If you love pumpkin, you will love this stir-fry or dry curry!
Sihi kumbalakai palya, or pumpkin stir-fry, is a famous dry stir-fry from southern India. It’s a personal favorite of mine, a dish that my mom used to pack in our lunch boxes alongside chapatis. I’ve adopted this recipe from her because it is delicious. Additionally, it is super easy to make with simple ingredients.
The combination of the natural sweetness of pumpkin and the spiciness of the green chili makes this stir-fry stand out from the rest. It also includes the crunchiness from dals and aromatic spices, which makes it uniquely satisfying and so delicious!
This vegan stir-fry comes together in under-30-minutes. So you can easily prepare this on weekdays for lunch boxes and savor it with wheat chapatis.
Yield: 3-4 adult servings
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet pumpkin
2 tablespoons of cold-pressed peanut oil or cooking oil of choice
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon chana dal
1/2 teaspoon split urad dal
2-3 green chilies or as per taste, split into halves
a few curry leaves
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
handful of chopped coriander leaves, for garnish
salt to taste
Method:
Clean and rinse the pumpkin well, then dice it into 3/4 -inch cubes.
Heat the cooking oil in a skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough, add urad and chana dal and fry them on low heat until golden brown. Then add mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to pop and sizzle.
Add slit green chilies, curry leaves, chopped onion, and saute until the onion is translucent. Add turmeric powder and saute for a few seconds on low heat.
Transfer the diced pumpkin cubes to the pan, sprinkle salt over them, and stir. Cover the lid and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender and well-cooked. Pumpkins are 90% water, so there is no need to add water to cook them. Yet, there are chances of them getting burnt, so you need to stir occasionally.
Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Continue to cook for another minute or two and turn off the heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot pumpkin stir-fry with ghee-smeared chapatis. Enjoy!
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If you tried this recipe, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below or tagging a picture of your preparation on Instagram @swaadista
Happy cooking, happy eating! ❤
Swaadista 
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