I love pumpkin and the dishes made with it, to which I was brought up in my hometown. But all of them had been savoury! It was after moving to the US that I realized how popular pumpkin is here, in fact way popular than in India. It is a key element to the Halloween celebrations and has a variety of dishes that too for the sweet tooth. I keep getting surprised even nowadays seeing the different sweet pumpkin dishes & desserts … pumpkin pies, tarts, smoothies, pancakes, soups, cakes… is there anything more you can ask for?

So coming back to the savoury side of pumpkin, Erissery is one of the most popular side dishes of Kerala, India; served mainly for our biggest & our traditional feast; Sadya. The preparation and the ingredients used vary in different parts of the state, with pumpkin sometimes being replaced with yam, banana, or butternut squash.

Pumpkin when combined with legumes makes a very healthy diet. Red cowpeas also known as Lobhia or Vanpayar, are an excellent source of protein and this legume has different variations, like the black, brown, and white creamy peas.

Tadka, or tempering of spices in oil, is one of the key steps in this recipe’s preparation, where both fresh and roasted coconut is used; fresh for the base in a grinded paste form, and the roasted as a garnish along with spices. The beautiful aroma from the roasting of coconut itself makes your mouth watering, pair this dish with steamed rice and enjoy…!

Happy Cooking..!!!

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Prep time: 40-45 mins
Serves: 4 – 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup pumpkin (sliced)
• ¾ cup red cowpeas / vanpayar
• ½ + ½ cup coconut (grated)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ teaspoon cumin / jeera
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 dry red chilies
• 2 pearl onions (chopped)
• mustard seeds (a pinch)
• salt (as required)
• oil (as required)
• 2 cups water (for pressure cooking)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak red cowpeas overnight OR Pressure cook red cowpeas with a little salt and 2 cups of water, on a medium flame for up to 3 whistles. Take the cooker off the flame, and allow it to rest till the pressure goes off.
2. Drain the cowpeas.
3. Clean the pumpkin by peeling off its skin and removing its seeds. Slice it into small pieces.
4. Add a little water to a pan and cook the pumpkin slices with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder, until it turns mushy. Mash well with a wooden spoon.
5. In the meantime, make a paste of coconut, cumin, green chilies, garlic and turmeric powder.
6. Turn down the heat of the pan to low and add the cooked cowpeas and coconut paste, mix well.
7. Adjust the salt and boil the curry until it thickens. Turn off the flame.
8. In another pan, heat some oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, dry red chilies and pearl onions. Saute for a minute on a low flame, and add the other half of the grated coconut.
9. Roast the coconut by stirring frequently till it brownish and aromatic.
10. Garnish the pumpkin curry with the roasted coconut paste.

Serve warm with steamed rice.

Interested in more Pumpkin recipes, check this out:

Pumpkin with Yogurt (Mathanga Pachadi)

Interested in more side dish recipes with Red cowpeas, check this out:

Broccoli with Red Cowpeas

The post Pumpkin with Red Cowpeas / Mathanga Erissery appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So here is my second dish from my recent California trip; a new combination of broccoli and red cowpeas with my coconut mix, and trust me… it tastes delicious and hearty.

We had a weeklong trip to California to meet our family, and it was fun roaming around, visiting places, trying out new food/ cuisines/ restaurants, and cooking with my sister. Cooking was special as it was a break from my usual lonely kitchen time to sharing the kitchen with someone who also loves to cook and explore. My sister being a vegetarian also gave me an opportunity to try some new veggie dishes. Thanks to her for this recipe.

A healthy diet includes food loaded with vitamins, proteins and other minerals. Cowpeas are an excellent source of protein and have different varieties like the black, brown, and white creamy peas.  Red cowpeas also known as Lobhia or Vanpayar, is one of my favorite legumes and goes well with a combination of vegetables.

I love broccoli but most of the time end up cooking its easiest recipe; steamed broccoli. Never thought broccoli would taste so delicious with a coconut mix, this dish is perfect with steamed rice.

Give this recipe a try and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy…!!!

Interested in more thoran/Kerala stir fry recipes? Check these out;

• Tender Jackfruit/Idichakka Thoran
• Cabbage Carrot Thoran / Stir Fry

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Broccoli Thoran/ Broccoli with Red Cowpeas

Healthy Kerala Style Broccoli Thoran / Stir fry made with red cowpeas, coconut and chilies. The perfect side dish with steamed rice.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword broccoli, cabbage thoran, kerala

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized broccoli (grated)
• 1 cup red cowpeas/vanpayar (soaked overnight)
• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 2 garlic clove
• ¼ teaspoon jeera
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• salt (as required)
• oil (as required)

Instructions

• Clean and grate broccoli florets after discarding stems and set aside.
• Pressure cook red cowpeas with a little salt and 2 cups of water on a medium flame for up to 2-3 whistles. Take the cooker off the flame, and allow it to rest till the pressure goes off. Drain the cowpeas.
• In a pan, add some oil and splutter mustard seeds, then add dry red chilies and curry leaves.
• Add grated broccoli and a little salt, saute for 5 minutes on a low flame till its rawness subsides. Try not to close the lid to retain the green color.
• In the meantime grind grated coconut, jeera, turmeric powder, garlic and green chilies to a fine paste.
• Add the grinded paste to the pan, saute to mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the cooked cowpeas, miix everything together and cook for another 2 minutes. Check for the seasoning. Switch off the flame and serve with steamed rice.

The post Broccoli Thoran / Broccoli with Red Cowpeas appeared first on Pepper Delight.