Kumbalanga Moru curry (Ashgourd curd curry)

This is one of my favourite curries that my mom makes for lunch to go with plain boiled rice and a chunk of fried fish. My mom prepares her dish just at the nick of time and serves it hot from the stove. That’s how my dad and siblings like it. By the time I come to take pictures, my dad and siblings would have already started eating the plate of dish that I had served ready for photographing. So it was quite difficult for me to grab good pictures of many of her recipes. At times I had to end up taking pictures of the leftover dishes and this is one like that:)

Update: I forgot to mention that this dish is prepared with the raw pumpkin that's got green peel and a pale white flesh inside (Ashgourd)and not the pumpkin that has yellow flesh. Anf for me, the names are always confusing....I mean mathanga (മത്തങ്ങാ) and Kumbalam (കുമ്പളം)....

Ingredients:
8 cups – Kumbalam, Ashgourd (cut into small pieces)
½ tsp – Red chilli powder (optional)
½ tsp – Cumin seeds
1 ½ cups - 2 cups – Water
1 cup – Curd
½ tsp – Turmeric
3-4 Green chillies
1 ½ cups – grated coconut
Salt
For tampering:
4 tbs - Oil
3-4 - Whole round red chillies (unda mulaku)
1 ½ tsp - Mustard seeds
3 sprigs - Curry leaves

Preparation:
1. Cook Kumbalam along with green chillies, turmeric, salt and water until tender.
2. Grind coconut and cumin seeds (jeera) along with little water into a smooth paste.
3. Once the Kumbalam is cooked and is soft, add coconut paste. When it starts to boil, turn off the flame.
4. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, add curd and mix well. Don’t add curd to very hot curry as this will cause the curd to curdle.
5. In another pan, add oil. When hot splutter mustard seeds, add whole red chillies and curry leaves and sauté for few seconds. Pour this over the curry.
6. The same can be made with yam (Chena) as well.