Yours Tastefully: Mathan/ Mathanga Erissery

Am back from Kerala…and I wouldn't like to go back in summer. Born and brought up in Bangalore, i'm totally spoiled and I just couldn't handle the heat…but miss the traditional food (loaded with coconut in all forms)
Today's recipe is a traditional Kerala specialty, ‘Erissery” which is an essential part of any Kerala sadhya (feast). It can be made with yam, yellow pumpkin or raw banana. I am sharing my mother’s "mathan erissery recipe", which is my favorite too. (mathan’s nothing but yellow pumpkin)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 3-4

You need:

¼ kg yellow pumpkin (mathan)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
water as required
½ cup grated coconut
1tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

For garnishing:
3tbsp coconut oil
4 tbsp grated coconut
1tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 red chillies (alter accordingly, it’s not a spicy dish)
2 sprigs of curry leaves

Step-by-step:

Peel and cut pumpkin into 1 inch cubes. Remove the seeds, wash them well and cook in a pan with very little water, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder, until soft. This should take about 10 to 12 minutes
Meanwhile, grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds with a little water (add a tsp of water at a time as erissery is a thick side dish)

Add the ground paste to the cooked pumpkin and stir on low flame. Let it cook for about 5 minutes (If the curry is watery, don’t panic; just let it simmer for sometime till most of the water’s evaporated and if it’s very thick, add water little by little)

Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the urad dal and red chillies. Fry till the dal turns golden brown (always fry dals on low flame to avoid burning).Tear and add the curry leaves. Mix well and pour directly over the cooked pumpkin curry

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil and 4tbsp of grated coconut and fry on low heat till crispy and dark brown. Maintain the low flame here too. (This is a step that you should never miss as adding the coconut at the end enhances the flavour of the gravy, it makes a whole lot of difference). Add the fried coconut on top of the curry. Take some gravy, pour it into the pan, use every bit of the fried coconut and pour it back into the gravy

Serve with steamed rice.