It has been a long time since I posted anything here. Last few months were very busy for us. We were preparing for a long awaited India trip. Time sure flies. Here we are back from India to Kansas now. It was quite emotional trip for many reasons. We had been there after 3.5 years. Since pappa had many health issues in last few months, I wanted to meet him. Just before leaving, we came to know that my MIL had to go through a knee surgery. Thank god, pappa does not need any immidiate medical attention and MIL is also recovering well.
It was Ishaan’s first trip to India. He got adjusted amazingly well there. He is now missing everybody and the big space – at my hometown we have a big front yard, he used to play there all the time. I am sure we all will take a while to get re-adjusted here.
During our last trip, I had spent all my time on taking food pictures. I missed being with parents after coming back. So this time, I did not spend much time on recipes or pictures. I got few recipes from aayi, my sister-in-law and pachi (mom’s sister), which I will post in coming days.
This is a very simple recipe which I often make. This is on the same lines of bhende bharth or vayngana bajji. Usually this is made like gosale bharth or vayngana bharth by grinding coconut. But when I am in hurry I take this shortcut.
Below I have mentioned both the easy version(with pictures) and the traditional version that is made at our place.
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped pumpkin (you can replace with butternut squash)
5 red chillies (for traditional version) or 1 tea spn chilli powder (for easy version)
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 tea spn tamarind extract
1/4 cup chopped onion
Salt
Method for easy version:
Pressure cook pumpkin pieces(after removing the skin). Cool to room temperature.
Add all coconut, tamarind, salt, chilli powder. Mash everything very well. While serving, mix a little salt with onion and mix with the pumpkin chutney. Serve with papad.
Method for traditional version:
Pressure cook pumpkin pieces(after removing the skin). Cool to room temperature.
Grind together coconut, chillies, tamarind, salt(do not add too much water, it should be chutney consistency).
Add the pumpkin pieces to chutney and mash with a spoon.
While serving, mix a little salt with onion and mix with the pumpkin chutney.
Serve with a urad papad.
PS: It is very hard to cut uncooked butternut squash/ pumpkin. Microwave it whole for 1-2mins and you can cut it easily.
Glad ur India trip was a success and happier that ur Dad is well ( may he always be that way) and also that ur MIL is recovering .
Ishaan must have loved it, pampering x 10!!
Bharit / bharta looks lovely… very fall color like 🙂
This one looks yum,..wish ya hppy festival,..
New one and looks yummy. I don’t buy it just because it is tough to cut, will try the MW method.
Vardhini
Event: Halloween Fiesta
Pumpkin is somewhere near the top of my don’t like ingredients, but it was nice to see your post pop up in my reader after a long time. Welcome back! Will be looking out.
Shilpa, good to hear of your travels. Glad all went went.
We should catch up one of these days.
Arun
Glad u enjoyed ur India trip & ur MIL & Dad are keeping well ! Happy that u will be posting good & yummy recipes for all ur viewers here !! I admire the simplicity in ur way of presentation….keep it up,Shilpa !!
I am glad that you had a great trip.
Going to try this one soon..as i have a big pumpkin sitting in my kitchen:)
Hi Shipa,
May god bless good health to your Father and MIL.
This Pumpkin Bharta is a nice and very instant recipe. I will try this for sure.
I want to share another version of Pumpkin Bharta which my Aayi use to make:
It is as follow:
2 cups chopped pumpkin
2- 3 green chilies
1/2 cup curd
Oil
1 tea spoon mustard seeds
Pinch of Asafetida (Hing)
1/4 tea spoon sugar
Salt
Chopped Coriander
Method: Boiled the pumpkin pieces and drain the extra water. Cool to room temperature.
In bowl take pumpkin pieces, mesh them unconscientiously , add curd, sugar and salt. To make tadaka heat the oil, add mustard seeds, when the starts popping Add Asafoetida and Green chilies. Add this tadaka in the pumpkin. Add chopped coriander leaves.
Glad to learn that you are back and we will have your posts regularly. My family was at Shirali/Murdeshwar 3 weeks back; for Dassera and Maharudra. We would have loved to call on you at Kumta….where we have close friends Masurkars. (late Dr Masurkar family)
We also make Dudhiya Khotkhote, with identical ingredients plus TIRPHAL………..yummy, yummy.
This is very simple,thanks for this.
wish u a very happy festival.
This looks delicious. One question: if you don’t have fresh coconut, can you use dried or coconut milk?
You can probably use the dried coconut, but the aroma of the dish will change as dried coconut has a strong smell. Coconut milk cannot be used
Real easy and super tasty dish. The only area I was not sure of was the amount of water that needed to be added while pressure cooking the pumpkin.
You can add just a little, may be 1/8th of cup.
Shilpa: thank you! I have an enormous squash and am finding uses for it…
What a timely post. I have a huge pumpkin from halloween that I was planning on carving but didnt get to. I will make bhartha today!