Pumpkin Curry (Kashifal Ki Sabzi)

This kashifal sabzi, also known as pumpkin curry or sauteed pumpkin, is a yummy Indian delicacy with a perfect blend of flavors. This simple dish with aromatic spices adds tons of flavor to the vegetable. Also, this pumpkin curry is vegan and gluten-free.

This spicy sauteed pumpkin, known as Kashifal sabzi, is a delicious yet easy food item in North India. Pumpkin is widely used in almost all regional cuisines in India. Internationally, this vegetable is equally loved, along with its varieties available locally. It has a mild sweetness in its flavor profile. This versatile vegetable is used to make savory and sweet dishes. However, it can be mixed with other vegetables, e.g., vegetables and sambar.

If you like pumpkins, you must also try this creamy pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Pie is one of the most popular dishes in Western countries. Fall is the season when the market is flooded with varieties of pumpkins. This is a versatile vegetable; almost all parts of this perennial plant are edible. Pureed pumpkin is also a good ingredient for making a thick curry base. It's an excellent food from a nutritional point of view and very pleasing to the taste buds.

Is pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?

This sounds interesting, but pumpkin is a fruit and not a vegetable. According to botanical classification, fruits come from the mature ovary of a flower and also contain seeds. Pumpkin grows from the blossoms (the ovaries of pollinated flowers), which contain seeds that give rise to new plants.

However, this is not as sweet as typical fruits, but has a mild natural sweetness. So the taste profile makes it suitable for use as a vegetable. Botanically, this is a fruit, but it is marketed and used mostly as a vegetable. Pumpkin is a great source of vitamins and minerals, too.

Pumpkin Curry (Sauteed Pumpkin)

Well, this recipe has come straight from my mother-in-law's kitchen. Usually, we add dry mango powder or amchur to adjust the sweetness of the pumpkin in this curry. However, in many places, they add jaggery to sweeten the dish. I'm not adding jaggery to the recipe below, but you can add it if you want a sweet-and-sour flavor to your dish. Pumpkin itself is mildly sweet, so you can add or skip jaggery depending on your taste.

Ingredients You'll Need

• Pumpkin - Fresh pumpkins
• Onions - fresh white or red onion - substitute onion powder
• Green chili - as per taste preference
• Ginger - 1-inch ginger, grated
• Whole Spices - Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, onion seeds (kalonji), dry red chilies, bay leaves
• Ground spices - coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder (paprika), dry mango powder (amchur), salt to taste
• Oil - Mustard oil makes the curry flavorful. However, you can also use any neutral vegetable oil.
• Garnish - Fresh cilantro leaves, Green chilies

How to make Pumpkin curry, aka kashifal ki sabzi?

In a pan, heat some oil. Add all the spices mentioned in the ingredients list above and let them splutter for 5 - 10 seconds. Add the chopped or grated ginger and green chilies, then stir quickly. Then add chopped onions and stir to mix. Sauté for a minute, then add the diced pumpkin to the pan. Stir well once. Add all ground spices with a pinch of salt (*note). Cover with a lid and cook for 6 - 8 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

If you want to add jaggery, add it now and stir gently. Check for salt and add as per taste. Add a sprinkle of water if needed. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes on low flame. Turn off the heat. Add amchur or dry mango powder and cilantro leaves. Stir them gently. Cover the lid and let it rest for another 2 minutes before serving it.

Yummy pumpkin curry is ready to serve. Aamchur adds tanginess to the curry, while jaggery adds sweetness. Since we don't like it very sweet (pumpkin also has some natural sweetness), I don't usually add jaggery. But you can add some to suit your taste.

Note: Don't add all the salt at the beginning, since the quantity of pumpkin's quantity will be reduced when cooked. So add salt towards the end and to taste if required.

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