Mathangya Pulingari -Tangy Pumpkin Curry

There are a few curries which I can eat on its own without any main dishes.Yeah,don't frown but I can eat a bowl of Kadai Paneer and call it my lunch/dinner and happily burp away.So I was fascinated when my aunt offered me a bowl of a brown curry with a spoon and asked me to taste it.She said since I love pumpkin curries,I'd love this one too.

One spoon and it was a complete burst of flavors.I couldn't say if it was more tangy or more sweet or more spicy.I immediately asked her for the recipe and wrote it down but couldn't try it till yesterday.I vividly remembered the soft crunch of pearl onions/shallots which was her special addition to the curry.
 
Pulingari literally translates to a tangy curry,is a base for many curries which you can try with different vegetables,the popular ones being with paavakya(Bitter gourd),vendakkya(Okra),chena(Yam) and kumbalanga(Ash gourd).
 
Mathangya Pulingari
Recipe source - My aunt Leenamoushi aka LM


Ingredients

Mathangya/Pumpkin - roughly 2 cups,chopped
Tamarind - 1 marble size,soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
Haldi/turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Jaggery - 1 cube OR 1 tbsp,crushed

For the masala

Oil - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Red chilly - 5-7,depending on your spice level
Grated coconut - 3-4 tbsp

For the tadka/seasoning

Coconut oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
Pearl onions/shallots - 5-7,sliced


Method

Soak tamarind in hot water and extract pulp.

Cook the chopped pumpkin with tamarind pulp,salt to taste and haldi in enough water.
When the pumkin turns soft,add crushed jaggery and keep aside.

In a kadai add oil and the rest of the ingredients for the masala and roast on slow flame for 7-10 minutes or till the masala turns golden brown.(Take care not to overbrown or burn it which will make the curry taste bitter).Grind to a smooth paste in a mixer and keep aside.

In the same kadai add oil and splutter mustard seeds.Add the shallots and curry leaves and saute till the onions turn soft.

Mix in the cooked pumpkin,the coconut masala and salt to taste(if required) and let the curry come to a boil.

Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot with rice.