PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE / MATHAN PUZHUKKU

PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE / MATHAN PUZHUKKU

The word puzhukku refers  to a smoothie that means mashed. Here the smoothie was made up of red pumpkin. In Malayalam it called as Mathan. Red pumpkin/Mathan is a very popular vegetables especially among keralites. It's because red pumpkin is used widely in Kerala sambar. We already know that It's not only used for sambar but also used in other vegetable curries and specials.

Here I am sharing an excellent recepi by using Red pumpkin/Mathan. This is one of the popular traditional recepi of Kerala. This recipe is very popular in Kerala. It's very easy and tasty. We can served it with Rice. Some people served  this Pumpkin smoothie/Mathan puzhukku in Kerala Sadya ( in banana leaf).

In my family we all are a great fan of this Mathan puzhukku. My grandmother,Mother and Mother-in-law makes an excellent Mathan puzhukku that gives extraordinarily taste and flavour. I learned this recipe from their. Whenever I got red pumpkin, my husband wants pumpkin smoothie/Mathan puzhukku. This puzhukku is an excellent combination for lunch that is with rice. There is no need of  other side dish for rice whenever there is pumpkin smoothie/Mathan puzhukku. But my mother-in-law usually served this with Kanhi. Kanhi is a mixer of rice and rice cooked water. 

Here the red pumpkin is cooked with beef bones in pressure cooker. Then this cooked red pumpkin is  mixed with  grinded coconut,garlic, green chillies and cumin seed. Finally it can be seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chilly in coconut oil.

Let's follow my simple recipe to make Kerala traditional pumpkin smoothie/Mathan puzhukku. It's sure that you can enjoy your weekend with these traditional recepi.

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  Course : side dish

  Cuisine : Kerala

  Cook time : 25 minutes

 Servings : 4

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INGREDIENTS:

Red pumpkin : 500g

Beef with bone : 250 grm

Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp

Water : 1 cup

Salt : as required

FOR GRINDING :

Coconut : 1/2 of 1

Garlic cloves : 3 

Green chillies : 4

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

Water : 1/2 cup

FOR SEASONING: 

Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

Curry leaves : 

Dried red chilly : 3

Coconut oil : 4 tbsp.

PREPARATIONS:

∆ Take 500 grm pumpkin, peel it's skin,remove it's seeds, cut them into medium sized cubes. Wash them and drain water by using colander.

∆ Take 250 grm beef with bone. Clean and wash thoroughly by using salt and lemon juice. Drain water by using colander.

∆ Take a pressure cooker, add washed beef with bone, 1 cup water, Turmeric powder and salt. Close the pressure cooker and cook until three whistle comes. Switch off the flame, remove it's pressure, then add washed pumpkin. Then cook until four whistle comes. After that don't remove pressure. You can wait until the pressure goes automatically.

∆ Take a mixer grinder, add grated coconut, garlic cloves, green chillies and cumin seeds. Grind well by using enough water. You can grind it until you get a creamy texture.

∆ Take a clay pot,  heat enough coconut oil, then sputter mustard seeds. Then add enough curry leaves and dried red chillies. 

∆ Transfer the cooked pumpkin and beef with water into this seasoned clay pot. Then add grinded coconut mix. Cook them in a medium flame. Mix well every 2 minutes. Once the gravy turns to smoothie and thick, you can switch off the flame. Close the pot. Give rest for 10 minutes. 

Then you can serve it with hot rice/ Kerala Kanhi.

INSTRUCTIONS:

* You can make red pumpkin smoothie/Mathan puzhukku without beefbones. But to get real and traditional taste beef bone is must.

* Beef should be cooked first. After three whistle, you can add pumpkin and cook altogether for 4 whistle.

* You can mash the pumpkin once it cooked.

* If you don't like garlic, you can use shallots while grinding.

* After all ingredients mixed together, you should cook it in a medium flame. Also you must saute and mix it well every 2 minutes. Otherwise the smoothie gets burned or stick in clay pot.

* It's better to use clay pot for making traditional recepi. If there is no clay pot, you can use other utensils like nonstic Kadai, aluminium uruli or cast iron pot etc.

ENJOY....