OK this is going to be purely a recipe post. I have no interesting stories to tell. Really I got nothing. I think its all the Diwali sweets going to my head. (And pretty soon they will show up in other parts of my body too! uugh!) Well strict gym routine for the next 4 weeks. And then we will have Thanksgiving when we will go on a hogging spree once again. Again ‘gymming’ and then again break for Christmas! At least I have it all planned out 🙂
So winter melon or ash gourd (Kumbalanga in malayalam and petha in hindi ) is a vegetable that tastes a little bit like cucumber and a little bit like squash. See pic below. I have seen it only Indian or Asian supermarkets in the US. You need to peel the skin away which is a little bit hard and then the main flesh of the vegetable cooks pretty fast. I have posted recipe of Kumabalanga curry before which is kumbalanga cooked in coconut milk. This pachadi is very similar to that except here coconut paste is mixed with yoghurt (similar to beetroot pachadi). This kumbalanga pachadi is one of the many side dishes at a sadya(traditional feast on plantain leaves), Onam or otherwise. Simple and so tasty.Yum! 🙂
Here is the recipe:
[…] Kumbalanga pachadi(Ash gourd in coconut and yoghurt sauce) […]
It was nice of you to visit my blog. You are cooking up a storm here! Love this recipe!
thanks Sridevi! I love your blog too and am glad to have found it! 🙂
Awesome way to make a yogurt pachadi, Indu. Always thought that powdered mustard seeds are more common in Andhra cooking, is it also used in Kerala?
thanks Apsara. Yes in some curries we do gring a little bit of mustard seeds with coconut. Also in green mango curry.
Looks delicious!
Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
Just had it yesterday! Now want some more. 🙂
ha ha! yes it’s so satisfying isn’t it? very nice when you want a light meal! 🙂