“Kumror Chokka” or diced pumpkin curry is quite a well known vegetarian dish in Bengali Cuisine. It is also often made as a ‘prasad’ among others during household pujas and best enjoyed with luchi aka puri or paranthas. The usual pumpkin curry with the chunks of potato tastes even more lucrative while a handful black chickpeas find their way in the curry. Largely unassuming and underrated, this simply curry, if prepared well can arouse your taste bud with ease.

Ingredients to serve 4 :

1. Pumpkin – 500 gm.
2. Potato – 3 (medium size)
3. Black chickpeas (chola) – 2 tbspoon
4. Slit green chilli – 2-3
5. Five spice mix (panch foron) – ½ teaspoon
6. Bay leaf – 1-2
7. Dry red chilli – 1-2
8. Pinch of asafoetida
9. Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
10. Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon (optional)
11. Coriander powder – ½ teaspoon (optional)
12. Salt & sugar to taste
13. Mustard oil – 4-5 tbspoon

Procedure :

Soak black chickpeas over night into sufficient water.

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into medium size cubes.

Also cut the pumpkin into large chunks after removing its skin.

Now heat oil in a kadai over medium flame.

Add ‘panch foron’ (five spice mix), dry red chili, bay leaf and asafoetida, saute for few seconds.

Add soaked chickpeas (after discarding excess water) and saute for a while.

Than add potato cubes and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add pumpkin chunks, green chilli salt and turmeric powder. Again fry for 2-3 minutes.

Now add cumin and coriander powder, mix them well and fry for another couple of minutes.

Now add sugar and mix it well.

Then cover the kadai with a lid and put the flame on low – medium.

Let the vegetables get cooked properly.

After few minutes remove the lid and check whether vegetables are well cooked.

Put the gas off when oil is coming out from the mixture.

Give it a standing time for 2 minutes and then serve with roti or paratha or luchi.