This Halloween, how about trying out all things pumpkin? From Kumror Chakka, crispy pumpkin fritters, curried pumpkin soup, pumpkin crepe and prawn in pumpkin puree to Pumpkin Halwa, these recipes from My Kolkata this year are too delicious, and even a non-pumpkin lover will think of giving it a try.
Kumror Chhokka
Pooja Mitra
A popular side with luchi, Kumror Chokka, with its light flavour and aroma, can never go out of style.
Ingredients
- Ripe pumpkin cut in medium dices: 2 large cups
- Panch phoron: 1 and ½ teaspoons
- Slit green chillies: 3-4
- Turmeric powder: 1 and ½ teaspoons
- Sugar: To taste
- Salt: To taste
- Soaked brown chickpeas: 3-4 tablespoons (Optional)
- Mustard oil: 2 tablespoons
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Chopped coriander leaves: 2 tablespoons (Optional)
Recipe
- Boil brown chickpeas and strain excess water
- Add mustard oil in a kadhai and heat well
- Add panch phoron and slit green chillies and temper well
- Add pumpkin and brown chickpeas along with salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and fry on medium heat for 3-4 minutes
- Add lukewarm water, enough to make a semi thick gravy. Cover and cook until pumpkin is fully cooked
- Add sugar and lemon juice along with coriander leaves. Check seasoning and turn off the heat. Serve piping hot with rice, luchi, puri or kachori
Kumroni or Kumri
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A crispy ‘taa’ to go with your ‘chaa’.
Ingredients
- Finely sliced ripe pumpkin: 10 pieces
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: To taste
- Red chilli powder: To taste
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
- Maida/Besan/Rice Flour: 10-12 tablespoons
- Kalo jeera (Kalonji): ½ teaspoon
- Sunflower oil: Enough to deep fry
Recipe
- Heat oil as you prepare the batter
- In a mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and make a thick batter
- Dip the pumpkin slices and coat evenly
- Fry on low flame until light brown and serve hot
Mma Ramotswe’s curried pumpkin soup
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A hug-in-a-bowl recipe for when there’s a nip in the air.
Ingredients
- Roughly chopped peeled, deseeded pumpkin: 1 large cup
- Roughly chopped potato: 1 large
- Finely chopped onion: 1 large
- Roughly chopped tomatoes: 3 large
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: To Taste
- Black pepper powder: To taste
- Hot curry powder: 1 and ½ teaspoon
- Butter: 2-3 tablespoons
Suggestion: Add mutton bones to the broth to make it tastier
Recipe
- Add butter to a nonstick pan or kadhai
- Add all the vegetables with the curry powder and some salt and pepper
- Add lukewarm water and bring to a full boil
- Now cover and cook until the vegetables are soft and fully cooked. Stir at regular intervals
- Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool down a little. Blend smooth
- Pour the mixture back to the cooking utensil and balance the seasonings. Add water if necessary
- Bring to another boil as you keep stirring. Serve hot
Tip
A curry powder like this can be of help.
Pumpkin crepe
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Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: ½ of a small cup
- Maida: 1 medium cup
- Sugar: To taste
- Salt: 1 small pinch
- Cinnamon powder: 1 small pinch
- Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
- Full fat milk: 1 small cup
- Butter (unsalted): 3 tablespoons + to brush the pancakes
- Egg: 1
Recipe
- Extract egg yolk and separate from egg white. Beat egg yolk and egg white separately. Beat egg white until fluffy
- Mix pumpkin puree, maida, sugar, salt, cinnamon powder, milk and butter
- Now add egg yolk and baking powder give a mix
- Add egg white and fold
- Brush butter on a nonstick pan and heat well. Turn the flame low and add a dollop of the batter. Spread evenly and cook both sides until light brown and ready. Serve with honey, maple syrup and or a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Prawn in pumpkin puree
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A quick prawn recipe to go with rice or wok tossed noodles.
Ingredients
- Prawns: 10-15
- Pumpkin puree: 1 large cup
- Finely chopped garlic: 2 teaspoons
- Finely chopped green chillies: 1 teaspoon
- Finely chopped coriander leaves: 2 tablespoons
- Finely chopped onion: 1 large
- Black peppercorns: 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper powder: 2 teaspoons
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: To taste
- Chilly oil: 1 tablespoon
- Butter: 4 tablespoons
- Coconut milk: 200ml
- Lukewarm water: 1 medium cup
Recipe
- Marinate prawns with salt and black pepper powder
- Heat butter in a nonstick pan and toss the prawns for about 1 minute. Set aside
- In the same pan, add some more butter and heat. Add black peppercorns, chopped garlic and green chillies and saute until garlic turns golden brown
- Add chopped onion and saute until golden brown
- Now add the pumpkin puree, salt, black pepper powder and a pinch of sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame
- Add lukewarm water and mix well. Bring to a boil on low flame
- Add salt and sugar to balance the seasoning
- Add sauteed prawns and coconut milk and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes
- Check consistency and taste. Drizzle chilly oil and coriander leaves and serve piping hot
Pumpkin Halwa
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A simple halwa with dollops of ghee and dry fruits in every bite. Add this to your festive recipes already!
Ingredients
- Grated pumpkin: 1 large cup
- Ghee: 8 tablespoons
- Roughly chopped dry fruits of your choice: 1 medium cup
- Condensed milk: 1 small cup
- Full fat milk: 1l
- Sugar: To taste
- Cardamom powder: 1 teaspoon
- Bay leaf: 1 large
- Saffron strands: 1 teaspoon
Recipe
- Add ghee to a nonstick pan and heat well. Add bay leaf and saute
- Now add the dry fruits and saute for about a minute on low flame
- Add pumpkin and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for about a minute
- Add milk and cardamom powder and cover. Stir at regular intervals and slow cook until pumpkin is fully cooked and milk has reduced to less than half
- Add condensed milk. Check taste and add sugar if needed. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame
- Turn of heat, sprinkle saffron strands and cover for about a minute
- Drizzle some ghee and serve hot