Ingredients

• 1 slice (250 gm) - White pumpkin
• 2 tbsp - Jeera seeds
• 1 tsp - Mustard
• 1 tsp - Urad dal
• 2-3 - Green chillies
• 1 bunch - Curry leaves
• 2-3 pieces - Coconut (optional)
• 1 tbsp - Chana dal
• 1 tsp - Tamarind juice
• 1 tsp - Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp - Curry powder or Sambar powder
• Salt

How to Make Pumpkin Koottu

• Cut the pumpkin into small square pieces (not very small).
• Heat the tava and dry fry chana dal just for a minute or so, till the dal turns from yellow to light brownish yellow.
• Pour 2 glasses of water over the dal in the tava.
• Put the cut pumpkin also into the tava.
• Sprinkle the turmeric powder. Let the flame be of medium intensity.
• Sprinkle the curry powder and add the turmeric juice and salt too. Cover the pan.
• In the meantime, put the cut coconut, green chillies and jeera seeds in a mixer or blender and grind them into a watery pulp (like you grind for coconut chutney).
• Pour more water as needed in the tava.
• Once the pumpkin gets 3/4th cooked (taste it, it should be soft), pour the ground mixture too and let it boil (don't overcook, as the pumpkin gets smashed and will become pulpy).
• Also fry the mustard, urad dal and asafoetida in oil in another small pan until the mustard pops and urad dal turns red.
• Once the pumpkin is cooked, put the fried stuff on it and serve hot with fresh curry leaves floating on top of the kootu.