It's the pith

WITH scorching summer round the corner, there is nothing as pleasing as a drink of chilled water melon. These thirst quenchers are a treat, but what about the white pith which we discard?

It has as much nutrition and fibrous matter as any other vegetable. Here are innovative ways of using this normally discarded white portion (pith) of a pumpkin.

Paratha (for six)

Ingredients:

Wheat flour 3 cups

Peeled and grated pumpkin pith 2 cups

Oil 2 tbsps

Coriander leaves 2 tbsps (chopped)

Salt 1 1/2 tsps

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tsp

Green chilli 2 (chopped)

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Onion 1 (chopped)

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds. When it splutters, add the onion and chilli. Saute a bit, till the onion is light brown. Add the pumpkin pith, salt, turmeric and chilli powder and fry till the pith is soft and cooked. Allow to cool. Mix in the flour and coriander and make a firm dough using water. Make balls of the dough and roll out into parathas. Shallow fry with oil or ghee till golden brown on both sides. Serve with any curry of your choice.

Raitha can also be made the same way. After the grated and cooked pith cools, mix in thick and chilled curd.

* * *

Sambhar (for six)

Ingredients:

Pith 3 cups (peeled and cut into moderate chunks)

Tuvardhal 1/2 cup (cooked and mashed)

Tamarind small lemon size

Coconut 1/2 cup

Coriander seeds 2 tbsps

Oil 2 tbsps

Cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds (methi) 1/2 tsp

Jaggery 2 tsps

Salt 1 3/4 tsps

Dry red chillies 6 (to taste)

Green chillies 2 (slit)

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Method:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. On moderate heat, fry the fenugreek seeds till light gold. Add the red chillies, coriander and cumin seeds and fry till well roasted. Then add the coconut and fry well. When cool, grind in a blender till a smooth paste adding a little water.

Cook the pumpkin chunks till tender and keep aside. Soak the tamarind in a little water and squeeze out the juice. Cook the juice in a thick vessel, with a pinch of turmeric powder till the raw smell of the tamarind dissappears. Add the dhal, salt, pumpkin bits, green chilli and the ground paste. Simmer till you get a semi-thick consistency and add a little water if necessary. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When it splutters, pour into the sambhar. Serve the sambhar hot with rice or roti.

Curry (for rotis - for six)

Ingredients:

Pumpkin pith 3 cups (Peeled and coarsely chopped)

Onion 2

Tomatoes 2

Oil 4 tbsps

Cream 4 tbsps

Cashewnuts 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds1 tbsp

Kuskus (poppy)1 tbsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Salt 1 1/2 tsps

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Coriander leaves 1 tbsp (chopped)

Method:

Cook the pumpkin pith in water till tender. Keep aside. Grind the onion, tomatoes, cashewnuts, cumin, poppy seeds, chilli powder and ginger garlic paste into a smooth mixture in a blender. Cook the pith and keep aside.

Heat oil in a thick casserole. Add the ground masala, fry well on moderate heat, till oil seeps out and the masala is well cooked. Add the pumpkin bits, salt and 3/4 cup of water. Simmer till a thick gravy is formed. Add the beaten cream and coriander leaves. Simmer once and serve hot with rotis.

* * *

Kheer (for six)

Ingredients:

Milk 5 cups

Peeled and grated pith 2 cups

Sugar 3/4 cup

Puha (Aval) 2 tbsps

Almonds 2 tbsps

Ghee 2 tbsp

Saffron 1/4 tsp

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Method:

Fry the Puha and the grated pith separately in ghee till fried slightly. Keep aside. Soak the saffron in a tablespoon of hot milk. Cook the Puha and pith in the remaining milk, stirring all the time till thick. Add the sugar and simmer a while. Add the saffron, the cardamom powder and the peeled and chopped almonds. Serve hot or cold.

* * *

Halwa (for six)

Ingredients:

Water 1 cup

Milk 2 cups

Peeled and grated pith 2 cups

Sugar 1 1/4 cups

Rawa 1/2 cup

Ghee 1/2 cup

Cashewnuts 2 tbsps

Raisins 2 tbsps

Saffron 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Method:

Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a pan and fry the rawa, cashewnuts and raisins till light gold. Keep aside. Fry the rawa in two tablespoons of ghee till well roasted. Cook in a thick kadai the rawa and pith in milk and water till dry, stirring all the time. Add the sugar and cook till dry again. Add the saffron and the remaining ghee and fry till you get an aroma and the halwa leaves are on the sides of the kadai. Add the cashewnut, raisins and cardamom powder. Stir well and serve hot.

Instead of milk, only water can be used.

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