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Mathanga erissery

Pumpkin and red cowpeas

Mathanga erissery
Photo: Varghesepunnamada, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients

For 4 servings. 1 serving = 1 adult; a 6-year-old eats about half.

  • Pumpkin (butternut or kent)440 g
  • Vanpayar (red cowpeas)100 g
  • Frozen grated coconut100 g
  • Cumin seeds (jeerakam)¾ tsp
  • Garlic4 cloves
  • Turmeric powder½ tsp
  • Kashmiri chilli powder1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds½ tsp
  • Curry leaves¾ sprig
  • Dried red chillies1
  • Coconut oil1 tbsp
  • Salt1 tsp

You need

  • Pressure cooker (3–5 L)
  • Mixer-grinder with small and large jars
  • Small tempering pan (tadka pan)
  • Sharp knife and chopping board
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Potato masher or fork
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Method

  1. Ahead (the night before): rinse 100 g vanpayar and soak it in 480 ml (about 2 cups) cold water overnight.
  2. Drain the vanpayar and put it in the pressure cooker with 400 ml (about 1½ cups) water. Cook on medium-high until the first whistle, then medium for 3 more. Let the pressure drop by itself. The beans should squash easily.
  3. While it cooks, peel 440 g pumpkin and cut into 2 cm cubes.
  4. Divide 100 g coconut: two thirds for the paste, one third for the topping. Grind the two thirds with ¾ tsp cumin seeds, 4 cloves garlic and 120 ml (about ½ cup) water to a smooth paste.
  5. Add the pumpkin to the opened cooker with ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt and 240 ml (about 1 cup) water. Cover with an ordinary lid (or the pressure lid without the weight) and simmer on medium for 8 to 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
  6. Mash about half the pumpkin roughly against the side. Stir in the coconut paste and simmer on low for 3 minutes until it bubbles.
  7. For a toddler, take out their portion now. Stir 1 tsp chilli powder into the rest and simmer 2 more minutes.
  8. Topping: heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in the small pan on medium. Add ½ tsp mustard seeds and wait until they pop, then add 1 dried red chilli, ¾ sprig curry leaves and the rest of the coconut.
  9. Stir 3 to 4 minutes until the coconut is deep golden brown and smells nutty. Pour over the erissery.

Tips

  • Tinned red kidney beans are a fast swap for vanpayar. Rinse and skip the pressure cooking.

Make it easier

  • Weekend: Soak vanpayar (red cowpeas) overnight.

Keeping and freezing

  • Fridge: keeps 3 days in a lidded box. Cool it within an hour of cooking.
  • Freezer: freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot.

Good to know

  • Asthma: buy frozen grated coconut without sulphites (220–228).
  • Toddlers: take their portion out before adding chilli or pepper.