One of the good thing about in laws visiting you is the food. That generation is usually not as lazy as mine (erm…or my in-laws are not as lazy as I am :D), so the cooking gets done every single day before 8 AM. I have learnt to relax and just sleep late in the mornings and enjoy my son’s school vacation. We are both getting up closer to lunch time than breakfast time. The school reopening is going to be really tough on me and my kid!

Anyway, with my mother in law in the kitchen, I have already learnt some new recipes and perfected some old recipes. Me hanging out with a camera while she is cooking is not an uncommon sight. This pumpkin sambar is one captured like that. I was hanging around with the camera while my MIL was cooking. Step wise clicking – or coming to think of it, even cooking – has never been this easy!

Read on for the recipe and the pictorial.

Pictorial

Heat one tablespoon oil of gingelly oil in a pan. Add one teaspoon mustard seeds and 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the fenugreek seeds turn brown.

Add 4 cups water and add 1.5 teaspoons tamarind paste, salt as needed and a good pinch of hing.

Now its time to add the diced pumpkin pieces to go in. Add 2 teaspoons of sambar powder after that.

Let the sambar simmer and boil for 7-10 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked fully. You can cover the pan with a lid in between to speed the process.

Make a slurry with 1.5 tablespoon atta and 1/2 cup water. Mix until no flour lumps remain.

Add this to the kuzhambu. Stir and cook until the gravy thickens. Taste test and adjust seasonings per your taste. Take off the heat and serve with rice and a vegetable on the side.

Recipe source : My MIL

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil, sesame oil preferred
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds /vendayam
• 1.5 teaspoons tamarind paste
• good pinch hing
• 2 cups diced pumpkin pieces*
• 2 teaspoons of sambar powder
• 1.5 tablespoon atta mixed with 1/2 cup water

*I sometimes use butternut squash also

Method:

1. Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan. Add one teaspoon mustard seeds and 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the fenugreek seeds turn brown.
2. Add 4 cups water and add 1.5 teaspoons tamarind paste, salt as needed and a good pinch of hing.
3. Now its time to add the pumpkin pieces to go in. Add 2 teaspoons of sambar powder after that.
4. Let the sambar simmer and boil for 7-10 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked fully.  You can cover the pan with a lid in between to speed the process.
5. Make a slurry with 1.5 tablespoon atta and 1/2 cup water. Mix until no flour lumps remain.
6. Add this to the kuzhambu. Stir and cook until the gravy thickens. Taste test and adjust seasonings per your taste. Take off the heat and serve with rice and a vegetable on the side. Here I have served it with cauliflower.