

It's that time of the season again. What's your favorite variety? I never knew there were so many varieties of pumpkins until I went to farmers' markets and picking myself. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to do a little digging to learn more about this "fruit". Did you know that it was a fruit? Each variety has unique attributes in color, texture, taste and usage (such as baking, cooking, decorating). Here's some interesting nutritional facts:

- High in fiber
- Low in calories, cholesterol, and Saturated fat
- A good source of:
            - Vitamin A
            - Vitamin E
            - Thiamin
            - Niacin
            - Vitamin B6
            - Folate
            - Iron
            - Magnesium
            - Potassium
            - Phosphorus and more
- Even the seeds are high in protein, iron, & B vitamins.  

Now that we know a bit more about their nutritional value, it's time to get cooking. But which type of pumpkin is good for baking and/or cooking? New England Sugar or Baby Pam Sugar Pies are good for baking because they tend to have a sweeter flavor. For Indian cooking, we prefer West Indian Pumpkin also known as Calabaza Squash. It's great for curries and spicy soups. Check out our recipes below:

Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Curry

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar





  

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar

Sambhar is a type of vegetable stew or soup that has its roots from South India. Every South Indian state has its own variation. 

Warm Pumpkin Goodness!

Our version of sambhar hails from Andhra Pradesh (my home state) . Now the base of soups or stews starts off with the broth or stock, and then you combine it with meat, legumes or vegetables.  The broth in Sambhar is usually made with tamarind and/or pigeon peas and cooked with vegetables. The type of vegetables range from carrots, pearl onions, eggplant, tomato, sweet potato and/or okra with a blend of various spices (Sambhar powder can be found at most Indian stores).

We love cooking with seasonal produce whenever we have the chance. On our recent trips to the lcoal market, we bought pumpkin.

Here are some great ways to enjoy this chunky dish: In a bowl with pieces of toasted bread; mixed with hot rice and a touch of ghee or clarified butter; or dip your favorite dosa or idlis. This dish is an explosion of sour, spicy, and sweet flavors. 

Let's begin making this dish, shall we? 

Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs of Pumpkin (Spanish or Calabaza)
- Tamarind (measure size of a lemon)
- 2 tbsp of Brown sugar/Jaggery
- ½ tsp of Turmeric powder
- ½ to 1 tsp of Chili powder (or as desired)
- ½ tsp of Fenugreek powder (optional)
- 1½ tbsp of Besan (if not available, use rice flour or cornstarch)

Brown sugar is not shown above

For the seasoning*:
- 1 tbsp of Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp of Whole Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp of Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp of Hing/Asafoetida
- 5 or 6 Curry Leaves


Procedure: 
1) Pick a pumpkin with orange skin and make sure the skin is not woody. Remove the seeds and cut the pumpkin into 2" squares. (Hint: Peel the skin if it seems thick and woody)

2) Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for at least 15-20 min and later squeeze the juice out using at least 1 liter of water. Transfer the juice into a soup pot or large saucepan and add the pumpkin pieces, chili powder, turmeric, brown sugar, fenugreek powder and salt.

Cook on low to medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. (Hint: Knife should pierce the pieces easily)

3) When the pumpkin is cooked and liquid is boiling, mix the besan/flour in ½ cup of water and add to the broth stirring continuously. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the broth thickens and remove from heat and keep aside.

4) Prepare the seasoning (listed above) for soup in hot oil.

QUICK TIPS
- Pigeon peas are added to the preparation of the broth to thicken and reduce the sourness of the dish. Besan/flour and pumpkin help in thickening the dish and reduce the sourness taste.
- Check out Cooking 101 for tips on preparing the seasoning or click here to watch the video.
- Sambhar Powder can be substituted for the following ingredients: Hing, Fenugreek powder, and Chili powder.

Did you know: How closely related sambhar and gumbo really are? 1) They both fall within the same category of soups and stews, 2) have a strongly flavored stock, 3) combined with lots of vegetables to create this thick dish, and finally 4) are traditionally served over rice. 

Tis the Season to Go Picking!!

It's Pick Your Own Apples and Pumpkins Time!! Grab your partner, friend, and/or kids and head over to the nearest farm for a day of good picking. And after you're done picking, be sure to try one of our "Fall Fancies" recipes just in time for the season. 

Upcoming "Fall Fancies" Recipes:

Green Apple Salsa

Seasoned Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Curry

Chunky Pumpkin Sambhar (soup)