Pumpkin sabji (for fasting)

• Servings: 2-3
• Preparation time: 3 minutes.
• Cooking time: 11 minutes.
• Total time: 14 minutes.

Pumpkin (kabocha in Japanese) is available everywhere in Japan; it is sweeter and brighter in colour in comparisons to Indian pumpkin. The skin is also harder than Indian pumpkin. I prepared the recipe that is perfect compliment for fasting days and equally suitable for casual days. It is easy and convenient to cook. Mild flavour of Indian spices with dash of tamarind for balancing the sweetness of pumpkin.

It is an excellent source of beta carotene, vitamin ‘A’; important for healthy white blood cells, good for immunity, good for eyes, skin and hair.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin: 500 gm.
• Fenugreek seed:  1 teaspoon
• Fennel seed: 1 tablespoon
• Cumin: 1½ teaspoon
• Tamarind pulp: 1 teaspoon
• Ginger: 2” piece
• Ghee: 3 tablespoon
• Rock salt (Sendha namak): 1 tablespoon

Preparation:

1. Chop the pumpkin into 1” pieces. Keep aside.
2. Grate/chop ginger, keep aside.
3. Dry roast, fenugreek, fennel seed and 1 spoon of cumin on lower flame, prepare masala powder, and keep aside.

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan, heat ghee, add ½ teaspoon of cumin, sputter for few seconds; add chopped ginger, sauté on high flame for few seconds. Add chopped pumpkin stir fry for a minute, cover and cook until half done on low flame (About 4-5 minutes).
2. Add salt; continue to cook till 90% done, add prepared spice powder and continue to cook for couple of minute. Put off the flame; transfer into serving bowl .
3. Serve with “Singhare ki puri” or ‘Kuttu ka Paratha” on fasting days.

Pumpkin sabji (for fasting) by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.