Hi friends! Here is a simple,delicious and very healthy recipe of an Indian side dish of yogurt containing yellow pumpkin and spices.

Pumpkin fruit is one of the widely grown vegetables that is incredibly rich in vital antioxidants, and vitamins. While this humble backyard vegetable is less in calories but contains vitamin A, and flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as leutin, xanthin, and carotenes in abundance.The plant is a fast-growing vine that creeps along the ground surface in a similar fashion like that of other Cucurbitaceae family vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash, cantaloupes…etc. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including the USA at the commercial scale for its fruit, and seeds.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 250 gm Pumpkin
• 3 cups Curd/Dahi /yogurt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp Black salt
• ½ tsp Roasted cumin seed powder
• ½ tsp Salt or / as to taste

For seasoning:

• 2 tsp Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1 pinch asafetida / Hing
• 6-8 curry leaves

Method:

Step 1.

Peel, wash and then cut the pumpkin in to small, slightly thick pieces.

Step 2.

Put the pumpkin along with two cups of water in a pan on a high flame. The moment water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low flame. Pumpkin will boil in eight to ten minutes.

Step 3.

Strain out the water from the boiled pumpkin and let it cool. Mash 1/4 of the boiled pumpkin a little with the back of the ladle.

Step 4.

Whisk the Curd/ yogurt till smooth. Add salt, sugar, pepper, red chili, cumin powder, black salt, and mix well. Fold in the boiled pumpkin pulp as well as pieces. Mix well.

Step 5.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, when it starts crackling, add asafetida fry for few seconds. When asafeida turns pink add curry leaves, fry for few seconds, switch off the stove. Pore the seasoning on the Raita, mix well.

Step 6.

Refrigerate and serve cold, with rice dishes and your favorite Indian bread.

Note: Pumpkin raita like all raitas help in digesting the food.

Health benefits of curd/ Yogurt:

Being rich in calcium, curd is good for the health of bones as well as the teeth. For those who have difficulty in the digestion of lactose in milk, yogurt is an important source of calcium. Curd contains an enzyme which breaks down lactose to aid proper digestion.

Curd / Yogurt is rich in vitamin D which helps our body to absorb and use calcium.

Curd / Yogurt helps you feel fuller and is thus, a very good snack for those trying to lose weight.

Eating  curd / yogurt on a regular basis can help absorb the nutrients in other foods as well.

Ref. http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/9-reasons-curd-is-great-for-your-health/

 

Health benefits of Pumpkin:

 

It is one of the very low calorie vegetables. 100 g fruit provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol

it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. The vegetable is one of the food items recommended by dieticians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.

Pumpkin is a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.With 7384 mg per 100 g, it is one of the vegetables in the Cucurbitaceae family featuring highest levels of vitamin-A, providing about 246% of RDA. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes.

It is also an essential vitamin for good visual sight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A help a body protects against lung and oral cavity cancers.

It is also an excellent source of many natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds such as α, ß carotenes, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin A inside the body.Zea-xanthin is a natural anti-oxidant which has UV (ultra-violet) rays filtering actions in the macula lutea in retina of the eyes. Thus, it helps protect from “age-related macular disease” (ARMD) in the elderly.

The fruit is a good source of B-complex group of vitamins like folates, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid.It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

Ref. http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html

Nick’s kitchen medical Disclaimer:

• Nick’s kitchen is for Vegetarians. It sometimes provides education and support to individuals who want to become vegetarian, or move toward a more vegetarian diet.
• Nick’s kitchen provides some information on vegetarian and vegan diets to the best of their knowledge and abilities.
• Nick’s kitchen does not claim to be health care professional, nutritionist, nor does it claims to treat any illness through vegan or vegetarian diet.
• If you have a medical condition,Nick’s kitchen recommend that you consult your health care professionals before changing your diet.
• Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and your responsibility.

 

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