Pumpkin/Eggplant(Aubergine)/Carrot Chutney

And one more pumpkin recipe for Charishma. You can substitute eggplant for the pumpkin, but you will then have to use dried yellow lentils (moong dal) instead of Urad dal. Another variation is using grated carrots instead of pumpkin, and here you'll have to add a little water while cooking it. Or, you can just stick to this recipe :-)

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  oil, divided
• 250  g pumpkin, cubed
• 1⁄2 cup  grated coconut (freshly grated is best)
• 1  teaspoon tamarind paste
• 2  tablespoons Urad Dal (split skinned black gram) or 2  tablespoons  dried yellow lentils (if you're using eggplant instead of pumpkins)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)
• 3  fresh red chilies
•  salt

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium and add the chopped pumpkins (+approximately 1/4 cup water if you're using carrots instead of pumpkins).
2. Saute for 1 minute and then cover.
3. After 5 minutes, uncover, stir, and cover.
4. And now after another 5 minutes remove the pumpkin from the skillet and keep aside.
5. In the same skillet add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, urad dal (or yellow lentils if you're using eggplant instead of pumpkin), and red chilies and fry until the dal start turning pale brown; add the asafoetida powder just around the time when you think the dal is starting to turn pale brown (the powder shouldn't be fried too much!).
6. Grind the above fried mixture in a grinder along with grated coconut and salt, and grind coarsely, without water.
7. Now add the tamarind paste and cooked pumpkin and grind until it is a coarse paste.
8. Don't add water unless it is too thick; add upto 1 tablespoon water if required.
9. Serve with rice, bread, chappatis, you name it!