Pumpkin kootu/Parangikkai kootu

Fall is here and orange seems to be the color of the season. I love to see the warm hues of yellow and orange in the leaves and how they paint a beautiful picture of the season. Added to that is the fruits/veggies of the season. Almost every house in our neighborhood has pumpkins on their doorstep to welcome fall - some carved into spooky faces and some as is. This year, for the first time I attempted to carve a pumpkin into a spooky face. It turned out to be ok for a first timer. The tough part really was scooping out the stringy slimy parts from inside the pumpkin. Next year, I plan on capturing step by step fotos and putting it up here. For now, here is how my spooky pumpkin turned out to be.

We also visited a nearby pumpkin farm, and picked our pumpkin. The farm had a small coffee shop, where they sold all things pumpkin: from pumpkin latter, pumpkin bread, pumpkin snack bars, pumpkin pie, pumpkin chili and pumpkin donuts. There was also the apple cider donut which was the specialty of the farm - true to the reviews, it was probably one of the most amazing donuts I have ever had. After coming home, I made a pumpkin kootu - staying with the theme of the season and it turned out to be an easy and tasty side for dinner. Here is the recipe...

In a small saucepan, cover the channa dal with water and add a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Cook the dal until al dente - i.e. it should be cooked, but still have a bite - not soft or mushy. Drain the water and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the broken red chillies and curry leaves and add the peeled chopped pumpkin cubes. Saute this over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add in the tumeric powder, chilli powder(if using) and salt to taste. Cover with a lid until the pumpkin is cooked. Take care not to make the pumpkin mushy. Add in the cooked channa dal and saute for another couple of minutes. Taste for salt and spices and finish it off with the grated coconut. Pumpkin kootu is ready as a side for rice or with roti.

Verdict: The sweetness from the pumpkin is balanced well with the addition of the red chillies. I would omit the red chilly powder if you don't like it too spicy. The channa dal adds nutrition and also makes this a filling side when you have it with rotis.

This will be my entry to My Legume Love Affair #65 happening here at OhTastenSee.