Dish of Pumpkin with Panch Phoron
(click to enlarge)

Pumpkin with Panch Phoron


India - Bihar   -   Panch Phoron Kohra
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 1-1/3 #
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1 hr
Yes		 A relatively dry squash dish that's very interestingly spiced, and not too chili hot. It's great as a vegetarian main dish for two, served with rice, or as an appetizer.




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Kabocha Squash (1)  
-- Aromatics
Onion
-- Tempering
Red Chili, dry (2)
Garlic
Panch Phoron (3)
-- Seasonings
Coriander Seed
Turmeric
Chili Powder (4)
Salt
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Mustard Oil (5)
Water (6)
Lime Juice
-- Garnish
Cilantro Leaves
-- Serve with
Basmati Rice
PREP   (25 min)
  1. Peel and seed "PUMPKIN" (Kabocha Squash). Cut into about 3/4 inch cubes. Weight is after peeling and seeding.
  2. Cut ONION in quarters lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  3. Break Red Chilis in half and dump as many seeds as will go. Peel Garlic, but do not crush of chop. Mix
  4. Grind Coriander Seeds and mix together all Seasonings items.
  5. Squeeze Lime Juice.
  6. Chop CILANTRO coarse for Garnish.
RUN   (35 min)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan or wok, heat Oil. ONLY IF using Mustard Oil, heat until you see the first wisp of smoke, then take off the heat and let cool to normal frying temperature.
  2. Stir in Panch Phoron and fry stirring until the Mustard seeds are popping well and the Dal has taken a little color.
  3. Stir in Garlic Clove mix.
  4. Stir in Onions and fry stirring over moderate heat until light golden.
  5. Stir in Seasonings mix and fry stirring for about 2 minutes.
  6. Stir in Pumpkin and fry stirring until well blended with the Spices.
  7. Stir in 1/2 cup Water and bring to a boil, then turn heat to low. cover and let the Pumpkin steam until just tender. Sample until there is just a trace of crunch on the skin side and the rest is tender The dish should finish fairly dry.
  8. Stir in Lime Juice and take off the heat.
  9. Serve hot, garnished with Cilantro and with plenty of steamed Basmati rice.
NOTES:

  1. "Pumpkin":

      (Kabocha Squash)   Weight is peeled and seeded. This is what a "Pumpkin" is almost everywhere except North America. In India, the Kabocha would be called a "Red Pumpkin" from it's deep orange inside color. For details see our Kabocha Squash page.

  2. Red Chili

      What small red chili you use can be quite hot, or not. It will not greatly affect the chili hotness of the finished dish.

  3. Panch Phoron:

      This is a mix of whole spices used as a Tempering. It can be made in 5 minutes - see our recipe Panch Phoron.

  4. Chili Powder

      For northern India, a mild Chili Powder is appropriate. 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmir is barely noticeable in this recipe. Use your own best judgement here. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  5. Mustard Oil:

      This is the traditional cooking oil of Bengal and north central India. It is handled differently from other oils. Mustard oil is heated in the pan with no other ingredients until it reaches a temperature where the first wisps of smoke appear (about 480°F/250°C). Immediately take it off the heat and allow to cool to a more reasonable frying temperature (around 360°F/180°C) before adding other ingredients. This procedure removes the acrid taste of the raw oil and renders it quite pleasant. Mustard oil is available in markets serving an Indian community. It will always be labeled "For Massage Use Only" due to lack of FDA approval, based on reasons no longer considered valid. For details see our Mustard Oil page.

  6. Water:

      The pattern recipe called for sweating the Pumpkin in it's own liquid, but our properly aged Kabochas have flesh that's too dry, so they need some water. The dish should finish up with little liquid.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove, in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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