Kumror Chakka

My mother was a great cook (I know, I know, all of us think that our mothers are great cooks). She had the competence of turning mundane items into tasty delights. Unfortunately I am not a good cook and unlike her I often turn expensive rare items into gourmet nightmare. Therefore I think the gene factor is not really working.
My mother had a habit of never throwing away anything. This had its adverse effect as our house was always overburdened with old clothes, furniture, old souvenirs and toys. Nevertheless, when it came to cooking this habit mostly bore fruitful results. She used to fry the skin of potato or gourd and turn them into crispy fryums. She used to paste the skin of raw banana along with mustard and poppy seed and prepared a concoction that tasted awesome with steamed rice.
One of her dishes that were very simple but tasty was Kumror chakka. Pumpkin is not my favourite vegetable infact I wonder if it is anybody’s favourite, but this dish I simply loved. After my marriage even my husband seems to love it. I do not prepare it much often, occasionally when I do prepare I try to put my entire heart and soul. It is my tribute to my mother. My mother always panicked that I will never be able to cook anything (forget being a good one). She often expressed sorrow for the guy who would marry me as she wondered that the poor chap would stay unfed and uncared. Therefore today when I am able to prepare one of her dishes efficiently I feel happy and content that at least my mother’s soul is resting in peace that her daughter has finally become a cook.

To prepare this recipe you need Pumpkin and Pumpkin and Pumpkin.

500 gms Pumpkin
100 gms Chola(soaked overnight and boiled)
3 tbsp Cumin seeds
2 Red Chillies
2 Grenn chillies
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Roast 2 tbsp cumin seed and 2 red chillies and dry grind them into a fine powder. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan
Add remaining cumin seeds and green chillies.
When the seeds start spluttering add the pumpkin
Sauté for some time let it turn brown
Add turmeric and salt
Cover the pan and cook in medium heat
Once the pumpkin is soft and mushy add the chola
Cook for some time
Add the roasted cumin and chilli powder
Cook for some more time



Serve with hot rotis.Alternately you can also serve them with luchis. I remember my mother used to serve it with triangular paranthas or parotas (as we Bengalis pronounce them).