Pumpkin Fritters

Pumpkin Fritters.

Pumpkin is peeled and sliced. A batter is prepared with besan/ gram flour. The pumpkin slices are dipped in besan batter and deep fried in oil till golden brown in color. Serve pumpkin fritters with steamed rice and ghee or as a snack.
Makes: around 10 – 15 Pumpkin Fritters.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin 1/8th of small One
Gram Flour / Besan 1/2 Cup
Soda bi carb a Big Pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Wash, peel and chop pumpkin into thick slices.
In a mixing bowl, mix together gram flour, soda bi carb and salt with sufficient water to make somewhat thick batter.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium low heat.
Dip each pumpkin slice in gram flour batter and carefully drop it in hot oil.
Repeat the same with some more of the pumpkin slices until the surface of the frying pan is full.
Fry the slices until golden brown on both sides.
Remove the pumpkin fritters onto absorbent paper.
Repeat the same with remaining pumpkin slices.
Serve pumpkin fritters with steamed rice and ghee or as a snack
Notes: Make sure to get the besan batter right.

Suggestions: If the pumpkin fritters are hard, make sure the besan batter is not too thick. Add few drops of water to dilute the batter a little. The thicker the pumpkin slice, the more you need to cook them in oil.
Variations: You can also add few pinches of red chili powder to the besan batter.
Other Names: Pumpkin Fritters.

Red Pumpkin Curry

Yerra Gummadikaya Teepi Kura.

Red pumpkin is peeled and chopped into small chunks. Oil is tempered with regular spices and chopped pumpkin is cooked in it along with onion till soft. Tamarind gives the pumpkin sourness while jaggery the sweetness.
Makes: around 3 Servings of Red Pumpkin Curry.

Ingredients:

Red Pumpkin 1/4 th of Small One
Onion 1
Green Chile 1
Garlic 1 Clove
Jaggery 1 (2 inch block)
Tamarind 2 inch sized ball
Coriander Powder 1/4 tsp
Red Chile Powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Fenugreek Seeds 4
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Broken Red Chiles 2
Curry Leaves 6
Ghee or Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash, remove skin with help of a knife and discard the seeds of the pumpkin.
Chop pumpkin into small chunks (around 2 cups).
Soak tamarind in quarter cup or more of warm water for sometime and extract all the thick juice.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stem, wash and finely chop the green chile.
Peel and mash the garlic clove.

Heat oil in a pan on medium flame , add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add garlic, chopped onion and green chiles.
When onion turns translucent, add red pumkin chunks, tamarind extract and jaggery.
Cook covered on low flame for 5 – 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if required.
Let the jaggery dissolve completely during which pumpkin pieces cook while holding its shape.
Then stir in coriander powder, red chile powder and salt.
Stir well, taste and adjust any seasonings if required.
Serve red pumpkin curry with plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure pumpkin is soft and cooked.

Suggestions: If the pumpkin curry is too sour, add more jaggery. If the pumpkin curry is too sweet, add more tamarind extract to cut down the sweetness.
Variations: Check the stew made with red pumpkin and also a curry with red pumpkin.
Other Names: Red Pumpkin Curry, Erra Gummadi Teepi Kura.