Kaddu ka Raita / Kumror Raita

Raita is a good way to get some vegetables as well as curd into your system. Especially in these dry, hot days of summer.
The heat has been much too torturous this year. Keeping us listless.
I cannot bear being in the kitchen for long, neither in the mornings nor in the evenings.
Inspite it being my favourite place in my house.
Yes, not even my den can keep me in for more than a few minutes. Even if I am working on a project ... be it a knitting, or sewing or plain reading, I get restless and turn to my kitchen for respite. I love looking up the shelves, picking legumes to be soaked, dals to be boiled ... or just make lists of stuff that need to be picked up on my next grocery trip.
But not anymore.
The a/c beckons and I rush back.
I have even shifted my laptop from the kitchen to my den ... and that is where you will find me holed up these days ... most of the time that is.

When it comes to cooking at all, I am sticking to a lot of salads. And if not salads, I turn to boiled vegetables. Just pick your favourite vegetable or chicken or fish, steam or roast in the oven, toss with a dressing of your choice and you are ready to face lunch or dinner.
Easy and light.
And if at all I am eating rice, I turn to our good old makha or bhate. A dash of mustard oil, some chopped green chillies and onions and some fried bori ... all mashed up together and eaten cool, with panta bhaat / pokhala / or rice in water.
Or just curd and rice.
Pure bliss on a hot summer noon.

And I make sure I eat curd on the side too.
Fresh, homemade.
Throughout the year, we have the chaas / taak / ghol on the side with our lunch. But in summer, the curd comes in the form of cool raitas on our table.
I have already posted the very healthy Lauki ka raita long back. Today I share this quick, almost no oil except for the tempering, raita made with the kaddu / kumro / pumpkin.
Many people grate the pumpkin ... I do not. My hands cannot take that much of pressure ... so I cut them into cubes and steam or boil them first.

Need :

Ripe pumpkin - cut into medium cubes ( I kept the skin on )
Fresh curd
Mustard seeds - for tempering
Whole red chillies - for tempering
Roasted jeera powder
Roasted red chilli powder
Rock salt or plain salt
1 tsp oil or ghee
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
Water to cook the pumpkin in

How to :

In a pan, take just enough water to submerge the pumpkin pieces.
Add a little plain salt.
Cover and cook till the pumpkin is soft and mushy.

Remove from heat and cool.
Do not throw away the remaining water, if any.

Beat curd with a little salt.
Add the cooled pumpkin and lightly mash it ... just to break it up.

Heat the oil or ghee.
Add the mustard seeds.  When they start to crackle, add the whole red chillies and remove from immediately.

Pour on the curd and pumpkin mixture carefully. It will splutter a lot.

Sprinkle jeera powder + red chilli powder + coriander leaves + a little rock salt.

Serve cool.

I make a big batch and keep it in the fridge.
Stays well for a week, but you will finish it off much before the week is over. .

Here is a look at my lunch plate from one of these days.

Enjoy!
Have a lovely summer .... stay away from the sun , drink loads of water and eat cooling food.
Stay well all!