Poosanikai Mor Curry - Refresh Your Meal Time!

Vellai Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu:

Other Names: White Pumpkin in Curd based Curry. Ash Gourd in Yogurt's Curry. Winter Melon in Yogurt's Curry.

I have witnessed people using a whole head of white pumpkin to avoid an imaginary evil eye (Dhrishti / much like witchcraft) in India. That is, if you take a stroll through the streets, especially in market area (invariably rural, urban and metropolitan) on Tuesdays and Fridays...You will notice smashed/broken whole lemons, coconuts and white-pumpkins on the streets, roads (maybe excepting highways...I guess)! Well, I never felt bad for those kind of stuff, back then. I know it is part of my culture. However, now when I shop for my own cooking and realized that I have been charged like $3.00 for this small portion of pumpkin!!!...Oh man, am surely bewildered for a moment! And, I use it religiously...I mean with utmost care:)

Ingredients:

White Pumpkin - cubed 2 cups
Yogurts 4 cups
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Wet Grind these to a Thick Paste:

Pepper 1-2 spoons
Green chilies 5
Thoor dal 1 cup - soaked
Tomato 1
Ginger 3-4 inch size. peeled.
Garlic 4 -5 cloves

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies 3
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons
Oil for shallow frying.

Method:

Heat oil, in a wok, add wet ground paste to it. Fry them till the raw odor is gone.

Further add asafoetida, salt, turmeric and vegetables. Mix them well. Then add yogurts and bring it to boil.

In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, red chilies, pepper and curry leaves. Fry for a while...till they pop and splutter. Run this seasoning over the gravy made above.

Serve warm along with plain steamed rice.