PODI PODICHA PULINKARI -TRIPUNITHURA (A district in Ernakulam, Kerala)STYLE

This pulinkari- Podi Podicha Pulinkari - was a favourite of our Tripunithura household, especially so if it was made with Red Pumpkin Even to this day, whenever I make this pulinkari, I am reminded of the scene in our ancestral home in Tripunithura on pulinkari days, when we children (around 15 of us myself and my sisters’ children ,all of us of same age group )used to be at the dining hall. And each of us used to callout for this Sambar , with different names, Pulinkari , Podipodicha Pulinkari, Mathan Pulinkari etc. and my Sisters used to have tough time catering to our needs. All said and done, it is a wonderful pulinkari (sambar) to go with rice or dosa or idli. This pulinkari can be made with any lightly sweet vegetable, like, red pumpkin, ripe mango, ripe jackfruit or a combination of red pumpkin and raw plantain, etc. I give the recipe for basic pulinkari, in which any of the above mentioned vegetable can be added Pumpkin Podipodicha Pulinkari Ingredients 1. Pumpkin – 1.5 cup, peeled and cubed into pieces 2. Green Chilly – 1 slit 3. Tamarind – 1 lemon sized ball 4. Powdered Jaggery – 1 tsp 5. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp 6. Salt to taste 7. Oil – 1 tsp To roast and powder 1. Raw Rice – 2 tbsp 2. Methi Seeds – ½ tsp 3. Dried Red Chilly – 4/ 4. Asafoetida -pinch To temper 1. Coconut oil – 1 tsp 2. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp 3. Curry Leaves – few sprigs Method 1. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze and extract the tamarind juice. Keep aside. Should be about 1 cup. 2. Wash the rice and drain it. 3. Heat a kadai, and dry roast the rice, as it starts changing color add the methi seeds and red chilly and roast till the rice has turned golden brown. Cool and powder. Keep aside. 4. Heat oil in a Kadai, add the pumpkin and green chilly and sauté for about 2 minutes. 5. Next add the tamarind extract to the pumpkin pieces, with about 1 cup of water. 6. Add turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida. Mix well and let this come to boil. 7. Cover and cook on medium flame till the pumpkin pieces are cooked. 8. Add jaggery and let it boil uncovered for another 3 to 4 minutes. 9. Now mix the roasted powder in 1 cup of water and add it to the above gravy. 10. Simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with curry leaves. 11. Heat a small frying pan with oil. Add the mustard seeds and pour this over the pulinkari.