Mathan Parippu Curry/ Pumpkin Dal

There are so many events on the blogosphere now that you need a blogging calender just to try and keep up! So of course, I take the easy way out and don't try at all!! I know all my fellow bloggers are probably raining shoes and rotten tomatoes on me, but help...I know I have said this before but there is just too many events on.
Honestly, my intentions are good but somehow can't keep to deadlines. An old habit left over from school days.

But when my friend Sra announced her event a month back, I felt...Hmm, this is interesting.. Grindless Gravy Event...and that I had lots of time to post on it. When I started cooking after marriage, my first notebook had a list of gravies that didn't require coconut and grinding of any kind of masala....I didn't have a mixie/blender then!! Then came the Sumeet grinder and suddenly grinding something in it everyday was second nature. So the Grindless Gravy reminded me of a grindless world for all the harried people out there.


Update 1/18/08: Hi! Hi! My blogger mates are mercileesly informing me that apparently Sra would have rejected this since the grindless gravy was to be without lentils/dal!!! So much for my entry then.. but its still a good recipe for a grindless curry option!

This is a nadan recipe for a lentil curry(dal/parippu) colloquially called "Tharavadu Puli" and is apparently made in a lot of joint households in the Malabar area when they run out of coconut and there are lots of mouths to feed. It is sweet, sour, spicy and salty..very light on the palate.

It's made with lentils with pumpkin(sweet), tamarind(souring agent), salt, and green hot chilies(spice) and a dash of coconut oil. Tastes best first day with rice. So even though I missed the boat on the event,which already had its roundup, here is my would-have-been-entry for it.

The nadan Pumpkin is harder and doesn't get squished as easily as the ones available here. It is also not as sweet so this curry with the pumpkin available here turned out to be too sweet and became a kootu curry. So I substituted the pumpkin with Butternut squash but you could use either vegetable as long as it doesn't get overcooked.

You will need:
Tuvar Dal-1/2 cup
Butternut Squash- 2 cup cubed.
Green Chilies-4 slit( as per your spice level)
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder-1/4 tsp
A small ball of tamarind soaked in 1/2cup water.
5-6 Curry leaves
Coconut Oil-1 tsp.
(Substitute if you want to, but coconut oil is the correct taste giver)

Preparation:
Pressure cook the dal/lentils for exactly one whistle and switch it off. You want the lentils to stand separate and not get mushed. Else cook it on medium flame with a constant eye on it with ample water.
Cook the squash/pumpkin with green chilies and the red chili powder, turmeric and salt and enough water to cover the vegetables on medium heat. When it is cooked(it should get cut by the back of a knife)add the lentils, water as needed for gravy and 1 tablespoon of light tamarind extract and adjust the taste. Let it come to a boil and then lower the flame to a simmer, add the curry leaves on top and pour the warm coconut oil over the leaves. Switch off , cover with a lid and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then its ready to serve.