Parangikai Paal Kootu | Tender Yellow Pumpkin Kootu
Parangikai Paal Kootu is a very traditional recipe made with young/tender yellow pumpkin, milk, and sugar. This is a savory pumpkin kootu recipe but on the sweeter side and hence is a great choice with spicy vatha kuzhambu or milagu kuzhambu.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 123kcal
Equipment
- 1 sauce pan/kadai
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tender yellow pumpkin / butternut squash chopped finely. See the ingredients notes above.
- 1 cup Milk might need more
- ¾ cup Water
- 4 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Desiccated coconut optional
- 1 ½ teaspoon Rice flour
- 2 Tablespoon Water
- 2 teaspoon Coconut oil can use ghee instead
- ¾ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon Ullutham Paruppu / Urad dal
- 2 Red chilies
- few Curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida
- to taste Salt
Instructions
- Peel the parangikai / butternut squash/pumpkin and cut it in half. Scoop the fiber and seeds from the inside. Now chop the pumpkin into small pieces.
- Place the chopped pumpkin in a pan and add about ¾th cup of water (or just enough to submerge the vegetable).
- Bring it to a boil and let the pumpkin cook. Add salt when the pumpkin is cooked halfway through.
- Now reduce the heat and add the milk to the pumpkin. Let it finish cooking in the milk. Make sure that the pumpkin does not overcook or become mushy. It should still hold its shape.
- Add the rice flour slurry to the pumpkin and let it come to a boil. You will notice that the kootu is beginning to thicken now. Adjust the consistency of the kootu adding more milk if needed.
- Now add the desiccated coconut and the sugar to the paal kootu. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a small pan with coconut oil. Add the seasoning ingredients - mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, red chili, and asafoetida.
- Add this seasoning to the kootu and turn off the heat. Serve the kootu warm.
Notes
Expert tips
- For the traditional flavor use tender pumpkin or butternut squash.
- The kootu has to cook in the milk. Don't use too much water to cook the pumpkin.
- Add more sugar if needed based on your taste preference. This kootu is on the sweeter side.
- Use white sugar instead of jaggery as the milk might curdle if using jaggery. jaggery also changes the color of the kootu.
- Using coconut is absolutely optional.
Nutrition
Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 7607IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg