Tamil Nadu Style Pumpkin Sambar | Pumpkin Peanut Sambar in Pressure Cooker | Gluten And Vegan

Hi Supermoms,

Hope you are all well and staying safe. 

I have shared many sambar recipes in my blog before but there is one sambar that is truly very close to my heart - My mother’s Pumpkin sambar. In South India, White pumpkin/Ash Gourd is ubiquitous. It is affordable and healthy too. Pumpkin always featured in at least two to three dishes in the weekly menu and my favourite amongst them was and still is the ‘Pumpkin Sambar with boiled peanuts’ that my mother makes along with freshly ground sambar masala. 

After moving to North India, if there was one vegetable that I missed too much , it was pumpkin. We had to travel to Delhi ( 2 hours journey) to buy pumpkin from the South Indian market there.  I am so happy to share that last few years we are able to source it easily in the near by vegetable shop and I am able to make this sambar more often. Food is nostalgia , isn’t it?

Last few months have been trying for all of us. My mother who had come to visit us could not travel back due to the lockdown. One good thing that happened was that she cooked some of my favourite foods that brought comfort and happiness. This pumpkin sambar was one of them and today I am so happy to present this delicious recipe with all of you. 

Easy to make and tastes simply amazing ! 

Pumpkin Peanut Sambar :

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 20-25 minutes

1 cup =250 ml cup

Serves :4

Ingredients For the Sambar Masala:

To roast and grind :

1/2 teaspoon oil 

2 dry red chillies ( adjust spice according to the variety of chillies you are using)

1 teaspoon Urad dal

1 teaspoon channa dal

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 

1/4 cup coconut ( grind without roasting)

Other ingredients:

500 gm white pumpkin/ash gourd ( peeled and chopped)

1/3 cup raw peanuts

1/3 cup toor dal/pigeon peas ( cooked with 1 cup water and 1/8 tsp turmeric powder)

Gooseberry size tamarind ( soak in 1 cup warm water and extract juice)

1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

To temper:

2 teaspoons oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon Urad dal

Pinch of asafoetida

Sprig of curry leaves 

Check out my YouTube video to see how my mother makes this sambar. 

Method :

1. In a small pan, roast all the ingredients given under ’To roast and grind’ and grind to a paste using 1/2 cup water. 
2. Heat a pressure cooker with oil and temper with the ingredients given for the same. 
3. Add the washed pumpkin and the peanuts.
4. Add turmeric powder, tamarind water and the ground sambar masala. 
5. Mix well, add salt and add the cooked toor dal.

  6. Adjust water consistency and pressure cook the sambar for up to 2 whistles over medium flame and switch off. 

Your delicious pumpkin sambar is ready in minutes.  Serve it with hot rice and ghee. 

Do try and share your feedback. 

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom