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Sunday Classics: Kumror Chokka

A Bengali favourite with the Halloween icon

From jack-o’-lanterns to lattes, the pumpkin is as much a star of Halloween as the costumes. For us Bengalis, however, it has always been the humble kumro, and we relish the beloved gourd in myriad ways—mashed, cooked with ilish or chingri, and batter-fried among others. The stir fried chokka is one of those festive favourites we love to eat at all other times, usually with fluffy luchis. 

Ingredients

½ kg kumro or red pumpkin cut into cubes
4 potol or pointed gourd deseeded and cut into small pieces
4 potatoes cut into cubes
100 gm finely chopped coconut
1 small cup black chana or chola
1 small cup fried peanuts
1 tsp jeera
2 bay leaves
2 dry red chillies
1 tsp sugar

For dry spice mix:

1 tsp coriander seeds or asto dhone
½ tsp jeera 
½ tsp fennel seeds or mouri
1-1.5-inch cinnamon
4 green cardamom pods 
4 cloves
1 javitri or mace flower

Method

1. Dry roast coriander seeds, jeera, fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and jaitri, and then grind the spice mix in a mixer or with a mortar-pestle. Keep aside.

2. Boil the chola and lightly fry in oil. Fry the coconut pieces and peanuts and keep aside. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt to the potatoes and fry till cooked, keep aside. Repeat the same process with the gourd and pumpkins.

3. In a fresh pan, heat about 1 tbsp of oil and ghee. Add ½ tsp jeera, bay leaves and dried red chillies and sautee before adding the fried vegetables, peanuts, coconut and chana. Add sugar, mix well and cover for about two minutes until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the dry roasted spice mix and mix well before taking off the heat. Serve hot with luchi.

_{^{- Rumela Basu}}