.However, there is one curry my mommy darling prepares that makes me like this vegetable and that is Mathanga (Pumpkin) and cherupayar (Green gram) Erissery.I like how this curry's color eventually looks orange-y (depends if you use deep orange or yellow pumpkin though) and as usual color attracts me .
Erissery is one of the classic Kerala dish prepared especially for festivals and important occasions like weddings,birthdays etc as a part of Sadya/feast.It is usually made with orange/yellow pumpkins or yams with red beans/vanpayar or green grams/cherupayar respectively .
Just like my mom , I usually make Mathanga/Pumpkin and green gram/cherupayar erissery .The little sweetness of the pumpkin with a healthy dose of lentil, green gram mixed with a coconut-cumin paste in coconut oil makes one reminisce Kerala and especially sadya with family.
[Related : How to make Ethakka Cherupayar Eriserry recipe ]
So,here is how I make mathanga cherupayar eriserry in TWO slightly different ways - with and without garlic eriserry curries -
Mathanga Cherupayar eriserry recipe
Ingredients:
Cubed Mathanga/Pumpkin - 2 cups
Green Gram/cheru payar- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red chili powder -1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Green Chili slit - 2 nos.(optional)
Salt - To taste
Water- As needed
To Grind
Grated coconut- 3/4 cup
Cumin/jeera- 1 teaspoon
Green chili - 2 nos.
For tempering
Fennel seeds/perumjeerakam - 1/4 teaspoon
Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon
Coconut oil -1-2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Chopped Shallots/kunj ulli- 1-2 nos.
Dry Red chili - 1-2 nos.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Preparation method no.1 :
- Pressure cook pumpkin, green gram, green chili, turmeric, chili powder and salt with enough water. In my new cooker it takes 2-4 whistles (depending upon the pressure cooker used) so that everything is cooked and green gram should be only 3/4th cooked.Everything should finally look little smashed and of thick consistency.
- Grind coconut, cumin and Jeera to a fine paste with little water.
- Now add the above ground paste to the cooked pumpkin-green gram mixture.
- Add little water if there is not enough water in the pumpkin-green gram mixture.
- Boil everything and let it simmer on medium flame to low flame.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry fennel seeds and grated coconut (under the tempering section) for two minutes .Make sure it doesn't get burnt.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan , splutter mustard seeds, then add shallots and once they become transparent add red chilies , curry leaves and the friend fennel-grated coconut mixture.
- Pour the tempering onto the simmering curry.
- Turn off the stove and cover the curry and serve after 15 minutes or so.
- Mathanga eriserry is ready.
