| Pumpkin | 300 GMS- Cut into cubes |
| Potatoes | 3 Medium- Cut into cubes |
| Prawns | 250 GMS |
| Mustard Oil | 3 TBSP |
| Bay Leaf | 1 |
| Dried Red Chillies | 2 |
| Cumin Seeds | ½ TBSP |
| Onion | 1 Big- Sliced |
| Onion Paste | 2 TBSP |
| Ginger Paste | 1 TBSP |
| Garlic Paste | ½ TBSP |
| Red Chilli Powder | ½ TBSP |
| Turmeric Powder | ½ TBSP |
| Coriander Leaves | 2 TBSP- Chopped |
| Green Chillies | 3 |
| Salt | 1 TBSP |
| Sugar | 1 TBSP |
| Water | 300 ML |
Kumro Chingri! Pumpkin with Prawns. This dish is one of the oldest recipes of Bengal. Indians, and more so Bengalis had a joint family concept with large number of members in the family. More people meant more mouths to feed. Making a dish which had only fish would be an expensive proposition for the middle-class households. It is said that these were the times when our great great grandmoms came up with unique recipes that would be pocket friendly without compromising on the taste. Kumro Chingri, or red sweet pumpkin with the sea food (actually river prawns are a dominant feature in a Bengali recipe) can make a few heads swing! The perfect balance of sweetness from the vegetables and the salty from the shrimps creates a magic of flavours.
Preparation:
STEP 1- First marinate the prawns with ½ TSP of salt and ½ TSP of turmeric powder. Keep it aside.
For a vegetarian version of the same recipe just scrap this step
STEP 2- In a kadhai, pour the mustard oil. After 10 secs, add the bay leaf, dried red chilli and cumin seeds. Keep the flame on medium high.
STEP 3- After a min, add the sliced onions and fry them for about a min. Then add the onion paste and sauté for about 30 secs.
STEP 4- Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté it for another 40 secs. Add the masalas and sauté everything for another min.
STEP 5- After a min add the prawns. Cook them for about 40 secs before removing them from the kadhai.
STEP 6- Add the potatoes. Let it cook for about 2 mins.
STEP 7- Add the pumpkins and mix everything well. Cover it with a lid and cook it for another 2 mins. Reduce the flame to low at this point of time.
STEP 8- After 2 mins, remove the lid. Increase the flame to high. Pour 300 ML of water, salt, sugar, slitted green chillies. Mix everything well and let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, again cover it with the lid and reduce the flame to medium high. Let it cook for 5-7 mins or till the pumpkin becomes tender.
STEP 9- After 5-7 mins, remove the lid, add the fried prawns. Mix everything well and cover it with the lid.
STEP 10- After 1 min, remove the lid, add the chopped coriander and turn off the flame.
STEP 11- Your Kumro Chingri is ready to be served with a plate of steamed rice.