Grey Pumpkin-Bean Curry.

 The European traders to the west coast came with their own cuisine. Which blended with the coastal cuisine to create its own unique flavours. One such creation is the ‘stew’ that came with probably the Portuguese. The Kerala cuisine serves the potato stew with the appam and idiyappam.

pumpkin-bean stew.

Up north the Mangalorean cuisine has a modification of this. Which is an all time favorite. If I do not find  ‘Budhikumbhala’ that is grey pumpkin, I use bottle gourd. There are times I use any gourd available.

Makes: 4 servings.

3 cups grey pumpkin

¾  cup chapparada avare. soaked overnight.

2 onions sliced length wise.

1 tbsp. grated ginger

2-3 green chillies slit length wise

Besoppu or curry leaves one spring

1 ½ cup thin coconut milk

1 cup thick coconut milk

1 tbsp. coconut oil.

2 tsp. Jeera seeds

Salt to taste.

Method:

In a pressure cooker pour 1tbsp. of coconut oil.

When oil warms add the jeera.

a handy kitchen help.

Now add the onions and grated ginger, saute for minute.

Add slit green chillies, and besoppu

To this add the rajma saute for a minute, add the pumpkin.

Now add the think coconut milk and salt.

Pressure cook as per the requirement of your cooker.

Add the thick coconut milk just before serving.

My family loves this rice vermicelli, idiyappam or even rice. However it goes well with toasted bread and puri too.

If extracting coconut milk is an issue then Dabur Hommade coconut milk works equally good.