Indian Pumpkin Curry (Kaddu ka bharta)
This Indian Pumpkin Curry, or Kaddu ka Bharta, is an easy, tried-and-tested recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. Bursting with sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors, this vegan curry is perfect for a quick, comforting weeknight dinner.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 600 grams Pumpkin about 4 cups, peeled and cut pieces
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil Use oil for vegan
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 Green Chili Pepper diced, optional
- 1/2 tablespoon Ginger grated
- 1/2 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 cup Onion diced
- 1 cup Tomato chopped
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur) or lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar or crushed jaggery, adjust to taste
- Cilantro leaves to garnish
Spices
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Chili powder (Mirchi powder) adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Start by heating a large pan (or kadhai) on medium-high heat. Add ghee (or oil) to it.
- Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add green chili, onions, ginger and garlic, and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions soften.
- Then add tomatoes and spices. Stir them well and let the tomatoes soften for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cut pumpkin pieces and water. Mix well. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the pumpkin is cooked through. Check that the pumpkin is softened by mashing a piece.
- Add garam masala, dry mango powder (or lime juice), sugar, and mix with the pumpkin. You can eat this curry as is with some chunks, or mash the cooked pumpkin pieces with a masher in the pot.
- Garnish with cilantro and pumpkin curry is ready to be enjoyed with parathas or naan.
Pressure Cooker Method
- Follow the same steps as above. After adding the pumpkin, spices, and water, pressure cook for 2-3 whistles on medium-high heat. If using an Instant Pot, pressure cook for 4 minutes on high pressure. Then follow the steps to mash the pumpkin.
- If there is any residual water after pressure cooking, which may happen depending on the pumpkin, you can switch to sauté mode and cook for a couple of minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If the pumpkin isn't sweet enough, you can add sugar or jaggery powder, but this is optional.
- You can eat the pumpkin curry as is with some chunks, or mash it with a masher. Both ways taste great in my opinion.
Nutrition
Serving: 227g | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 628mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 13127IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg