Pumpkin- a health pack in itself

Pumpkin or as called Sitaphal/ Kasshifal/Kaddu is a superfood rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, fibre, potassium, beta-carotene and several other minerals and nutrition. Its a healthy food for heart and boosts immunity of body. A wise choice for people planning a diet for weight loss as pumpkin is full of fibre (that means, makes you full) and yet low in calorie.

They are generally sweet in taste when cooked and are available in orange and dark green shade from the outer skin. The inside skin color can be light yellow to dark orange. Generally, the one which is yellow from inside is best suitable for vegetable and the orange one suits best for pie etc. It all depends on your taste. Making from a pie, squash, vegetable, Soup or a Halloween carve, all we need to know is that its a nutritive food. Soups can be made creamy or mixed with other veggies.

pumpkin a healthy food — **Pumpkin- Bundle of Health**
*Image by https://unsplash.com/s/photos/pumpkin* (Ira Mint)

I have made a few soups using pumpkin and they are sweet naturally and definitely low-calorie: Pumpkin Radish Soup and Carrot Pumpkin Soup. A few more are on board..

Everytime I am on a fast I always make Pumpkin vegetable and it tastes best with Poori or Parantha. At my mother’s place, every dish was made using garlic and onion. My mother-in-law was not a great fan of onion or garlic. I used to wonder that how each and every vegetable she used to make without onion and garlic was very delicious. Specially Pumpkin/ Sitaphal subji used to be superb. Quick recipe of our family: Take mustard oil and burn it fully, Add Heeng(Asaefotida), Methre (Fenugreek seeds). Once it splutters, lower the flame, add haldi, lal mirch (sabut and powder both), Dhaniya powder, add chopped and washed Pumpkin. Add salt and mix well. Cover with lid. Keep sauting in between. Once its water is absorbed, its mushy and almost cooked. Add grated Raw mango (ambi, around 1 tablespoon in half kg pumpkin), add garm masala and once all water is evaporated, close the flame. It tastes best in desi ghee. Learning the art, now I am a good cook yet something is missing in subji and its never the same like hers..

The thumb rule is some vegetables have their own taste and flavour and we shall avoid onion garlic in these veggies so that we can appreciate their real taste. Well, the flavours are a personal choice, the bottom line is Pumpkin is a bundle of nutrition..

So I am heading to make my pumpkin dish..Are you too?

Do share your experience with me. Wish you a healthy living..