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Pumpkin Talkari

Pumpkin cooked down with garlic, geera and hot pepper until soft and sweet, finished with a pinch of sugar and amchar masala. A classic with roti.

Curry and Roti

  • 45 min est.
  • Serves 6
  • Easy
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Trini

Pumpkin talkari is pumpkin cooked slowly in a little oil with garlic, geera and hot pepper until it softens and partly mashes into itself. It is savoury, sweet and gently spiced, and one of the dishes most often served with sada roti or dhalpuri.

The pumpkin cooks in its own juices, so there is very little water to add. Keep the lid on and stir now and then so the bottom doesn’t catch.

A pinch of sugar and amchar masala at the end brings out the pumpkin’s sweetness and gives it a light tang.

The recipe

Pumpkin Talkari

Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6

Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.

Ingredients

Tick items off as you gather them.

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the geera and fry for 30 seconds until it darkens slightly.
  2. Add the garlic, onion and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the pumpkin and salt and stir to coat. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add the water only if the pumpkin starts to stick.
  4. When the pumpkin is completely soft, mash it roughly with the back of the spoon, leaving some pieces.
  5. Stir in the sugar and amchar masala and cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and stir in the chadon beni.

Serve it with

  • Sada roti or dhalpuri
  • Rice, dhal and curry for a full plate

Substitutions

  • Pumpkin: butternut squash or calabaza works.
  • Shrimp or saltfish: add a handful of cooked shrimp, or desalted, flaked saltfish, in the last 5 minutes.

Storing and reheating

  • Refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water.

Cook's notes

  • Choose a dense, deep-orange pumpkin; watery pumpkin needs longer uncovered at the end.

https://trinbagorecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin-talkari/

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