Pumpkin Erissery – No oil Pumpkin Curry , Diabetic Friendly Thursdays

Hello Everyone !!!

Team DFT celebrates Raksha Bandhan which represents the love and respect between siblings along with Onam which is reminiscent of Kerala’s agrarian past, as it is considered to be a harvest festival.

This week team DFT is celebrating two Indian festivals , rakshabandhan and Onam. To this I am adding a delicious Onam dish which is served during Onam sadya – Pumpkin Erissery . I am bringing this traditional Kerala recipe with few twists and tweaks in it and you heard it right from the title, it is with no oil in it and I have reduced the amount of grated coconut in this curry as compared to the regular erissery .

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Erissery is a type of curry which is famous from the state of Kerala in India . It is an integral part of Onam/ Vishu Sadya (feast) or marriage feast . Traditionally an erissery is made with pumpkin/ yam , some times a kind of beans is added and with loads of cococnut and an extra addition of fried coconut . To make this calorie loaded curry diabetic friendly and guilt free , I have not tempered , no extra coconut is added and I have only used 2 tablespoons of grated coconut in this and it still tasted as delicious as the regular erissery. I have also added some van payar (cow peas ) to it and I have increased the quantitiy of the lentil in this to make this an excellent side dish served with some Brown Rice . Even though I have used coconut sparingly in this dish , I would still like to stress on eating it in smaller portions and not on huge portions . Portion control is absolutely important in even eating vegetables & lentils as a side dish.

Yield – 500 gm
Recommended Serving Size – 50 gms per person
Serves – 10 people
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes
Method- Easy
Author – Parvathy V Nair

Ingredients

Yellow Pumpkin – 1 cup (Chopped)
Cow Peas (Chawli in hindi ) – 1/2 cup raw it will yield 3/4 cooked peas (If you don’t have cow peas please substitute with black eyed  beans)
Grated Coconut- 2 tablespoons
Shallots- 4 to 5 chopped (Indian Shallots preferred if not use regular shallots)
Curry leaves- one sprig
Whole Red chillies- 2 or 3
Green chilly – 1 (optional if you don’t need that much heat avoid it )
Cumin Seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- As needed

Method

1. Soak the peas/beans in hot water for 30 minutes . Drain the water and pressure cook it till soft .

2. In a pan place yellow pumpkin,  cooked peas , whole red chilly , curry leaves, turmeric powder, little salt and enough water just to cover the pumpkin.

3. While the pumpkin is getting cooked  grind coconut , shallots , green chilly (if using ) and cumin seeds to smooth form and keep it aside.

4. The cooked pumpkin should like this . You can also mash the pumpkin slightly using backside of a spoon .

5. To this cooked pumpkin add the grated coconut mixture , sprinkle some water , close with a lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium to low heat . Check in between to avoid burning in the bottom. Check for salt and serve hot with rice .

Let’s read on more about ingredients of the dish

Pumpkin
Even though pumpkin contains carbohydrates it has a lot of other nutrients and and the carb content in pumpkin won’t spike the blood sugar, hence it is a good vegetable for people with diabetes. Recommended serving of carbohydrates for a diabetic patient is 15gms and cooked pumpkin contains 12 grams of carbohydrates including 2.7 grams of soluble fiber.

Cow Peas
According to healthbenefitstime cow peas can absorb proteins as well as dietary fibers, and it has a comparatively lower glycemic index and are abundant with anti oxidant properties. The high soluble fiber content in this peas helps in controlling diabetes. Cow peas are also  low in glycemic index compared to other beans and lentils which helps in maintaining blood sugar levels. The soluble fiber found in these beans have a low glycemic index and provide low risk for diabetes. The high fiber content also plays an important role in improving diabetes.

Shallots
Shallots is an excellent ingredient which can lower blood sugar at the same time increase flavour in any dishes without adding any extra sugar or salt. They also contain flavonoids, which helps protecting the body and reduce the risk in developing cancer , heart disease and diabetes. Two of the phytochemical compounds found in shallots, allium and allyl disulfide, have anti-diabetic properties, meaning that they help to regulate the levels of blood sugar in the body. This can be very helpful for diabetics who need to keep their blood sugar levels under control. (organicfacts.net)

Read more here

http://www.livestrong.com/article/488871-diabetics-and-pumpkin/
http://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-cowpeas/
http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/health-benefits-of-cow-peas-or-chawli/
http://www.fitho.in/guide/beans/cowpea/
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/shallots.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/the-flavor-and-flavonoids-of-shallots
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/shallots.html

Disclaimer 
“I am not a dietitian or nutritionist . My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet”

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