Every evening, Hari and I sit down to discuss the menu for the following day, with my vast collection of music playing in the background. The conversation begins with the smoothie, breakfast and accompaniment (sambar, chutney, raita…) followed by the salad, wet dish and accompaniment. Hari prefers the tested and tried, especially South Indian. I am always keen to explore something new from the different states of India and even continental dishes if the ingredients are available in my kitchen. The most difficult is to come up with something new as the accompaniment for lunch. Some of them are pretty obvious, but does not immediately strike. This was one such dish. Hari told me that he had pumpkin and capsicum (green bell pepper). So, I began to google for dishes with these vegetables – when this recipe fell into my lap. So obvious, but not top-of-mind. All credit to Archana’s Kitchen.

Ingredients
500 gms golden pumpkin (kaddu, parangikkai), diced
1 capsicum, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (sarson, kadugu)
1 tsp cumin seeds (sabut jeera, jeeragam)
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dhana, venthiyam)
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi, manjal podi)
1 tsp sambar powder (recipe in my blog under ‘Chutneys & Powders’)
(Or substitute sambar powder with panch phoron)
1 tsp date paste (I did not include this)
Salt to taste
Method
Heat a wok and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves
When the mustard and cumin seeds begin to splutter, add capsicum and onion
Sauté till the capsicum is tender
Add tomatoes and pumpkin
Mix well
Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, date paste (if using) and salt
Mix well again
Sprinkle a little water, cover and cook on low flame for 7-8 minutes or till the pumpkin is tender
Stir occasionally
Once the pumpkin is cooked, switch off the flame
Serve hot with red/brown rice or Indian flat breads
Enjoy!