Mathanga Pulinkari Recipe – Kerala Pumpkin Gravy

Updated on February 24, 2019

Mathanga Pulinkari Recipe with stepwise photos. Kerala style yellow pumpkin cooked in a gravy made of  tamarind with freshly ground coconut paste along with spices that is served with rice. This is also a no onion, no garlic recipe.

Mathanga in Malayalam means Yellow Pumpkin. It is known as “Parangikai or Manjal Poosanikai” in Tamil. I love yellow pumpkin as they are so versatile to adapt to the recipe well.

This is a very easy dish to make and you only need to take enough time and proper care to roast the coconut and whole spices for the paste. Hence it is also called as “Varutharacha Pulinkari”

The pumpkin pieces in the pulinkari tastes simply delicious when had as a side dish with curd rice. They taste tangy from the tamarind and also with a hint of heat from the spice paste and a natural sweetness of their own.

Apart from using mathanga, you can also use malabar cucumber, dosakai and radish to make this pulinkari. All the three veggies tastes delicious in the gravy.

You can also use elephant yam as my friend Jenny does. I have tried it with all the other 3 veggies but not with yam as I’m allergic to it and it is one veggie that will never enter my kitchen.

You can also make it without coconut as she makes it sometimes, but its like taking the very aspect of “Kerala” out and somehow tastes like our regular Tamil style puli kulambu. The coconut spice paste is what that sets it apart.

Mathanga Pulinkari Recipe with stepwise photos:

1. Roast the ingredients for the paste in a frying pan over low flame till they turn golden brown taking care not to burn them.

2. Let cool, transfer to a mixie jar and adding little water, grind to a smooth paste.

3. Boil the cubed yellow pumpkin in a tamarind juice along with turmeric, red chili powder and salt.

4. Add the ground paste and bring it to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 mins.

5. Prepare the tempering in coconut oil.

6. Pour tempering over boiling pulinkari, switch off stove and close tightly with a lid for the flavor to seep into the pulinkari.

Serve hot with rice. I served it with Murungai keerai poricha kootu.

Mathanga Pulinkari Recipe details below:

Print Recipe

Mathanga Pulinkari Recipe

Mathanga Pulinkari Recipe with stepwise photos. Kerala style yellow pumpkin gravy served with rice.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: South Indian

Servings: 2 to 3

Author: Radhika

Ingredients:

• Mathanga or yellow pumpkin - 100 gms
• Tamarind - small gooseberry size
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste

To be ground to a paste:

• Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 cup
• Whole dry red chilies - 6
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Fenugreek - 1/8 tsp

For tempering:

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Whole dry red chili - 1
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Asafoetida - 1 fat pinch
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Instructions:

Preparation:

• Remove and discard the seeds from Mathanga (yellow pumpkin). Scrape the skin off completely.
• Dice into cubes of 1/2 inch and set aside.
• Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 10 mins. Extract pulp or juice and keep aside.

For the paste:

• Heat a pan. When hot, simmer the flame and add all the ingredients for the paste to the pan - grated coconut, urad dal, red chilies, coriander seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek.
• Keep tossing frequently roasting till the ingredients turn golden brown in color taking care not to burn them.
• Take the pan off fire and let it cool down completely.
• Transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixie jar. Add little water and grind to a smooth paste and set aside.

How to make Mathanga Pulinkari:

• Take tamarind extract in a saucepan. Add cubed mathanga, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and mix well.
• Place the pan on the stove, simmer the flame completely and let it cook covered for 5 to 7 mins till the pumpkin gets cooked and soft to the touch.
• Add ground paste and mix well. If it is too thick, add water to adjust to the consistency your prefer.
• Check salt now and add more if you want. Cook covered for another 3 to 4 mins.
• Prepare the seasoning by heating coconut oil in a tadka (seasoning) pan.
• Add mustard seeds and when it pops, add cumin seeds, dry red chili, curry leaves and asafoetida.
• Roast for few seconds and pour this seasoning over the boiling pulinkari.
• Switch off stove and close the pan tightly with a lid and rest for 5 mins for the flavor of tempering to seep into the pulinkari.
• Mix well and serve hot with rice and any side dish of your choice.

Notes:

Use fresh coconut and coconut oil to temper for authentic taste.