kalakkalsamayal: Yellow-Pumpkin-Flower-in-Cooking

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Yellow-Pumpkin-Flower-in-Cooking

#YellowPumpkinFlowerinCooking :

#YellowPumkin is called #Parangikkai in Thamizh. We generally use ripe yellow pumpkin to prepare sambar. The tender yellow pumpkin is used in the preparation of koottu & Adai [ pancake ].

The people of Tamil Nadu used to decorate the front yard of their houses with large colorful kolam [ rangoli ] during the month of Margazhi. The pumpkin flower is being inserted over a small ball of cow dung and then placed at the center of the colorful kolam as a decoration. I have never heard that this yellow pumpkin flower is being used for culinary purpose until I come to #Chittaranjan.

We were transferred to a small township called #Chittaranjan in West Bengal last year. Then during the rainy season I have seen some vendors selling beautiful bright yellow pumpkin flowers in the vegetable market. Then I didn't realize that it was being sold for culinary purposes.

Our house maid planted some saplings of yellow pumpkin in the backyard just when monsoon began this year. The vines have grown well and started flowering. A few days back she gave me some flowers and told me to use them for cooking. I asked her what could be prepared from those flowers. She told me that the spicy snack, fritters [ pakoda ] made from these flowers is the most famous dish in Bengal.

I searched online to know more about these flowers. I learned from the web world that stir fry can be prepared from them. Also I came to know that yellow pumpkin flowers are a rich source of Vitamin B9, folate or folic acid. It also helps to treat common cold, strengthens bone and improves vision.

The pumpkin vines in my house are giving five to six flowers and that too male flowers only. It hasn't produced any yellow pumpkin yet. The flowers are golden yellow in color, very soft and do not have any smell. The flowers I got from the vines are not enough to prepare thuvatal [ stir fry ]. So I am adding them regularly in vegetable thuvatal [ stirfry ] that I prepare for lunch.

I have shown here some of the dishes where I have included chopped yellow pumpkin flowers.

Snakegourd Stir fry - Pudalangai Thuvatal :

When I prepared Pudalangai thuvatal [ snakegourd stir fry ], finally added coconut scrapings once snakegourd becomes soft and stirred well. Then I included chopped yellow pumpkin flowers and switched off the stove, Gently stirred the thuvatal once and transferred into a serving bowl. The flowers get cooked instantly as they are tender and petals are very thin. Actually the flowers have disappeared into the thuvatal and could see tiny yellow or green pieces here and there in the dish.

Carrot Yellow pumpkin flower Stirfry :

Here I have included yellow pumpkin flower in Carrot stirfry [ Carrot thuvatal ]. Mustard seeds are crackled in a kadai with half a teaspoon of oil and then a teaspoon of split black gram is fried till golden color. Chopped onion, green chilly and curry leaves are sauteed for half a minute. Then grated carrot is added and mixed well with required amount of salt. The kadai is closed with a lid to cook them soft. After that stirred well with coconut scrapings. Finally chopped yellow pumpkin flowers added immediately after turning off the stove.

Lovely colorful carrot - yellow pumpkin flower stirfry is ready to relish with hot white rice mixed either with sambar or Rasam.

Okra Yellow Pumpkin flower Curry :

The other two stirfry dishes are not dry curry type. They remain moist even after transferred into a serving bowl. But Okra [ Ladies finger ] curry is a dry curry and made to stand on fire till the okra pieces turn golden brown or sometimes slightly charred. So at the end keep the flame at HIGH and then add chopped flowers. Stir well for a few seconds and immediately transfer into a serving bowl. Other wise the curry would become soggy.

Snake gourd Yellow pumpkin flower lentil :

Here I have added chopped yellow pumpkin flowers in the Snake gourd lentil [ Pudalangai koottu ] just like the coriander leaves are included at the end just before taking it off from the stove. Allow it to boil for few seconds and transfer into a serving bowl.

Pour Vengaya vadavam tempering over the lentil. The addition of yellow pumpkin flowers doesn't alter the taste or aroma of the lentil. But it might brighten up the color of the dish.

Snake gourd yellow pumpkin flower lentil - Pudalangai parangipoo koottu

Kovaikkai-Yellow Pumpkin flower Curry

Chop kovaikkai into thin pieces longitudinally after snipping top and bottom.

Chop yellow pumpkin flower nicely after discarding stem.

Combine chopped kovaikkai, 1 Tbsp of water, 3/4 Tsp of Sambar power and a pinch of Turmeric powder in a 3 liter pressure cooker. Mix well.

Pressure cook on high flame for 2 whistles. Immediately release pressure and transfer into a bowl.

Heat a kadai with 1/2 tsp of oil. Splutter half a teaspoon of mustard seeds and then fry 1/2 Tsp of black gram split till golden brown. Then add cooked kovaikkai and stir well on High flame for half a minute.

Finally add chopped yellow pumpkin flower & check salt and stir well for few seconds. Turn off the stove,

Transfer into a serving bowl.

Tomato & Yellow Pumpkin flower Soup

Heat a kadai with 1/2 Tsp of butter. Saute 1 Tsp of nicely chopped ginger and 2 Tsp of nicely chopped garlic, 1/3 Cup of chopped onion, 1/4 cup of chopped carrot and 2 tomatoes chopped for five minutes.

Then add 1 1/2 cup of water, salt and 3 - 4 crushed pepper. Bring it to boil and allow to simmer till carrot becomes soft. Turn off the stove and cool it down.

Blend in a mixie and again heat over medium flame. When the soup starts boiling, add chopped yellow pumpkin flower pieces. Turn off the stove. Serve hot sprinkling some black pepper powder.