Pumpkin - Cow peas Erissery | Mathanga Erisseri Kerala Sadya Style

 Pumpkin erissery Or mathanga erissery Is a mild and tempered curry with light sweet tones made with pumpkin, cowpeas & coconut. It is one of the essential dishes that is served during Onam sadya. This dish is also known as Elasseri in some parts of Kerala. Since Onam is around the corner, I thought of posting at least one Onam Sadya recipe..

You can check my video recipe here:

Erissery can also be made with yam, unripe plantains. Apart from cowpeas, pigeon peas is also traditionally added. It can be served with plain rice and sambar.

Ingredients Required in this recipe are :

To cook Red cowpeas:

• Red Cowpeas- 1/2 Cup.
• Turmeric Powder-1/4 Teaspoon.
• Salt to taste.
• Water as required (about 1 1/2 cup)

To cook Pumpkin:

• Pumpkin- 300 gms, chopped into medium pieces.
• Water as required.
• Turmeric powder-1/4 Teaspoon.
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon.
• Curry leaves - Few.

To Grind :

• Coconut - 3/4 Cup, Grated.
• Cumin Seeds- 1/4 Teaspoon.
• Garlic Cloves- 2 numbers(Optional)
• Green chilies- 2 numbers.
• Water as required for grinding.
• Jaggery or Sugar- 1 tablespoon.
• Salt to taste.
• Coconut-1/4 Cup for roasting.

For seasoning-

• Coconut Oil- 1 tablespoon.
• Mustard seeds- 1/4 Teaspoon.
• Dry red chilies- 2 numbers.

Curry leaves- few.

Method of preparartion :

1. Rinse the cowpeas well in water.
2. Pressure cook them with 1 or 1.5 cups of water with some turmeric powder and salt till they are cooked completely. Drain and keep aside.
3. Rinse the pumpkin & peel and chop into cubes.
4. Take the pumpkin cubes and add them to a large pan. Add water as required in a pan.
5. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
6. Cover the pan and cook the pumpkin for 12-15 minutes or more on a low flame till they are cooked.
7. Check the pumpkin a few times when they are cooking, to see if the water has not dried up. If the water dries up, then add some more water and continue to cook.
8. When the pumpkin is cooking, take the grated coconut, green chili, and cumin in a grinder jar. Add little water and grind to a smooth paste. Add this coconut paste to the pumpkins. also, add the cooked cowpeas. 
9. Stir well and place the pan on fire and simmer for 10-12 minutes or more till the flavors are well blended. If the curry becomes thick, add some more water.
10. When done cover with a lid and keep aside.
11. In a small pan, heat coconut oil. crackle the mustard seeds first.
12. Then add the curry leaves and the red chilies.
13. Fry till the curry leaves start to become crisp and the color of the red chilies changes. Pour this over the erisseri.
14. Heat another pan or use the same pan add the coconut and saute till the coconut becomes golden.
15. Pour this into the mathanga erissery.
16. Stir and serve pumpkin erissery hot with some steamed rice or sambar.