Wednesday, June 13, 2007

For The Love Of Your Heart - Butternut Squash

There are some vegetables that conjure up images of luscious cooked delicacies when one thinks of them!
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Some one mentions Bhindi/Okra and you think of Bhindi-Do-Pyaza or Stuffed Bhindi with a smile on your face!
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Talk about Gobi/Cauliflower and Gobi Manchurian makes your mouth water!
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Peas/Matar bring up warm memories of savoring the Peas Pulav or Matar Paneer at a roadside dhaba!
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Now, I've not seen too many folks jump with joy after the mention of Butternut Squash/Kaddu! But believe me, the simple yet elegant recipe that I'm going to share with you will dispel all the myths about this oft neglected vegetable, if I may say so myself :)
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Here is a quick and lip smacking tasty dish made out of the humble but nutritious Kaddu! This is my mom's recipe. I've to admit, as a kid I ran miles away from this dish, and now I can't seem to get enough of it :) It has it's well deserved position in my kitchen and on the dining table :)
I use the pressure cooker to make it in 10 minutes flat, can you beat that?
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Butternut Sqush/Kaddu Subzi
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1 1/2 cups chopped cubed Butternut Squash
1 onion chopped
1/2 tomato chopped (optional)
2 small green chili chopped (as per taste)
8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp garlic paste (optional)
1/2 tsp tamarind paste or 1 tbsp lemon juice (souring agent)
1/2 tsp sugar
salt as per taste
1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi
1 tsp red chili powder (adjust as per taste)
2 tbsp coriander powder
Tadka/Tempering - 1 1/2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1tsp Saunf/Fennel seeds(Required)
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1. Heat oil in the pressure cooker/pan. In the absence of a pressure cooker, this can be made in a regular sauce pan, just that it will take a little longer to cook. I use the smallest pressure cooker, you may need to adjust cooking time as per your regular cooker timings.
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2. Add tempering ingredients and fry a few seconds till mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves, ginger, garlic & onion. Saute till onion turns translucent.
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3. Add tomato if using and fry for a minute.
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4. Add chopped kaddu and saute for a minute.
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5. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder.
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6. Add tamarind paste, if using, sugar, 1/2 cup water and pressure cook 2 whistles. If using a sauce pan, cover and cook till done about 15 minutes, keep checking to see if it done.
If using lemon juice, add now.
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7. Mash the kaddu a LITTLE with the back of the spoon.
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8. Garnish with coriander and enjoy this beautiful vegetable. It has such a khatta-meetha (sour & sweet) taste!
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This makes a great side dish for your meal with roti and some dal or yogurt. It tastes good as is with some bread.
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This is my contribution to Heart Of The Matter - Eating for Life! This time it is HotM - 4 Vegetables. Butternut Squash is a super vegetable full of nutrition.
Nutritional Qualities: The following qualities are available in one cup of mashed squash: 80 calories, 2 grams protein, 1 gram fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, with riboflavin, iron, fibre, manganese, omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamins A and C (source: The net).

36 comments:

FH said...

I love and will jump for Butternut squash Richa.I make a simple spicy dish for dosas too.It's at FH recipe Index.
I love the color.I think ppl don't like it bcos it has sweetish taste but if balanced with spices,it tastes fabulous.Thanks for posting this.Great entry for heart too:)

Anonymous said...

Now I will jump, don't you worry

sra said...

Kaddu is yellow pumpkin, right? We usually make this with the skin on, no tomato and add a bit of jaggery in the end - lovely dish which I rarely make nowadays because the pumpkin I see is always dirty!

Richa said...

thanks asha! good to know there are some folks like you out there ready to jump at the mention of kaddu :) the color sure is beautiful! yeah u r right, maybe it's sweet taste deters some, but then that is the unique taste and this combination brings out all the flavors. do try it sometime :)

thanks sandeepa! do let me know when you jump, for joy that is :) do try this, you will like it, in fact you can use your panch poran tadka :)

thanks sra! yes it is yellow pumpkin, a little tough to cut, but once cut it's a breeze! yes tomato is optinal and instead of jaggery i add sugar, anyone is fine :) Enjoy...

Cynthia said...

Richa, this would go down well with some dal and rice.

Richa said...

thanks cynthia! true it goes very well with some dal rice with that sweet-sour taste, do try this sometime, you will enjoy the taste :)

TNL said...

maney "kaddu" bahu bhavey!! I don't run away...I run towards it......its sooooo good with dhili khichadi, Richa.... :)

trupti

Anonymous said...

Hi Richa,
Looks absolutely delicious. Love the colour and recipe....I like dosa and butternut squash comination. Thanks

TheCooker said...

no 'oodi' from me. But it looks so good, I'm tempted to try it.

Coffee said...

Khatta to samjha..... meetha kahan se aayega??? You have mentioned 1/2 tsp of sugar in your ingredients but not in the recipe. :)

This is one vegetable which has never found its place in my kitchen. Everytime I see it in the market I think of buying it but then wonder what will I make of it?? Now I have no excuses! :) I am gonna try this for sure. :)

Sharmi said...

I have never made a subzi out of this. Always made sambar. your version looks good.

archana said...

Butter nut naw mala awadla, pahilyanda aekla . Mala pumpkin mahiti ahey :)
He bhaji chaan distey ani mala pun awadte. North Indian style chi khaalli aheys ka?

Sig said...

Hey Richa, I'll jump for joy if you mention butternut squash, my favorite squash... :)... love the nutty sweet taste... and the color is awesome... Your subzi sounds yummy, looks great too...

Viji said...

Its a wonderful veggies and goes well with any spices. Very nice Richa. Viji

Sia said...

so u like butternut squash? i am jumping up n down looking at that pretty bowl:) i love its huli:)

indosungod said...

Richa, there is pretty much one way that I cook butternut squash this is a new tasty variation looks really good

Richa said...

thanks trupti! oh taney kaddu bhavey, good thing, bau nutritious che! enjoy. maney tara garden na phool bau gameya :)

thanks madhu! glad to know you liked the recipe, do try it sometime, it's quick to make :)
enjoy..

thanks tc! yeah, do try it sometime, has a nice mix of sweet/sour taste.

thanks coffee! yup, no more excuses! get it next time, aa shaak khattu meetthu saras laagey! sakar kyare bhi nakhi sakaay :) do lemme' know if you make it :)

thanks sharmi! if you never made this subzi, now is the time to try it, u will like it, do try.
enjoy...

Richa said...

thanks archana! tula pumpkin /bhopla nav mahit ahet na heh!heh! :) ithey khup prakarchey bhopley ugavtat! hyacha taste chan ahey, try kar. aag hi recipe north style chi ahey, tu konti north stlye chi bhaji khalli ahes?

thanks sig! wow you like this squash :) i've met so many today who like this, never knew it had so many fans LOL :) do try this subzi!

thanks viji! yes it goes with many spices, enjoy...

thanks sia! wow! one more fan of this veg :) i'm amazed! do try this subzi, dear!! enjoy...

thanks isg! yup, this one is quick to make & tastes awesome, if i may say so myself ;) do try it.

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

Hey, I love Kaddu too!!! Its one of the est veggies!!! I'm sure you'll agree with me. Thanx for the recipe :)

Mandira said...

yummy delicious, lovely picture too...

sunita said...

I'm one of those who'll jump for joy at the mention of butternut squash...in fact, we had it just last night...I make a mixed vegetable with it as the key ingredient...

DEEPA said...

wow!!!this is so very nice ..excellent pic ...i love the color ...very bright .

Kajal said...

Shu vaat chhe Richa, Ketalu saaras laje chhe. Keep it up my dear perfect entry for that event.:)
I never try pumpkin....but your dish is delicious.
Thanks for sharing.:))))

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious, Richa. All these years I have been avoiding butternut squash. I think I have to mend my ways :)

deena said...

hi richa ..what a way to use this veggie..they say u need to have veggies of all color..now i have a recipe in hand for yellow colored vegetable ..thanks.

Richa said...

thanks ramya! so nice to know you like this vegetable and are so fond of it! do try this way of making it :) enjoy..

thanks mandira, glad u liked it!

thanks sunita! oh you jump for this vegetable, heh!heh! do try this recipe and hope you post ur mixed veg recipe sometime. howz the weather treating u these days? enjoy

thanks deepa! glad u liked it! yup the color is pretty :)

Richa said...

thanks kajal! ur words are always so encouraging dear :) aa shaak khattu meetthu bau saaru tasty laagey :) try karjey! have a good wknd!

thanks linda! oh! so you have been avoiding this super veg, i was avrese to it as a kid :) yup this recipe might change ur ways about it, hopefully :) have a good wknd!

thanks deena! you are absolutely right about incorporating veg of all colors! glad you liked this recipe, do try it sometime!

Suganya said...

I love to eat butternut squash.......Lovely colour and great recipe...

musical said...

Richa,

i echo your sentiments on kaddu :). and remember those ads bashing kaddus by saying "isme kaddu nahin zara"-as a kid i loved those ads ;). but times have changed since, and with recipes as delectable as yours, one is bound to fall in love with kaddu :).

hey, i even enjoyed tindo/tinde this time!! and thats a quantam leap by all means!

swapna susarla said...

looking yummy !!!

Saju said...

I love butternut squash! Usually, I make soup from it, or have it roasted with rosemary!
this recipe is next on my list for this squash!

Prema Sundar said...

I add finely chopped broccoli to butternut squash curry Richa . they look very colorful by doing so.

Richa said...

thanks sukanya! do try it sometime!

thanks musical! yup i do remember that ad, in fact i was thinking @ it when i wrote @ kaddu ;) saddia bachpan dia ads da' maja hi alag siga! tinde, hmmm, so now u developed a taste for it heh!heh! enjoy dear...

thanks swapna!

thanks saju! ur soup sounds yum!

thanks prema! that's a good idea!
enjoy dear....

Raaga said...

Hi Richa,

Imitation is the best form of flattery. I told you I'd make this curry and I did. I'll blog about it this weekend if not earlier.

Thanks a ton... it was a brand new idea for a curry. Thank your mum too. :-)

Raaga said...

http://chefatwork.blogspot.com/2007/07/kaddu-ki-subzi-pumpkin-curry.html

:-)

Richa said...

hey raaga, thanks for your feedback, appreciate it.
I'm so glad to know u tried this recipe & enjoyed it. It's one of my fav's too and so simple to follow ;)