Pumpkin Kadabu

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup Dosa rice (Soak before grinding)
• 250 g Pumpkin (Peeled and grated)
• 1.5 tbsp Split moong dal (Soak together with the chana dal, then drain; also called hesaru bele)
• 1.5 tbsp Chana dal (Soak together with the moong dal, then drain)
• 11 Curry leaves (Finely chopped)
• Coriander leaves (A handful, chopped)
• 2 Green chilies (Use 1–2, finely chopped)
• 0.5 cup Freshly grated coconut
• Salt (To taste)
• Crushed black pepper (Optional, to taste)
• Water (A little, only as needed for grinding and adjusting the batter; do not make it runny)
• Banana leaves (Use enough leaves to form the kadabu parcels)
• Ghee (For greasing the banana leaves and serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the dosa rice until the water runs mostly clear. Cover it with water and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

2. 2

   Drain the soaked rice thoroughly. Grind it with very little water until it becomes a thick, soft batter. The batter should hold its shape and must not be runny.

3. 3

   Rinse the split moong dal and chana dal together. Cover them with water and soak for 1 hour, then drain well.

4. 4

   Peel the pumpkin and grate it. Measure approximately 250 g, or about 1½ cups, of grated pumpkin.

5. 5

   Add the grated pumpkin to a large mixing bowl.

6. 6

   Add the thick rice batter, drained soaked moong dal, and drained soaked chana dal to the bowl.

7. 7

   Add the chopped green chilies, chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander, and grated coconut.

8. 8

   Season with salt and optional crushed black pepper. Mix thoroughly until the pumpkin, batter, lentils, coconut, and herbs are evenly distributed.

9. 9

   If the mixture is too stiff to spread, add water a splash at a time and mix again. Keep it thick and soft rather than watery.

10. 10

    Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes. Do not rest it much longer, because the pumpkin will begin releasing water and loosen the batter.

11. 11

    Prepare a steamer with enough water to produce steady steam. Meanwhile, briefly pass each banana leaf over an open flame to soften it, taking care not to scorch or tear it. The softened leaves should become pliable and easy to fold.

12. 12

    Lightly grease the softened banana leaves with ghee.

13. 13

    Place a generous spoonful of the mixture onto each greased banana leaf. Pat it into a compact, even shape, then fold the leaf over the mixture to enclose it.

14. 14

    Arrange the folded banana-leaf parcels in the steamer. Cover and steam for 20–25 minutes, until the kadabu is cooked through, soft, and fragrant.

15. 15

    Carefully open the hot parcels and serve the pumpkin kadabu warm with ghee. Red coconut chutney may also be served alongside.

Notes

If banana leaves are unavailable, grease the molds of an idli steamer with ghee and steam the mixture in the molds. The banana-leaf version is especially flavorful. Serve immediately or warm; the mixture is best steamed soon after mixing because the pumpkin releases water during resting.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegetarian
• vegan-optional
• gluten-free
• steamed
• South Indian
• Mangalorean
• banana-leaf cooking