Pumpkin Roghan Josh

Pin It

L is for Lal Bhoplya chi Bhaji

The everyday pumpkin is Lal Bhopla in Marathi. This is my entry for Nupur's A-Z of Vegetables....

All thru my childhood I associated 'bhopla' with a zero (that I used to get in my math paper!) my Father would count, re-count the marks and send a prayer upward for the unseen hand which guided me to passing marks , I would count the 'bhoplas' and grin impishly (and shamelessly)!

As for eating pumpkin vegetable, I did not mind it... though not a particular favourite of mine. My Mother made it with a sweet-sour tamarind jagery gravy and peanut powder. I used to call it 'Upvasachi bhaji' (vegetable consumed during a Fast).

Then came a delightful version of Gharge, which satisfied my sweet tooth and my respect for this bland vegetable went up.

Today I am trying out another version, taken from Lokpriya

1/4 kg Red pumpkin
1 tablespoon Grated coconut
2 Red chillies
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 pinch Asafoetida
2 tablespoons Grated jaggery
1 tablespoon Oil
Salt (As per taste)

1/4 tsp Cumin - I added this

Method

Chop the pumpkin into 2 inch cubes.Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and add mustard seed, red chillies, turmeric and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds start crackling add the fenugreek seeds. Fry for 1-2 seconds.
Add the chopped pumpkin and saute for 2-3 minutes. Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour 1/2 cup of water on top of the lid, this enhances steaming. Add water into the pan only if required.When the pumpkin is half-cooked, add the jaggery and stir well and cook covered till it is thoroughly cooked. Add the coconut and simmer for 2 minutes.Serve hot with rotis.

Verdict: Simple and Tasty! I was a bit apprehensive as there are no spices (lesson learnt... spices are not always necessary!), but the methi (fenugreek seeds) and jaggery are sufficient.

Pin It

Gharge (JFI - Jagery)

It is the time to binge (on oily stuff)... I shall (happily) do away with all the 'low fat', zero oil food, sit back, and eat all the deep fried snacks with nothing to mar my conscience! Ok, so I shall go on a diet after ALL the sweets are exhausted....
Everywhere that one goes , pumpkins meet the eye.. Halloween time! To me it means making Gharge, pumpkin puri. This is a deep fried Indian flat bread which has for it's main ingredient- pumpkin.
I got some nice pumpkin at the Farmers Market.. it was so bright and colorful, I was almost sorry to have cut it up to grate it for making Gharge!But it was great work out for the arms!
Take :
2 cups Grated pumpkin
1.5 cup grated jaggery (this makes it mildly sweet, the original taste)
1/2 cup Farina (rawa/ sooji)
1/2 cup rice flour
Pinch salt
Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp. Cardamom powder
1 tsp ghee
Oil for deep frying

Grate the pumpkin

Grate the jaggery
In a heavy bottomed wok or saucepan, add the ghee, pumpkin and cook it, when it is almost done, add the jaggery. The mixture will look like so...

Cook the above mixture well and once the jaggery melts , switch off the heat. Add about a tsp. of oil, add in the Farina and rice flour , mix well , cover and keep for around 2 - 3 hrs.
Add wheat flour, Now add as much as you can to make a nice chapatti like dough.
Take a small ping pong size ball, but instead of using a rolling pin, use a plastic cover, keep the dough ball in between and flatten it with your palm.
Deep fry till a lovey golden color. Drain on a tissue.

This is also my entry for JFI hosted by Kay (Towards a Better Tomorrow)

Pin It