Mathanga Erissery Recipe | Yellow Pumpkin Erissery | Onam Sadya Recipes

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Mathanga Erissery Recipe | Yellow Pumpkin Erissery | Onam Sadya Recipes

I am not a lover of ash gourd and pumpkin, so mostly I avoid it from my cooking. Because of Onam, I am exploring all these veggies. Today's post is about the delicious yellow pumpkin erissery. The main ingredient of this recipe is pumpkin, coconut and red cowpeas. Out of the recipes I tried with pumpkin, this erissery tops the list. It is also an essential item in Onam Sadya Recipes.

Ingredients:

Yellow pumpkin (Mathanga or parangikai) - 1 cup cubed

Red cow peas/ Blackeyed beans(Red) - 1/4 cup

Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as required

To grind:

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Green chilli - 1

To temper:

Coconut Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Dry Red Chilli - 1

To Roast:

Coconut - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Soak the cowpeas overnight or for at least 5 to 6 hours. Pressure cook it with little salt and water. Drain the water and keep it aside. Grind the ingredients under 'To grind' to a smooth paste.

2. Meanwhile cook the pumpkin with a little salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Cook it for around 7 - 9 mins or until it is soft. Then add the cooked peas into this and gently mash it with the ladle.

3. Add the ground paste, mix everything together and bring to boil. Check for salt. In a separate pan, add the coconut oil and allow the mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilli to splutter.

4. Pour the seasoned items into the erissery. Then roast the coconut with little oil until it is golden brown. Take care not to burn the coconut. Garnish the erissery with roasted coconut.

Serve this with steamed rice and pickle.

Points to remember:

Mathanga means yellow pumpkin in Malayalam, in Tamil it is called Parangikai. Cowpeas means Vanpayar in Malayalam and thattaipayir in Tamil.
Don't skip the roasted coconut at the end, it enhances the flavor.
I have soaked the peas overnight, but without soaking also we can cook the cowpeas. Just cook for 5 to 6 extra whistles in low flame.