Mathanga Erisheri or Kerala Pumpkin Curry is a coconut-based curry that is a typical sadhya recipe for festivals like Onam and Vishu. It is also made for regular meals as an accompaniment with rice. Try mixing it with matta rice (Kerala red rice), ghee and papadom (papad) – the best way to have this curry, I tell you! The recipe in this post is my mom’s recipe. It is a quicker version of the traditional recipe, but with the same taste. She uses coconut milk instead of ground coconut paste. You can find more simplified Sadhya recipes that don’t compromise on taste here.
It’s my go-to curry for Kerala lunches because our whole family loves it and it hardly takes time! I always have coconut milk powder or a can of coconut milk in my pantry, so it’s easy-peasy! As a toddler, my daughter loved having having this as a soup too. (I’d remove the chillies after cooking so she wouldn’t bite them.)
Can you use frozen or canned pumpkin in this recipe?
You can use frozen pumpkin, or even frozen butternut squash in this recipe. This is another reason why Mathanga Erisheri is a regular at our house – there is almost always a bag of pumpkin or butternut squash in my freezer! I have found that the cook time is pretty much the same.
As for canned pumpkin, I have tried using it. Yeah, you can use it, but it doesn’t taste as great. I like using canned pumpkin when I make pumpkin pie – it’s so handy. In fact, I prefer canned to fresh pumpkin for pies. But, for erisheri, go for canned pumpkin only if there’s no other way to get pumpkin or butternut squash.
Don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe if you try it. I’d love to hear from you! 🙂
More recipes from Kerala
- Potato Carrot Beetroot Mezhukkupuratti / Stir-Fry
- Achinga Payar Thoran / Long Bean and Coconut Sauté
- Beetroot Pachadi (Spiced Beetroot Yoghurt)
- Pineapple Pulissery (Seasoned Buttermilk with coconut)
- Instant Green Apple Pickle
- Naadan Beef Ularthiyathu / Kerala Style Beef Fry
- Semiya Payasam (Indian Vermicelli Pudding)
Mathanga Erisheri – Kerala Pumpkin Curry
Ingredients
- 500 g Pumpkin (fresh / frozen) cubed
- 1 Garlic clove crushed
- 1 or 2 Green Chillies crushed
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Salt adjust to your taste
- Water
- 1/2 cup Coconut Milk medium thick
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 2 or 3 sprigs Curry leaves
- 4 Shallots chopped
- 3 Dried Chilli / Vatal Mulagu
- 3 tbsp Grated coconut / Unsweetened Dessicated Coconut
- 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
Instructions
- Cook pumpkin, crushed garlic, crushed green chilli, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt and a little water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles (around 8 – 10 minutes) or until the pumpkin is soft.
- After releasing pressure, open the cooker. If you think it is too watery, leave it on low to medium flame a little longer until the gravy reduces.
- Mash/puree the cooked pumpkin mixture. You can either roughly mash it using the back of a spoon or make it smoother using a blender. I like it smooth and use an immersion blender.
- Add coconut milk and simmer on low flame till it just starts boiling and you see a bubble or two. Switch the flame off.
- For tempering, heat oil in a small pan or wok and add mustard seeds. When the mustard starts spluttering, throw in curry leaves, shallots, dried chilli and grated/dessicated coconut. Keep stirring.
- As soon as the coconut turns golden brown, switch the flame off. Immediately, add red chilli powder and mix well.
- Transfer to the vessel with the mashed or pureed pumpkin mixture. Mix well.
- Serve with rice. A dollop of ghee over the curry and papadom / papad are great accompaniments.
Notes
- If you don’t have shallots, you can substitute with onion (half of a small sized onion for 3 or 4 shallots).
- You can substitute pumpkin with butternut squash.
This post was originally published on 04 Sep 2017 and updated on 02 Feb 2021.
Hay this got exactly similar ingredients as Sri Lankan pumpkin curry but the method is different. My family love it. Hope if I cook this one, they will love it too. Will let you know the result haha. Kerp going. Good luck!
Am definitely going to try this when I get home. Sounds yum.
Viji! Supper presentation!
Pictures also very nice.
Thank you!! 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe.. turns out great every single time I make this!!
Thank you for the awesome feedback Annie! I’m soo glad it’s become a regular at your home! 🙂
This is a staple recipe at home. I make it often (I just did today as well)- so it’s definitely a go-to recipe. Very easy and fool-proof!
Sounds marvellous, the perfect dish to comfort and warm us up after a day playing in the snow.
Sooo true! It’s the perfect warming dish on a cold day!
this curry sounds amazing!! i can just imagine it with rice now!
Oh yes, it is absolutely delicious with rice!
Wow, never thought you could make pumpkin curry! I love pumpkin. This sounds great for a meal on a cold winter’s day.
You’re so right! It’s the perfect meal for winter! 🙂
Vijitha, I LOVE everything about this recipe. I adore South Indian food in general but I just don’t get exposed to the diversity of it enough. This is such a wonderful, delicious departure from the recipes I’m more familiar with. Three cheers for using pumpkin more often! And for that matter, three cheers for recipes that let me use up curry leaves when I buy a huge bag. Haha. Cheers!
Thanks Sean! I’m so happy I’ve introduced you to an unfamiliar South Indian curry 🙂 It’s delicious and so simple to make! Lol! Ping me whenever you want ideas to use up curry leaves. There are so many Kerala recipes to throw curry leaves into! 🙂