Manathakkali Keerai Mor Kuzhambu | Restaurant Style Pumpkin Kootu Recipe

Recently I got a bunch of manathakkali keerai in Asian Super Market and was thinking to make something different from usual poriyal or chutney. I thought of making kootu using chana dhal and pumpkin along with this
black night shade leaves. Instead of coconut milk I added butter milk and at final I got a tasty  restaurant style mor kuzhambu. I used yellow pumpkin where the authentic recipe use white pumpkin, also you can use toor dhal instead of chana dal, here is the detailed fusion recipe.

Ingredients

Pumpkin – 1n1/4 Cup (Cubed) (You can use Okra too)
Manathakkali Keerai/Black Night Shade (or Any Green Leaves, spinach works well) – 1 Cup (Chopped)
Chana Dhal/Kadala Paruppu – 1/3 Cup (Replace with Toor Dhal)
Butter Milk –  3/4th Cup
Oil – 1tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
Curry Leaves – Few
Salt n Water – As Needed

To Grind

Green Chilis – 2 Numbers
Cumin – 1n1/4tsp
Half of Boiled Chana/Toor Dal
Ginger – 1 inch piece

Method

• Soak Chana dhal for 10 minutes at least in warm water and cook with chopped pumpkin in a pressure cooker for single hiss.
• Take half of the cooked dal and other ingredients given under “to grind” and make it a smooth paste with necessary water.
• Keep all the ingredients ready (Pic 1)
• Add 1 tsp of oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds then add curry leaves,chopped green leaves/keerai with 1/2tsp of salt (Pic 2).
• When keerai shrinks a bit, add ground paste, cooked dhal and pumpkin mixture, mix all well(Pic 3) with another 1/2 cup of water.

• When the kulambu boils vigoursoly add more salt, finally add butter milk(Pic 4) and give a nice stir.
• After that allow 1-2 minutes to cook in low flame, then remove from heat.
• Serve it with Rice, Poriyal, Puli Kuzhambu, Papad/Vathal varieties.