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Kolkata is raging with heat waves. Not a drop of rain since a little shower last week. The mercury is rising every day, and it has become quite a tough job to keep the body cool. Choosing a meal that would keep the body in good health and also pamper your taste buds is definitely hard.
A healthy diet is very important to keep up with this heat, and to make the food least spicy is another crucial step. Alike winter summers to have its own set of vegetables flooding the markets. I love the small raw pumpkins during this time of the year. The only preparation I have ever tasted with green pumpkin though is this one. The fresh and green taste of the cilantros along with the softness of the green pumpkin makes this simple preparation a good treat. This particular recipe was inherited by mom from her mom.
If you know any other recipes of raw pumpkin please do let us know.
Ingredients:
- Raw Pumpkin (Kacha Kumro): 1 medium size, 300-400gms approx
- Potatoes (Alu): 2/3, cut into 2” squares
- Coriander leaf (Dhane pata):
- Nigella (Kalo jeera): 1 teaspoon
- Ginger paste (Ada bata): 1 ½ tablespoon
- Turmeric powder (Halud guro): ½ teaspoon
- Green chili (Kancha lanka): 3/ 4
- Mustard oil (Sarser tel): 2 ½ tablespoon
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Cut the pumpkin in 2” size square without peeling the coat
- Heat oil in a wok, and throw in the nigella seeds
- Add the potatoes and green pumpkin, cook covered without pouring water, add salt
- Once the pumpkin is half cooked put turmeric powder, ginger paste and the coriander paste
- Cook uncovered, pour some water if required
- Take out of flame and serve hot with rice

Nice… it’s an interesting recipe.
i add panch phoron instead of kalo jeere & not use ginger,now i also try this with kalojeere.
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I love Bengali food. It’s so delicious. Can’t wait to try this.
.-= Tes´s last blog ..Chicken and Cashew Nuts Stir Fry =-.
Try the same with panchphoron.(I am sure , you all now it) and enjoy the auroma.
Shundor recipe ta.
Khacha kumro’r peel ta bhalo kore cook hoye jaaye?
.-= PreeOccupied´s last blog ..Anaarkali Butter Chicken =-.
I have a chatpata kaddu recipe in my blog posted long back … much like what Jayashree Ray has said … maybe you can try that. 🙂
By kacha kumro do you mean when the kumro has not got the orange colour yet (ripened) ?
.-= Sharmila´s last blog ..A little of this and a little of that … =-.
Sharmila,
Yeah the kacha kumro looks something like that, and the peel is also green. The sizes vary from a couple of hundred grams to a kg. I should have clicked a photo of it. Will put up as soon as possible.
this is new to me. love the look of it. looks soft and creamy.
.-= sayantani´s last blog ..Macher Kalia/ A Rich and Spicy Fish Curry =-.
I love Indian food, I am so glad to found your blog. I want to learn more about Bengali cuisine, especially if you really make it the authentic way.
Cheers,
elra
.-= elra´s last blog ..Lamb Biriani (Lamb Biryani) =-.
Elra,
Thanks so much for your comment :). I hope you find this blog helpful. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or comments.
A variation of this recipe….
Use Methi seeds and whole red chillis and hing powder,(asofoetida powder) as phoron in the hot oil.Add cut cubes of kacha kumro with its soft green peel on it.Avoid the potatoes.Now after tossing it a little in the oil, add haldi ,chilli powder and little bit of coriander powder and a pinch of salt to cook and soften the Kumro….Cover with a lid and cook on low flame till it becomes soft and nice….sprinkle with little water in between if needed.Fially when cooked add sugar as per your taste and squeeze lemon juice as per your taste…..it has a sweet and sour taste and you can add more salt as per your taste…..
Sugar, lemon juice and salt can be put according to your taste as to how sweet and how sour u would like it to be…I like it slightly sweet and sour and salty….Try it ….very tasty and the aroma of methis with the Kumro is a gr8 combination and goes very well with Luchis or parathas…
Jayashree,
Thanks a lot for the recipe. Will definitely try this one the next time I get some kacha kumro 🙂
It looks like heat wave every where in India. This dish jus tlooks so so yummy. I just love the colours.
.-= Happy Cook´s last blog ..Eton Mess =-.
Yeah, heat waves have become a horrible thing all over India except down South, where its raining hell.