Ingredients

• 1 lemon-sized ball - tamarind
• 1 tbsp - tamarind paste
• 1 cup - pumpkin (chopped into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 cup - arbi
• 1 sprig - curry leaves
• 2 tbsp - oil
• 1 tsp - mustard
• 1/4 tsp - asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp - tur dal
• 2 to 4 - red chillies (according to taste)
• 1/4 tsp - methi seeds
• 1 tsp - raw rice
• 1/4 cup - grated coconut
• 1/2 tbsp - jaggery, optional
• 1/2 tsp - salt

How to Make Pumpkin Thalagam

• Cook arbi in the pressure cooker.
• Soak tamarind in warm water and extract juice. Alternatively, dissolve tamarind paste in warm water.
• Heat pan and add oil.
• When the oil is warm, add mustard seeds.
• When it splutters, add asafoetida, curry leaves and pumpkin.
• Saute for 5 seconds and add tamarind juice, turmeric powder and salt.
• Let it boil till the pumpkin is nearly cooked.
• Add more water if needed.
• In the meantime, heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan and add rice, methi seeds, tuvar dal and red chillies.
• Fry till the dal is golden brown in colour.
• Let it cool and grind it along with the coconut.
• When the pumpkin is nearly done, peel the arbi and add it to the boiling liquid.
• Let it boil for 5 mins.
• Then add the ground paste, coconut oil and jaggery.
• Adjust salt as per taste.
• After it boils for another 5 mins, switch off the stove and serve hot with rice.