Arasanikai Ellu Kari – Pumpkin Curry with sesame seeds

Parangikai (Arasanikai) Ellu Kari – Yellow pumpkin curry made with ground sesame seeds and coconut. Recipe with step by step pictures.

This Arasanikai Ellu Kari is a very traditional everyday side dish served for lunch in Tamil homes. Its made with a ground masala of coconut and sesame seeds. Sesame seeds is very rich in calcium. One tablespoon of sesame seeds has 87.8 mg calcium. Here is how to do it.

Here is the video of Parangikai Ellu Kari – Pumpkin Curry with sesame seeds

Here is how to make Parangikai Ellu Kari – Pumpkin Curry with sesame seeds
For the masala paste
Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh coconut, sesame seeds, dry red chillies and cumin seeds. Add half a cup of water and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.

Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the diced pumpkin.  Add in the salt and turmeric powder. I remove the skin off of the pumpkin as it can be a little fibrous. In some households, if the pumpkin is young, they do cook the pumpkins along with the skin. Its a personal preference. But if its a mature pumpkin, the skin will be hard and fibrous. So do not use the skin of a mature pumpkin.

Add in quarter cup of water .

Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes. Pumpkin cooks very fast. It will become mushy if its overcooked. So do not add too much water.

When the pumpkins are fork tender, add in a teaspoon of jaggery. This is optional. We always add jaggery when we cook arasanikkai. Add in the ground paste and simmer for a couple of minutes more.

Parangikai ellu kari is ready. Sprinkle fresh curry leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Parangikai Ellu Kari – Pumpkin Curry with sesame seeds

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Pin Recipe

Parangikai (Arasanikai) Ellu Kari – Yellow pumpkin curry made with ground sesame seeds and coconut. Recipe with step by step pictures.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

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For the masala paste

• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

For tempering

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Indian gingely oil)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 sprig curry leaves (divided)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon jaggery
• 500 grams yellow pumpkin

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Instructions

1. Take a small mixie jar and add in the fresh coconut, sesame seeds, dry red chillies and cumin seeds. Add half a cup of water and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil (Indian gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the curry leaves and the diced pumpkin.
3. Add in 1/4 cup of water, salt and turmeric powder.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium flame for about 6-7 minutes.
5. Add in the jaggery. Add in the ground paste and simmer for a couple of minutes more.
6. Parangikai ellu kari is ready. Sprinkle curry leaves. Serve hot with rice.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: side dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Keywords: arasanikai ellu kari