My side-dishes for flat-breads are mostly spicy. When I felt like having something slightly sweet for a change, there was the slice of red pumpkin in the refrigerator - rich in Vitamin A and fiber, low in calories. My mom used to make a stew called "parangikai pal kootu", which I decided to try.



Ingredients (serves 2):

pumpkin - 2 cups (peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes)
milk - 3/4 cup
sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
ginger paste - 1/4 tsp
salt - 3/4 tsp (adjust according to taste)
green chillies - 3
grated coconut - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds - 2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
black gram - 1/2 tsp
lemon juice - 1 tsp
oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Grind coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds to a coarse paste in a food processor and keep aside. Heat oil and add mustard seeds and black gram. When it splutters, add pumpkin, salt, sambar powder, ginger paste and coconut mixture. Fry for a couple of minutes and then add milk. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Once the mixture just starts becoming mushy, add lemon juice, mix well and serve hot with rice or breads.

Notes:
This dish is kind of sweet and spicy. The traditional recipe calls for a touch of jaggery, but because the pumpkin in the US is already extra-sweet, I skipped this step.