Step 1

On a low to medium heat, dry roast red chilies, chana dal and urad dal till deep golden & aromatic. Make sure lentils are not burnt but they should be roasted evenly so they make the dish flavorful. Transfer to a plate.

Step 2

To the same pan add coriander seeds, cumin, cinnamon and lightly roast until fragrant.

Step 3

Don’t let them burn. Cool all of these completely and powder them in a blender to a fine powder.

Step 4

To the same jar, add coconut along with little water and blend to a smooth paste. If you do not own a powerful blender, let the mixture soak for about 30 minutes in water and make a fine paste adding more water as needed.

Step 5

Heat a pan with ghee or oil on a low flame.

Step 6

Add mustard, cumin and red chili. When they begin to splutter, add curry leaves and hing. Set aside little of this seasoning for garnishing. I set aside few curry leaves and red chili along with very little mustard and cumin.

Step 7

Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry the tomatoes till they turn soft, mushy and dry. If needed cover and cook, you can even sprinkle little water if your tomatoes are hard.

Step 8

Next add pumpkin cubes and fry stirring for about 2 to 3 minutes. Ensure the tomatoes turn completely mushy and dry before adding pumpkin.

Step 9

Pour 1 to 1½ cups of water to the pan and bring it to a boil.

Step 10

Add the ground paste & mix well.

Step 11

Cook it on a low flame till the pumpkin is tender. If needed you can cover and cook. Don’t overcook, pumpkin turns mushy. Keep stirring, the mixture tends to stick at the bottom due to the dal. If required pour more water to adjust the consistency.

Step 12

Add tamarind and mix well. Check the salt and tang. If you like to have it sour you can add more tamarind paste, but I do not use.

Step 13

Transfer pumpkin curry to a serving bowl and garnish with the curry leaves and broken red chilies.