Wattakka is what we call for “Pumpkin” in Sri Lanka. if you ask what’s my favourite veggie curry? No doubt its Pumpkin. I love eating pumpkin in all the time. my mom used to cook pumpkin curry with semi boiled pumpkin chunks. And she always leave some pieces with freshly scraped coconut to us eat while she is cooking. We used to do the same way with breadfruit also. while writing this I was flew to my childhood. Sitting in the corner of kitchen with my two siblings eating raw veggies while helping my mother and making some sweet troubles to her…. oh…!! How beautiful it was. I wish I could live there forever……

And done with old stories let’s move to the topic. 

In our home my mother used to cook two different pumpkin curries. One with some freshly scraped coconut grind with mustard seeds and few more other spices. it looks creamy yellow colour. And this is the other one that I’m gonna share. Her “Kalu Pol wattakka curry” this is little bit dark in colour due to roasted spices and dry roasted Kalu Pol mix. 

In her kitchen, we always had some fish curry to accompany with pumpkin. Most of the time its her classic tuna fish curry. My mother always worry about having a matching meal. She is very cleaver on matching curries. Whenever I’m cooking something my mind automatically plan the menu. Because now we are fixed with it. I know when I have pumpkin curry, what should I cook next. 

Spices….. spices, people add on curries are differ from people to people. In our home also. We don’t use additional curry powder to our curries.because our very own homemade chilli powder not only contain dried red chillies. It contains dried curry leaves, coriander seeds cinnamon and many more. I already shared our home secret with you all on my instagram. Homemade chilli powder is on my instagram feed and get it from there please. 

Remember to cut your pumpkin to medium chunks and you don’t need to cut away the skin. Rememberer to save the skin on chunks. Because pumpkin gets mushy quickly, cooking with the hard skin prevent it getting too much mushy. and it’s better, nice to save our curry with slightly mushy chunks. so always leave the hard skin on it.

1.first thing first. remove all the seeds, fibre parts of the pumpkin and cut into medium chunks. Wash well and leave in a bowl, aside. I got 750g pumpkin. 

2.wash 1, 1/2 tbs raw rice and place in a small frying pan. Dry roast until lightly brown in low heat. Mix in every 20 seconds to avoid getting burn. when the rice starts to brown add 3tbs freshly scrapped coconut to it and dry fry along with rice in low heat while mixing. Dry fry until its dark in colour, let it cool completely and grind into a fine powder and leave aside. 

3.heat a pot (what you gonna use for curry) and add 1,1/2 tbs chilli powder to it and dry fry around 30 seconds and add it to the bowl of pumpkin chunks along with 1tsp turmeric powder and mix everything and leave aside. 

4.heat the same pot in medium heat and add 2tbs oil and heat. 

5.add 1tsp of each mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and cinnamon piece and fry about 30 seconds. Then add all the fresh herbs, aromas. 2 split green chillies, 2 sliced garlic cloves, 1/2 small onion sliced, pandan leaf and some curry leaves. Start to temper all, fry until aromatic flavour release. 

6.add the pumpkin chunks with spices to the pot along with 1/2tsp ground black pepper and salt on your taste and sauté the pumpkin chunks with aromas in low heat about a minute while mixing. Coat all the chunks well with spices and aromas. 

7.add 200ml water to the pot and give it a good stir. Cover with a lid and cook in medium heat about 10 minutes, more 5-7 minutes uncovered. Stir or shake the pot while cooking. At this point pumpkins are already halfway cooked. Water level has down. water may be less or more. so keep eye on it.

8.add 100ml thick coconut milk to the curry and give it a stir without mashing the chunks. Add 1tsp sugar and mix. Bring it to boil in medium heat. 

9.the last and the important part is now. Add our Kalu Pol mix to the curry and mix the curry. Cook in low heat about 3-5 minutes and fire off.