Gummadi kaaya Koora Recipe is a South Indian Vegetarian Curry recipe, an authentic recipe in Andhra Pradesh, India, prepared with yellow pumpkin. This curry is mildly sweet and usually made during the festival of Pongal/Sankranthi, when pumpkin is abundantly found in markets. This pumpkin curry goes well with Sadda/sajje rotte or Bajra/Pearl Millet Roti, chapathi and jowar roti as well. Gummadi Kaaya is a Telugu word for pumpkin. Pumpkin is also known as Haddu or Poosanikai. 

In this recipe, pumpkin is cooked in a pan along with powdered sesame seeds and jaggery. The jaggery adds the sweetness to the dish and sesame seeds give the dish a nutty flavor. Pumpkin curry also tastes good without jaggery. But for Sankranthi, sweet gummadikaaya curry is served with bajra roti.

Pumpkin is highly nutritious, particularly in vitamin A. It is also loaded with vitamin C, K and minerals.

Step by step photo instructions

1. Rinse and cut the pumpkin into 1/2″ pieces. Prepare all the ingredients to grind.

2. Heat a wide pan with 4-5 tsp oil. When the oil is hot add 1/2 each mustard seeds, jeera/cumin seeds, and few curry leaves.

3. When the mustard seeds start sputtering, add chopped pumpkin. Mix well, cover and cook for 4-5 mins. Stir occasionally.

4. While the pumpkin is cooking, grind sesame seeds, red chilli powder, salt and jaggery in a small blender.

5. After the pumpkin is cooked 3/4th, add ground sesame powder, mix well, cover and cook again 4-5 mins. Mix well again.

6. Turn off and keep it aside like that for some time.

7. Serve with Sadda Rotte/Bajra Roti, Chapathi, Jowar roti.