Parangikai paal kootu is yet another traditional rare dish from South India predominantly Tamilnadu .

Our ancestors knew how to include healthy dishes in a menu by including vegetables which are full of nutrition that can be enjoyed by the young and old alike .

Particulaly kids love this dish and even the fussy kid will not reject a ladle or two of this tasty dish .

usually served as a side dish with chapati, roti, poori , rice for kids or with tangy dishes like vattakuzhambu .

Pumpkins are loaded with a variety of nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Such dishes can be made as an additional side dish for children when they refuse to eat or taste other dishes in menu. kind of life saver !

Again one can see many variations to a paal kootu such as roasting udad dal with red chilies and grinding with fresh coconut , some use a combination of red and green chilies to grind with coconut , some add more jaggery , all this is purely personal .

Key ingredients how ever are the tender pumpkins, use of coconut, jaggery and adding milk . Thickness of the dish is according to ones choice, usually as a kootu, we can add a tsp or two of rice flour while grinding , if you want to mix with rice and enjoy, prepare accordingly .

Pumpkin is packed with nutrients and yet has under 50 calories per cup (245 grams). This makes it a nutrient-dense food. It’s also a good source of fiber, which may suppress your appetite .

Pumpkins contain carotenoids, which function as antioxidants. These compounds are linked to lower risks of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers.

Ingredients

2 -3 cups of chopped yellow pumpkins

2 slit green chilies

pinch of turmeric powder

salt curry leaves

To grind to a paste

1/2 cup greated fresh coconut

2 green chilies to grind with coconut ,

chilies according to ones preference for spice

1 tsp rice flour to grind along with coconut and chilies

1/2 cup milk to be added to the gravy

1 tbsp jaggery or more if you like ,

1 tbsp coconut oil for tempering

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp chana dal or split udad dal

curry leaves .

Method

Cook pumpkins after peeking and chopping to small cubes, with turmeric powder, curry leaves, pinch of salt.

Grind ingredients mentioned to a paste and add to the cooked pumpkins without mashing them.

Add jaggery and milk . Add rice flour to thicken the gravy a bit .

Add tempering with coconut oul, splutter mustardseeds, dal, curry leaves, red chili .

Pour over prepared kootu .

Serve .

More about health benefits of Yellow Pumpkins

• Pumpkin gives you a hefty dose of beta carotene, which is partially converted into vitamin A. Vitamin A can help your body fight infections.

• First, it’s rich in beta carotene, which helps keep your vision sharp by helping the retina absorb light .

• Second, the combination of other vitamins and minerals in pumpkin may protect against age-related macular degeneration.

• The antioxidants found in pumpkin are important for  skin. These include beta carotene and vitamins C and E.

• Beta carotene, in particular, may protect your skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Eating foods with beta carotene may also help improve the appearance and texture of your skin.

• Vitamins C and E also have antioxidant properties. They’re often used as an ingredient in skin care products, but they may even help boost skin health when eaten. However, more research in humans is needed .

• Pumpkins contain antioxidants, such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. These can neutralize free radicals, stopping them from damaging your cells .

• Pumpkin is considered a nutrient-dense food.

• In fact, pumpkin clocks in at under 50 calories per cup (245 grams) and consists of about 94% of water (2).

• Simply put, pumpkin is a weight-loss friendly food because you can consume more of it than other carb sources — such as rice and potatoes — but still take in fewer calories..

• That means it’s incredibly low in calories despite being packed with nutrients.

• Pumpkin is packed with nutrients and yet has under 50 calories per cup (245 grams). This makes it a nutrient-dense food. It’s also a good source of fiber, which may suppress your appetite.

• Pumpkins contain carotenoids, which function as antioxidants. These compounds are linked to lower risks of stomach, throat, pancreas and breast cancers.

• Pumpkin is high in beta-carotene, which acts as a natural sunblock. It also contains vitamins C and E, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help keep your skin strong and healthy.