Kembude Kai Bendhi
(from Nandini’s recipe box)
Source: http://www.monsoonspice.com/2011/11/kembude-kai-bendhi-pumpkin-and-cashews.html
Categories: sambar/Curry/Huli
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium sized tender Pumpkin, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch cubes (approx 4-5 cups)
- 1/2 cup Cashew Nuts, broken
- Small pinch of Haldi/Turmeric Powder (optional)
- Salt to taste
- For Coconut Gravy:
- 1 cup grated Coconut, fresh or frozen
- 1 Green Chilli (optional)
- 1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
- For Tadka/Tempering:
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 dried Red Chilli, broken
- Few Curry Leaves
- 1/2 tbsp Oil (Preferably Coconut Oil)
Directions
- Take pumpkin pieces in a vessel and pour enough water to cover them. Add salt to taste and cook them covered till they are almost cooked. It takes around 8 minutes on medium heat.
- While the pumpkin is cooking, take grated coconut, cumin seeds and green chilli, if using, in a mixer grinder and grind them to smooth paste by adding very little water. Keep it aside.
- Once the pumpkin is almost cooked, add cashew nuts and mix in ground coconut paste. Add little more water to get the required consistency and cook for 3-4 minutes till small bubble starts to appear on the surface. Immediately turn off the gas as the over boiled coconut gravy will start to disintegrate and will not taste good.
- Heat oil in a pan and add all the tadka/tempering ingredients one by one. When mustard seeds starts to pop and splutter, transfer the contents to coconut gravy and mix it well. Cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes for all the flavours to blend well.
- Serve this mild, creamy and delicious Pumpkin and Cashew Nuts in coconut Gravy or Kembude Kai Bendhi with rice and pickle and relish every spoonful.
- Addition of green chilli while preparing the coconut paste is optional as chilli is not used in traditional Bendhi recipes.
- This mild Kembude Kai Bendhi or Pumpkin and Cashews in Coconut Gravy is served at the end of meal (after Rasam and Sambar) to sooth the stomach after tasting fiery hot curries.