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Wattakka curry
Pumpkin curry
Wattakka kalu pol: Sri Lankan pumpkin curry with roasted curry powder, mustard and coconut milk
Wattakka (pumpkin) curry is one of the soft, sweet dishes on a Sri Lankan buth (rice) spread, and in villages around Kurunegala it often appears at Poya day almsgivings, when temple meals are always meat-free. The pumpkin is cooked in its skin with dark roasted curry powder, cinnamon, a pinch of fenugreek and pandan, then thickened with coconut milk and a spoonful of ground mustard, which gives it a gentle tang. Some cooks also add toasted coconut paste (kalu pol); we keep it simpler. The common mistake is cutting the pumpkin too small, so it dissolves into mush before the gravy is ready; keep the chunks about 4 cm. Chef's tip: leave the skin on butternut or Kent pumpkin; it holds each piece together and softens completely as it cooks.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb pumpkinor butternut squash; seeded, skin on, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 red onionsliced
- 3 garlic clovessliced
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 pandan leaf (rampe) (optional)5 cm piece
- 1 cinnamon stick5 cm, Ceylon cinnamon if possible
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground mustard seedsmixed with 1 tbsp water
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk1 tin
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds and 1 cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds, until the fenugreek turns a shade darker and smells like maple. Don't let it go black or it turns bitter.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 red onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 green chillies, 12 fresh curry leaves and 1 pandan leaf (rampe) and fry for 4–5 minutes, until the onion is soft and just colouring.
5 minStep 3: Stir in 2 tsp Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add 1 ½ lb pumpkin and turn to coat every piece.
1 minStep 4: Pour in ¾ cup coconut milk and ½ cup water, add 1 tsp salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides into the pumpkin with almost no resistance.
15 minStep 5: Stir in the rest of ¾ cup coconut milk, 1 tsp ground mustard seeds paste and ½ tsp sugar if your pumpkin isn't very sweet. Simmer uncovered for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan rather than stirring, until the gravy turns thick and creamy and clings to the pumpkin.
4 minStep 6: Take it off the heat and leave for 5 minutes; the flavour settles. Serve with rice, parippu and pol sambol.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wattakka curry take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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