Always a Hit, Alu Kumror Chokka

At my home, a kumro always swings between a Chenchki and this Chokka. Both are traditional Bengali ways of cooking pumpkin with other ingredients.

A Chokka is usually made with Alu (Potato), Potol (Parwal) and of course, the Kumro (Pumpkin). A handful of Red Gram (Lal Chola) is added to give it more personality.

A Chokka pairs well with porotha or phulko luchi, I chose to serve it with the latter today, since P favors them over the triangular parathas.

Ingredients for Alu Kumror Chokka are:

300 grams pumpkin/ butternut squash, cut into two inch cubes
2 medium size potatoes, quartered
Handful of red gram, soaked overnight
1 medium size ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
2-3 green chilies, slit
2-3 dry red chilies
1 teaspoon panch phoron
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Generous pinch of asafoetida/ hing
Quarter teaspoon garam masala powder
Half teaspoon ghee
3-4 tablespoons mustard oil
Sugar
Salt

Heat the mustard oil in a deep pan. Add the panch phoron, dry and red chilies and hing in no particular order. Sauté them for a minute before adding the diced potatoes.
Toss the potatoes around in the oil for a couple of minutes and see them getting slightly golden yellow at the edges. Throw in the handful of red gram then. Stir continuously for a couple of minutes on medium heat.

Now add the pumpkin. Sauté for a minute or two before adding the turmeric and red chili powder. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, mix all the ingredients. Add half a cup of water, cover and cook till the potatoes are done. The pumpkin gets mushy quickly so it helps to add them a little later than the potatoes.

Finish the Chokka with quarter teaspoon of garam masala powder and a spoonful of ghee.

The sweet, fragrant Alu Kumror Chokka is ready to be served now.

And its no coincidence that Soma of eCurry too made the Kumror Chokka today. Its an abundance of the mishti kumro.