Kaddu ka Bharta: Red Pumpkin Bharta

Red pumpkin bharta is a dry preparation of pumpkin, a simpler version of red pumpkin curry with stronger notes of mustard oil.

Unlike traditional bharta (mashed vegetables) like baingan bharta, this one does not use boiled/roasted vegetables as its base. Pumpkin cooks quickly and mashes easily without pre-treatment. This is also a chunky bharta instead of a typically smooth one, which works well with pumpkin.

The deal here is in the style of cutting the pumpkin. We need the julienne cut. Use a good knife and a strong arm. Once you have the julienned pumpkin ready, cooking this bharta is a matter of a few minutes.

Red pumpkin bharta tastes so good, the effort of cutting feels totally worth it.

You Need:

• Red pumpkin – 400 grams
• Jaggery – 2 teaspoons
• Salt – to taste
• Red chili flakes – 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Panch phoron* – 3/4 teaspoon
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon

*Panch phoron is a mix of five whole spices (fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds), typically used in Bengali cuisine. If you don’t have panch phoron on hand, use a combination of the ingredients in the list that you do have.

How To Make Red Pumpkin Bharta:

Cut red pumpkin into thick juliennes.

Heat a tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan.

When the oil is smoking hot, add to it panch phoron, followed by asafoetida.

Add red chili flakes next, and then tip in julienned red pumpkin.

Cook the pumpkin on medium-high flame for 5 minutes. Add salt and jaggery.

Stir and cook for another 5-6 minutes, or till the pumpkin strips start to lose shape and meld together. When that happens, it is time to halt cooking. Red pumpkin bharta is now ready.

Serve red pumpkin bharta on the side with chapatis/parathas and a curry like channa masala or tomato toor dal.