White pumpkin pachadi
This White Pumpkin Pachadi (also known as Kumbalanga Pachadi) is a cooling, creamy South Indian classic often served at traditional feasts. It features tender cubes of ash gourd simmered to perfection and folded into a rich, golden gravy made of fresh coconut, green chilies, and cumin.The dish gets its signature tang from a generous swirl of yogurt, which perfectly balances the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin. To finish, a fragrant tadka of mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and fresh curry leaves is sizzled in coconut oil and poured over the top, adding a layer of smoky, aromatic depth to every spoonful.
Equipment
- 1 mixer grinder
- 1 chopping board
- 1 knife
- 1 colander
- 1 Kadai or wok
- 1 large spoon
- 1 pan for tempering
Ingredients
- 500 gms ash gourd diced into cubes
- 1 cup water
For the paste
- 1 cup coconut
- 1 cup curd or yoghurt or dahi
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 2-3 green chillies or as per tolerance
- 1/4 tsp rai or mustard seeds
- 2 tsps jaggery powder (optional)
For the tempering
- 1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp rai or musatard seeds
- 1/4 tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
- 2 red chillies broken into 4 halves
- 5-6 kadi patta or curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash and peel the ash gourd and chop it into cubes.
- Now put it in a kadai and add 1 cup water. Add salt to taste and set it to boil for 10 mins. Do not add too much water as the ash gourd will also release its water while cooking.
- While the ash gourd is boiling, lets prepare a paste of coconut, curd, jeera and green chillies, mustard seeds and jaggery. Do not add water while grinding. The moisture of the curd is enough for grinding into a smooth paste.
- After 10 mins check if the ash gourd cubes are tender. They should be 95% done. Do not discard the water.
- Now add in the coconut and curd paste into the boiling ash gourd and mix. Adjust salt if required and let it all simmer together on low flame for 2 mins.
- Now let's prepare the tempering.
- For the tempering, in a pan heat 1 tbsp cold pressed coconut oil. Once it becomes hot, add in mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add in the methi seeds and kadi patta and saute 5 seconds. Now switch off the flame and add in the broken red chillies and saute 2 seconds.
- Now immediately pour this tempering over the cooking pachadi and switch off the flame. Cover with a lid and let it rest for 5 mins. This will ensure that the smokiness and flavors of the tempering get nicely infused in the pachadi.
- After 5 mins, open the lid and give the pachadi a good mix.
- Serve hot with warm rotis or hot rice.