Buttercup Squash Stew

Buttercup Squash Stew.

Buttercup squash is similar to pumpkin with skin that is easier to peel. Onion is cooked in oil along with spices. Buttercup squash is then added to the onion and cooked in water along with tamarind extract and jaggery. Serve butercup stew with plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee and chips.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Buttercup Squash Stew.

Ingredients:

Buttercup Squash 1/4 th of Small One
Toor Dal 1/4 Cup
Onion 1
Green Chiles 3
Jaggery 2 (3 inch blocks)
Tamarind 2 – 3 inch sized ballTurmeric Powder a pinch
Salt to taste

Talimpu:

Fenugreek Seeds 3
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Broken Dried Red Chiles 3 – 4
Asafoetida a Big Pinch
Curry Leaves 5
Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Wash thoroughly and chop buttercup squash into large chunks without peeling.
Soak tamarind in quarter cup or more of warm water for sometime and extract all the thick juice discarding any viens.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Pressure cook toor dal in half a cup of water or 3 whistles.

Heat oil in a sauce pot on medium flame, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds almost stop spluttering, add green chiles and onion.
Fry briefly, stir in buttercup squash chunks, turmeric powder and a cup of plain water.
Cook covered on medium low flame till buttercup chunks are half cooked.
Add another cup of water, stir in cooked toor dal, tamarind extract, jaggery and salt.
Boil till buttercup squash is soft but whole.
Serve buttercup squash stew with plain steamed rice and dollop of ghee and chips.
Notes: Make sure buttercup chunks are cooked to the point that they fall apart when lightly pressed.

Suggestions: Adjust tamarind, jaggery and green chiles according to your preference.
Variations: Check other stew recipes here.
Other Names: Buttercup Squash Stew.