Easy, Healthyish, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pumpkin Paanch Phoron (5 Spice) Bengali Style

My mother picked up this recipe from a friend of hers many years ago & every time she makes it I relish it lovingly. It’s a very simple dish but full of flavour.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pumpkin (Cut into Big Cubes With Skin On)
  • Paanch Phoron (5 Spice)
  • 1 Pinch Saunf (Fennel Seeds)
  • 1 Pinch Kalonji (Nigella Seeds)
  • 1 Pinch Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
  • 1 Pinch Methi (Fenugreek Seeds)
  • 1 Pinch Rye (Mustard Seeds)
  • 1 Pinch Turmeric Powder
  • 1 Pinch Red Chili Powder
  • 1 Pinch Coriander Powder
  • 1 Punch Hiing (Asofoetida)
  • 1 Tbsp Mustard Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Water
  • Fresh Coriander for Garnish
  • Salt to Taste

Preparation

Prep: 15 minutes
Refrigeration: 20 minutes

  1. In a pressure cooker, heat mustard oil & add the paanch phoron spices & let them splatter. Be careful as to not burn the spices otherwise you will get a very bitter taste.
  2. Now add the chopped pumpkin dices with skin (if you remove the skin then the pumpkin will become mash while cooking in the pressure cooker) & add the salt, coriander, chilly, turmeric powders & hing & mix well/sauté for 1-2 mins on med low flame.
  3. Add a little bit of water (I like a bit of gravy to eat with my rice) & mix well & close the lid of the pressure cooker & cook it for 2-3 whistles or till its cooked well (this totally depends on your cut/size of the pumpkin cubes). Adjust salt.
  4. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
  5. Enjoy with a bowl of rice or hot chapattis or as a side dish.
  6. Tip – if you are not using a pressure cooker then boil the pumpkin & then just pour a tadka of the spices & powders heated in oil over your boiled pumpkin cubes. You can use dudhi (gourd), sweet potato, carrots or potato too instead of the pumpkin.

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Kanika Dave

Born in Bombay to a beautiful Punjabi mother and a half-Gujarati-half-Mangalorean handsome father, I am a complete mix of both cultures by heart. My Nutritionist-dietician-weight trainer mother will always be my biggest food inspiration. Observing her since childhood and shadowing her every move in the kitchen, watching her chop, taking in the aromas and feeing the love with which she cooked has always been a treat. How she makes everyday simple food taste so delicious will always be a mystery to me. A special mention to my dear friend Oskari whom I met 11 years ago in Goa and fell in love instantly. He is European and came from a contrasting food background. Watching him move around swiftly in the kitchen has always been my favourite thing. I have been lucky to spend quality time with his mother Hanni who is a wonderful cook and runs one of the most beautiful resorts in Zanzibar. Through them, I learned a lot about world food.