Khatkhato is a very traditional recipe prepared from pumpkin. Usually this dish can be found in temple menus where the devotees are fed as part of ‘Annadana’, or made for temple feasts during the temple festivities.In Karkala (a small town in Udupi dist of Karnataka) this particular dish is made during ” Kartik punnav ” also referred as DEEPOTSAVA . I prepare this at home too when I really crave for this curry,though this is nowhere near to the divine taste which we savour during the temple feast, it does satisfy my cravings.You too can try this traditional curry at home and enjoy this delicacy.
Ingredients:-
- 1/2 kg of pumpkin(duddhe) cut into cubes.
- 1 to 11/2 cups of coconut
- 5-6 red chillies (check NOTES)
- 10-12 teppal soaked in water
- Marble sized tamarind
- Salt to taste
Method:-
Pressure cook the cubed pumpkin pieces for one whistle with pinch salt.
Grind coconut ,tamarind and red chillies to a not so fine paste using water,add the soaked teppal along with the water and grind again ..just one or two rounds will suffice.The paste need not be too fine .
Remove the ground paste to a vessel ,add the boiled pumpkin pieces ,salt ,water and give a good boil for 5-10 minutes.
The delicious curry is ready to be served as side dish or as main curry with
rice as well.
Notes:-
- The pumpkin pieces can be cooked in open pan too instead of pressure cooker,as I prefer bit mushy pieces like in temple feast I pressure cooked them.
- The paste can be ground fine too and the consistency can be adjusted as one prefers..I preferred the consistency like in temples where it is served as side dish.
- For details about teppal(sichuan pepper) and other recipe with them check Here.OR search for teppal recipe in blog.
- Some prefer to discard the teppal after grinding,but I prefer to use them in curry to get the aroma and maximum flavour.
- Take care to not crush the soaked teppal while grinding.
- In North Kanara teppal recipes use unroasted chillies and I have done the same here,If you want you can lightly roast them.
Konkani Khann Anik Jevan 