Go Back

Pumpkin Chaaru - A sweet sour spicy soup

This rasam variant from Telugu Cuisine, with pumpkin, is a perfect match with rice or even a soup to whet your appetite. Do give it a try!
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 serving

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsps cooking oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 chillies dried red
  • pinch asafoetida a
  • 1 cup yellow pumpkin cubes
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tbsp jaggery crushed
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Instructions
 

  • In a medium sized deep pan, heat the oil.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. After the mustard splutters, add curry leaves, crushed garlic, dried red chillies, asafoetida, and stir for 30 seconds.
  • Add the pumpkin cubes (small sized), and toss well.
  • Add 2.5 cups water, bring to a boil. Reduce flame, cover and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, until the pumpkin pieces are almost cooked.
  • Add tamarind paste, jaggery, salt, rasam powder, black pepper powder and turmeric powder and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  • Serve hot as a soup or with steamed rice.

Notes

TIP:
No rasam powder handy? You can you use sambar powder as a reasonable substitute. No sambar powder either? Lightly roast a few black pepper corns, a teaspoon of cumin seeds and coarsely crush it in a mortar pestle. Mix with 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder.
If you have a traditional pumpkin recipe in your community, do leave me a comment with the details and I'd love to try it out.