Recipe- Bengali Style Pumpkin Curry

Bengali style pumpkin curry or kumro chokka is made with pumpkin, potatoes, and brown chickpea (or kala chana). This simple no onion, no garlic dish is an excellent accompaniment to both rice and roti.

Ingredients

3 cups pumpkin diced (approximately 750 grams)
1 larger potato diced
½ cup brown chickpea (kala chana)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
3 tablespoon ghee
1-2 dry red chilli
1-2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon garam masala

Method

- Soak the brown chickpeas in sufficient water for 2-3 hours. Boil it in water until done. Set aside

- In a small bowl, mix ginger paste, turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder with ¼ cup water. Set aside

- Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a fry pan or kadhai. Add nigella seeds, bay leaf and dry red chilli. Saute for a minute

- Add the spice mix prepared in step 2

- Simmer for 2-3 minutes

- Add potatoes and fry for another 2-3 minutes

- Add boiled chickpeas, 2 cups of water and salt. Bring it to boil. Simmer until the potatoes are half cooked

- Add the pumpkin and mix well. Cover and simmer until the potatoes and pumpkin is completely done

- Remove the cover and increase the flame to dry out excess moisture

- Gently mash a few pieces of pumpkin to give some thickness to the gravy

- Add garam masala and mix well

- Turn off the flame, drizzle 1 tablespoon ghee and serve hot.