Kumro Chechki

In Bengali cuisine our dishes have very interesting names, chechki, chachra, labra, chocchori, panch mishali , elo jhelo, puli pitha, labra and so on.  Any chechki is based on Black Jeera/Panchforon, green chilli and turmeric powder. Now different vegetable can be used with this combination to form different dishes. Kumro Chechki is a traditional Bengali homely dish. It is a very simple preparation with minimum of spices and is made dry to be a side dish for Rotis and chapathis or hot rice.

Preparation Time: - 20 -25 mins

Servings: - 4-5 persons

Ingredients:

• 500 gms. pumpkin, cut into slices
  
• 4 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 green/red chilies silted. I used green one as I do not love spicy food
• 2 tsp black jeera/paanchforon
• salt and sugar to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp ghee (optional)
• 1 tsp Hing (asafetida). This is optional.
• 5 tsp roasted jeera powder

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan. Sprinkle jeera powder/paanchforon. I used paanchforon. After it stops sizzling, add the green chilies followed by the pumpkin. Also add salt, turmeric powder and hing. Cover and cook on a low flame till half done. You may need to add little water if the pumpkin is still not boiled properly.

Heat a separate pan and add cumin seeds, roast in medium flame until light dark brown and fragrant. Then grind this and add to the pumpkin. You could add a red chili with the cumin seeds if you want more spice. Stir and mix well.

Sprinkle water if it sticks to the bottom of the pan. Add sugar if you want it little sweet and cook till the pumpkin is soft but not mushy.

Add ghee and coriander leaves. Stir and mix well. Now our Kumro chechki is ready. Serve hot.