This is an easy and delicious pumpkin curry recipe from Kerala, South India. It is also called ‘Erissery’. We make it with pumpkin and red cowpeas. And then, simmer it with grated coconut paste. Then, we temper it with roasted coconut, mustard seeds and aromatic curry leaves, and dried red chillies.
This pumpkin curry is a very popular during Onam. We serve it for the grand feast set out for Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala.
Why this curry is good for you:
- It is rich in fiber and a great source of complex carbs and energy.
- It is rich in nutrients and vital minerals for your health
- We do not add any processed ingredients to this pumpkin curry
- It is a healthy addition as a side dish to a simple meal. Good for your heart and gut too !
- You can easily make it using readily available ingredients.
Other names of the red cowpeas:
We also call it as adzuki beans. It is also called the red black eyed peas. It is also called ‘laal chavli’ in Marathi or ‘Van Payar’ in Malayalam. I have included an image of this along with the cooking instructions below. I hope that it makes it easier to recognize the beans. 🙂
It is the seeds that are present in the green long beans, in its dry form. Both Long beans as well as its seeds, are good for your health.
You can check out the recipe of Long Beans fry here.
Variations of this Pumpkin Curry:
Erissery is a thick side dish for rice or chapatti (Indian Flat bread). I made it using Pumpkin. But you can substitute it with raw banana or yam too.
Traditionally we use red cowpeas along with pumpkin. However, you can use white cowpeas too, if you prefer that. So, there are different ways to make this curry.
How I made it:
First, I soaked the red cowpeas overnight, for about around 8 to 9 hours. This helps to cook it faster. Then, I pressure cooked it along with the chopped pumpkin. After that, I added the coconut paste to it and heated it. Lastly, I tempered it in coconut oil, with some mustard seeds, roasted coconut, aromatic curry leaves, dried red chillies, and some chilly powder for the spice.
I also add some toasted grains of rice to add a crunch to this pumpkin goodness!
I have given step by step instructions to make it. And added images of every step, so that it is easier for you to make it.
With what can you have this Pumpkin curry.
You can have this as a side dish for rice or chapati. If you use a ripe pumpkin, your curry will be a little on the sweeter side. You can have it with easy and tasty stir fried veggies like Okra fry (ladies finger fry), or Raw plaintain fry.
Add a crunchy paapad on the side too. You will have a lip-smacking meal, I am sure!
By the way, for those who are curious to know, papad is an indian flatbread too, but usually fried or toasted to a crisp. I still go bonkers over it. Haha! I am sure many of you reading this are papad fans too. 🙂
If you want to add a bit of spice to your meal, then pair it with this simple and tangy Red fish curry. The sweetness of the pumpkin curry or Erissery goes well with the spiciness of the fish curry.
Try it out and share your experience in the comment section below.
You can try out these other authentic Kerala recipes from my kitchen:
Tempered Buttermilk curry – An easy curry for those busy weekdays.
Inji Puli – A delicious spicy sweet Ginger Pickle, made with ginger and tamarind, and sweetened with jaggery. Yumm!
Raw Mango Curry – It is made with raw mango and coconut, and is one of our favorites at home.
If you like my recipes, please do share it with your family members and friends too. If you need any additional information about these recipes, please get in touch with me in the comments section below.
Thanks 🙂
Ingredients
- For Grinding
- For Tempering
- Other
Instructions
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To make this pumpkin curry, I used Red cowpea beans. You can use white black eyed beans if you do not have these.
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Soak the Beans in water overnight or for about 8 to 9 hours before cooking. For soaking, make sure the beans are soaked in water that is much above the level of the beans. You will notice that the cowpea beans will have swelled up a bit at the end of the soaking period.
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I used a ripe orange colored pumpkin for this recipe.
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Cut the pumpkin into pieces as shown.
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Put the cut pumpkin pieces and the soaked red cowpea beans into a cooker. Add water such that it is a little below the level of the pumpkin and beans put together. You may also cook the pumpkin separately in an open pan or pot and then add it to the cooked beans too. You can cook the beans in the pressure cooker itself. In that case, add water that is around an inch above the level of the beans.
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Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Place the whistle over it. Cook for around 2 whistles on medium heat.
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Meanwhile, as the pumpkin and beans are cooking, grind together coconut, cumin seeds and garlic in a mixer.
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Make a paste of the coconut as shown by adding a little water. Start by adding in a little water at a time. It should be a little coarse and not too liquid.
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Once the cooker has let out 2 whistles, allow the pressure to be released, then open the cooker and add in the coconut mixture. I added some turmeric powder at this stage.
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Mix the ground coconut well along with the cooked pumpkin and the cowpea beans.
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Now, let's temper the curry. For that, take coconut oil in a pan. Once it is hot enough, splutter mustard seeds in it. Allow to crackle. Then add in the curry leaves and dried red chillies to it. Saute for few seconds.
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Add in the raw grains of rice to it. Saute till it looks a little crispy. It may take about a minute.
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Add in fresh grated coconut that was kept aside for tempering. Keep sauteing till it has a nice roasted brown color.
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Reduce the flame to low. Then, add in a little chilli powder (both the spicy chilli powder, as well as the Kashmiri chilli powder for its red color). Roast it for few seconds on a low flame. Do not allow it to burn.
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Finally add the entire tempering to the curry.
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Give it a good mix and shut the lid for a few minutes. This will allow the flavors and aroma of the tempering to merge well with the curry.
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Your pumpkin curry is ready to be served. Enjoy with hot steamed rice or soft chapattis.
