Mathanga/ Pumpkin Thoran

Mathanga/ Pumpkin Thoran

After marriage when first time we went to Kerala to meet my inlaws, I was shocked to see my MIL full time in the kitchen from morning to evening, where she will be busy cooking some delicacies. Then she told me that Keralities need minimum 4-5 varieties in the meal. Out of which Thoran is a must. And I tell you it’s an easy, healthy and fast cooking recipe. She makes thoran from veggies, which are grown in her own kitchen garden.

Thoran is nothing but stir-fried veggies served as a side dish along with rice. Veggies are just cooked to retain their nutritious values intact. There are varieties of thoran which I will try and share their recipes to you all. It’s a yummy food and surely you will also fall in love with it as I have fallen for it….. So lets proceed straight with the recipe.

Ingredients:

250gms Yellow Pumpkin

¼ cup Water

8 -10 nos Small Onions/ Shallots

2 to 3 Green chillies

¼ tspn Turmeric powder

¼ tspn Black pepper powder

¼ cup Grated Coconut

Salt as per taste

For Tempering:

2 Tblspn Coconut Oil / Vegetable oil

½ tspn Mustard Seeds

Few curry leaves.

Method:

1.    Wash and cut the skin of pumpkin. Cut pumpkin into very small thin.

2.    Clean and wash small onion (Shallots) and slice them into 3/ 4 pieces. Chop the green chillies and keep them aside.

3.    Place the pan on the gas; add the pumpkin, small onions, green chillies, turmeric powder, black pepper powder with water and salt to taste. Cover the pan till pumpkin is just cooked. Don’t over cook the pumpkin.

4.    Once pumpkin is cooked and water is dried. Move aside the pumpkin with the help of spatula to the sides of the pan from centre to make place for tempering.

5.    Pour the coconut oil in the centre of the pan and add mustard seeds when it splutters add curry leaves and mix it well.

6.    Sprinkle grated coconut on the pumkin and mix it well. Cook for few more minutes. Its ready to serve with rice and curry.

NOTE:

• Chopping the pumpkin into thin small cubes helps to cook them fast.
• If pumpkin quantity is less, add little water at a time, water can be added as required later too.
• Pumpkin is a sweet vegetable, so increase or decrease the chilly as per the individual taste.