PUMPKIN BHARTA STYLE CURRY

Bharta is a dish defined by its smoky depth, and whenever I think of bharta, brinjal instinctively comes to mind. This time, however, I drifted towards Bengali cuisine and prepared a pumpkin bharta instead. I tweaked the authentic recipe slightly—the traditional version calls for a mushy consistency, but I cooked it just enough to retain a gentle bite of the vegetable. 

 

While the deeply roasted ingredients are usually crushed by hand or with a mortar and pestle, I chose the convenience of a mixer jar. I also cannot imagine a pumpkin curry without coconut, so I incorporated it into the dish. In the end, the bharta turned out wonderfully flavoursome, and I thoroughly enjoyed it with plain rice and a generous dollop of ghee.

 

 

 

 INGREDIENTS :

 

RED CHILLIES- 3 

GARLIC CLOVES- 6-7 NOS

ONION- 2 NOS

PUMPKIN- 250 GRAMS

OIL-  4 TSP

SALT TO TASTE

CUMIN SEEDS- 3/4 TSP

ASAFOETIDA- 1/2 TSP

CURRY LEAVES- 1 SPRIG

COCONUT GRATINGS- 1 TBSP 

 

PROCEDURE:

 

1.peel the pumpkin skin and wash it thoroughly.Chop it into small cubes and keep it aside.

 

2.In a pan heat one teaspoon of oil and fry red chillies,garlic cloves.Saute till the garlic cloves slightly golden in colour and red chillies are roasted well.

 

3.In the same pan another teaspoon of oil and fry the onions till it becomes crispier with a brown hue.

 

4.Grind the roasted ingredients to a coarse paste without using water.

 

5.In the same pan add remaining oil,splutter cumin seeds,curry leaves,asafoetida and add the chopped pumpkin,salt and little water and allow it to boil till it softens.

 

6.Incorporate the coarse paste,coconut shavings and simmer in mild heat for a few seconds and switch off.