Yellow Pumpkin Gojju is a delicious, authentic rice accompaniment prepared with a tamarind base. Mild sweetness from pumpkin, with a tangy Tamarind and coconut paste makes the Parangikai Kulambu /kuzhambu delicious.
Having a sweet tooth, I like anything with a touch of sweetness. This yellow pumpkin kuzhambu is one of my favorites since childhood days. Parangikai we get in India is a bit on the sweeter side so I can’t say no for this coconut flavored Kulambu. Sutta appalam and Mangai Parangikai Kulambu is my sister’s favorite combo.
After coming to US during Halloween time I saw lots of pumpkin in grocery store. Got a piece and tried kuzhambu. Yellow pumpkin I picked was extreme hard and it took forever to cook. I have seen Amma cooking vegetable directly in kuzhambu, so tried the same way but after cooking in tamarind water for 20 – 25 minutes, yellow pumpkin hardly got cooked.
I somehow managed to cook that day but was not happy. I discussed with my Amma, she said certain Parangikai takes longer time to cook and suggested cooking in pressure cooker. As always pressure helps for faster cooking.
With one whistle the Parangikai is 3/4 done. If I add it to the parangikai kuzhambu at that stage it cooks well and the flavours are infused in the kuzhambu.
Coconut oil gives nice flavour to the parangikai Kuzhambu . Freshly ground coconut paste adds aromatic taste for the kuzhambu. Yellow pumpkin puli Kuzhambu can be prepared within 30 minutes. Parangikai Kuzhambu Stays good for 2 days
Ingredients:
Yellow Pumpkin – 150 grams
Tamarind – 1 small lemon sized ball
Sambar powder/ chilli powder – 1 tsp
Jaggery powder – 1 tbsp (optional)
Turmeric powder – pinch
Salt – to taste
To temper:
Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek – 1/8 tsp
Channa dal – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – few
To grind:
Cumin seed – 1/4 tsp
Coconut – 3 tbsp
Green chilli – 1, big
Method:
- Add 1/4 cup of water, little salt and pressure cook pumpkin for one whistle and let the pressure release naturally
- Soak tamarind in 1 cup + 1/2 cup of luke warm water and keep aside for 5 – 10 minutes, and extract the juice
- In a mixie jar add coconut, green chilli, cumin seed and little water; grind into a paste
- Add oil to the heavy bottomed pan. When oil is hot add ingredients under “to temper” and let them splutter
- Add the tamarind juice, Sambar powder, turmeric powder, 1 cup of water, salt and cook for 1o minutes
- Add pumpkin and took till the raw smell goes off and kuzhambu reduce to 3/4 th of the portion; for about 10 minutes
- Add ground paste and cook for 5-7 minutes
- Add jaggery and cook for 3- 5 minutes and switch off
- Yellow Pumpkin - 150 grams
- Tamarind – 1 small lemon sized ball
- Sambar powder/ chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Jaggery powder - 1 tbsp (optional)
- Turmeric powder - pinch
- Salt – to taste
- To temper:
- Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
- Fenugreek – ⅛ tsp
- Channa dal - 1 tbsp
- Curry leaves – few
- To grind:
- Cumin seed - ¼ tsp
- Coconut - 3 tbsp
- Green chilli - 1, big
- Add ¼ cup of water, little salt and pressure cook pumpkin for one whistle and let the pressure release naturally
- Soak tamarind in 1 cup + ½ cup of luke warm water and keep aside for 5 – 10 minutes, and extract the juice
- In a mixie jar add coconut, green chilli, cumin seed and Little water; grind into a paste
- Add oil to the heavy bottomed pan. When oil is hot add ingredients under "to temper" and let them splutter
- Add the tamarind juice, Sambar powder, turmeric powder, 1 cup of water, salt and cook till the raw smell goes off and kuzhambu reduce to ¾ th of the portion; for about 15- 17 minutes
- Add the cooked pumpkin and ground paste and cook for 5-7 minutes
- Add jaggery and cook for 3- 5 minutes and switch off
2. Pumpkin I used was hard so I preferred cooking it separately
3. Pumpkin can also be microwaved
4. Adjust the spice according to your taste. Pumpkin is mild sweet so I add extra spice. If pumpkin used is not sweet reduce the sambar powder
5. Regular cooking oil can be used instead of coconut
6. Boil the kuzhambu according the consistency you desire and adjust the water accordingly
7. If you think Kulambu is watery in a small bowl add ¼ tsp of rice flour and mix it with 2 tbbp of water make a paste, add to kuzhambu and let it boil for 3-4 minutes
8. Sesame seed can be sauted and added to the kuzhambu
thanks for sharing this recipe it’s really awesome we really liked it.
So delicious and comforting!