This Bengali Squash Curry can be done with any squash or pumpkin. Cooked with mustard oil and spiced with Panch Phoron or Bengali five spice gives it the quintessential Bengali flavor @sarchakra
PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOK TIME: 20 mins
YIElDS: Serves 4-5
Ingredients
- Squash 1, cut into cubes
- Potatoes 2, cut into cubes
- Panch Phoron 2 tsp
- Mustard oil 3 tbsp
- Whole dried red chilies 2
- Bay leaf 1, broken
- Onion 1 small, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric 1 tbsp
- Sugar 1 tbsp
- Ginger 1 tbsp, grated
- Coconut powder 2 tbsp
- Flour 1 tbsp
Method
- Heat mustard oil. Temper with bay leaf, Panch Phoron (fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds) and dried red chiles. Let it crackle.
- After a few seconds add chopped onion. Sauté till onion is slightly golden.
- Add cubed squash and potatoes.
- Put in salt, turmeric, red chili powder and roasted cumin powder.
- Add grated ginger. Mix and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Pour in 2 cups of water. Mix.
- Cover and cook on a low flame till the squash and potatoes are done.
- Add coconut powder and sugar.
- Turn the flame to high. Put in flour and let the curry cook till it dries up to the consistency you would prefer.
- Serve with rice or paratha.
Notes
I always leave the peel of the squash on. These are home grown squash so I am comfortable to have the peel on. Feel free to take the peel off if that’s what you would prefer.
Panch Phoron is that magical Bengali five spice which is used in many Bengali recipes.
Mustard oil gives the dish a smoky flavor. So does the roasted cumin powder. Just fry roast 1 tbsp of cumin seeds in a pan till aromatic. Cool and crush.
Bengali food almost always uses a little bit of sugar to balance the saltiness and spiciness of a dish.
Love squash or pumpkin? Check out these recipes: Kachalonka Diye Kumro (Squash with Green Chilies, Kumro Shaag Diye Sheddo Masoor Dal (Red Lentils with Squash Greens) , Kumro Saag Chhochori (Pumpkin Greens with Vegetables) , Kumro Shaag Diye Chingri Chochhori (Pumpkin Greens with Shrimp) , Kumro Shaag Diye Mung Dal (Mung Dal with Pumpkin Leaves) , Kumro Phool Bhaja (Fried Pumpkin/Squash Blossoms) Kaddu Curry/Kumror Dalna (Pumpkin Curry) Kumro Chokka (Squash Stir Fry in Mustard Paste).
sarchakra 