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    Home » Recipes » Dairy Free

    Indian Pumpkin Curry (Khatta Meetha Kaddu)

    This quick and easy Indian Pumpkin Curry is a flavourful and healthy vegan recipe that uses common household spices and seasonings and prepares in just 30 minutes! Also known as Khatta Meetha Kaddu, a very popular north Indian style of Kaddu ki sabzi.

    Jump to Recipe

    There are several versions of Indian pumpkin curry, this Khatta Meetha Kaddu is one of the most frequently made curries/sabzi for lunch and dinner in northern India during the winter because of its ease, convenience, and simplicity. Khatta means sour, and Meetha means sweet, so as you can guess, this quick and easy curry contains mouthwatering sweet and sour flavors without requiring a lot of ingredients.

    Sweet and Sour Indian Pumpkin Curry – Khatta Meetha Kaddu
    Jump to:
    • My Love Affair with Indian Pumpkin Curry
    • What Makes a Good Indian Pumpkin Curry?
    • Helpful Tips for Indian Pumpkin Curry
    • Indian Pumpkin Curry is Nutritious
    • Pumpkin Options for Indian Curry
    • How to cook Khatta meetha kaddu?
    • Recipe

    My Love Affair with Indian Pumpkin Curry

    I have the best memories of enjoying this pumpkin curry dish with hot puffed puris and Kheer on a sunny but cold winter afternoon in India, my native country. As I child, I always relished this Indian pumpkin curry (khatta Meetha Kaddu) whenever my mom made it. My eldest daughter also loves this recipe, so it has become a frequent dish in my kitchen.

    I have a love affair with pumpkin recipes, whether a pumpkin spice latte or a Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake and my early childhood memories of mom making this dish are the reason for this love.

    What Makes a Good Indian Pumpkin Curry?

    This Khatta Meetha Kaddu recipe's wonderful flavor comes from adding fenugreek seeds (methi dana), ginger, raw mango, and jaggery. It also includes the most common and quintessential spices of an Indian spice box, including turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.

    The sweetness comes from the jaggery, which enhances the subtle flavor of the pumpkin.

    Ingredients for Khatta Meetha Kaddu

    Helpful Tips for Indian Pumpkin Curry

    • Pumpkin is bland in taste, so it absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients it is being cooked with. It tastes best when cooked in mustard oil, but you can use any oil available in your pantry.
    • The curry gets its flavor from fenugreek seeds (methi dana). While cooking with methi dana, be careful not to roast it in oil for long by itself. Over-roasting this seed makes it bitter and gives it an acrid aroma.
    • You can add nuts to give this curry a bite. When the pumpkin is cooking, it becomes soft and mushy, so I like to add little bits of nuts and seeds at this time. This enhances the nutritional value, but you can skip the nuts and seeds if you are allergic to them or prefer not to include them.
    • Since it is a sweet and sour recipe, the sour flavor of this curry comes from green mango, but if you don’t have green mango on hand, you can also use dry mango powder/tamarind pulp or lemon juice.
    • Use jaggery or sugar for a sweet flavor. Add the jaggery and preferred sour agent when the pumpkin curry is almost done. If you add them too early, the pumpkin will take too long to cook.
    • Ensure you don't mash the curry too hard while stirring the spices and sugar. Stir gently to avoid a mushy consistency.
    • You can substitute butternut squash for pumpkin in this Indian pumpkin curry dish. If you make this substitute, keep in mind that butternut squash releases a lot of water while cooking, so you won't need to add any additional water.
    • While working with the whole pumpkin, do not throw away the seeds. Roasted pumpkin seeds make a delicious and nutritious snack. Spice them up with your favorite flavors, and roast the seeds in the oven.
    Nuts used in this recipe.

    Indian Pumpkin Curry is Nutritious

    Pumpkin, known as kaddu in India, is the main ingredient in this Indian pumpkin curry dish, and it is loaded with nutritious benefits and is relatively very low in calories. Pumpkin is considered a nutrient-dense food which means it is incredibly healthy. One cup of cooked pumpkin only contains 50 calories since it contains 94% water.

    Pumpkin is also high in vitamins and minerals and a great source of beta-carotene, which our body converts into Vitamin A to help boost our immune system. It is loaded with vitamins C and E. Since pumpkin is rich in fiber, you feel fuller longer with a small quantity of pumpkin.

    Pumpkin Options for Indian Curry

    We can only find orange pumpkins in the USA, but I remember buying pumpkins with green and yellow peels in India.

    The Indian pumpkin curry finished dish - also known as Khatta Meetha Kaddu

    The prep work for the pumpkin in this Indian pumpkin curry recipe depends on the variety of pumpkins you use:

    • Orange pumpkins need to be peeled, the peels discarded, and then the pumpkin should be deseeded and cubed.
    • A pumpkin with green skin has a soft outer skin, so you cook the green peel pumpkin with the skin on.
    • An orange or yellow peel is tough to cook; the outer skin must be peeled, discarded, and then cut into cubes.
    • If you are in a hurry, you can use pre-packaged, cubed butternut squash available in most grocery stores in the USA.
    Ingredients for this recipe including fresh mangos and Indian spices

    How to cook Khatta meetha kaddu?

    In a wide wok or pan, heat the mustard oil on medium heat, and when heated, add the asafetida, followed by the methi seeds, chopped chili, and ginger. Stir the mixture until it becomes aromatic.

    Add the nuts and saute for one minute.

    Add the cubed pumpkin to the pan, plus the salt and turmeric powder, and stir everything together. Cover the pan with a lid for a minute or two and then remove the lid and check if the pumpkin has released any water. If not, you'll need to add water and stir again.

    Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally on medium heat. Cook until the pumpkin is a bit soft. If the curry becomes too dry, you may need to add some more water.

    Add the raw mango and all the spices and cook for a few more minutes to allow the pumpkin to absorb all the beautiful flavors.

    Finish by adding jaggery and garam masala. Top with chopped cilantro before serving, and enjoy this quick and easy Indian pumpkin curry with some puris.

    closeup of the finished recipe with optional nuts

    Recipe

    Sweet and Sour Pumpkin Curry – Khatta Meetha Kaddu
    5 from 2 votes

    Indian Pumpkin Curry Recipe (Khatta Meetha Kaddu)

    This quick and easy Indian Pumpkin Curry is a flavourful and healthy vegan recipe that uses common household spices and seasonings and prepares in just 30 minutes! Also called Khatta Meetha Kaddu, a very popular north Indian style pumpkin sabzi.
    Review Print Pin Share
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Everyday Recipe, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Hindu, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Indian Pumpkin Curry, Kaddu ki Sabzi, Khatta Meetha Kaddu, Pumpkin Curry
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 261kcal
    Author: Rupali Agarwal

    Ingredients

    Pantry-

    • 3 tbs Oil
    • ¼ cup Mixed nuts

    Produce-

    • 450 grams Pumpkin Kaddu - cubed
    • 250 grams Green Mango 1 medium size or 1 cup Chopped
    • 1 inch Ginger
    • 3 Green chilies
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander powder finely chopped

    Spices-

    • ⅛ teaspoon Hing Pinch of Asafoetida
    • ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds Methi dana
    • 1 teaspoon Salt or adjust as per taste
    • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder cayenne pepper
    • 1 tbs Coriander powder
    • 1 Tbs Fennel Seeds crushed
    • 2 tbs Brown Sugar Jagerry Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Garam masala

    Instructions

    • In a wide wok or pan heat 3 tablespoon mustard oil on a medium heat, when heated add asafetida.
      Hing being added to heated oil
    • Then add Methi seeds, chopped chili and ginger until it turns aromatic.
      Chopped chilies being added to pan
    • Further add nuts sauté for a minute then add cubed pumpkin to the pan.
      Pumpkin being aded to pan
    • Additionally, add salt and turmeric powder and stir everything together.
      Tureric being added to pan
    • Cover it with a lid for minute or two
      cooking with closed lid
    • Remove the lid and check if pumpkin has released any water. If not then add ¼ cup water and stir again.
      Water being added to pan
    • Cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring in between make sure the heat remains medium only.
      cooking with closed lid
    • Cook until the pumpkin is little soft, if curry seems to be too dry then add another ¼ cup of water.
    • Now add raw mango and all the spices.
      Green Mango being added to pan
    • Cook for few more minutes until pumpkin absorbs all the flavors.
      Garam masala being added to the recipe
    • Finish the curry by adding jaggery and garam masala.
      Jaggery powder being added
    • Finally add chopped cilantro before serving and enjoy this Khatta Meetha Kaddu with puris.
      Sweet and Sour Pumpkin Curry – Khatta Meetha Kaddu

    Video

    Nutrition Facts
    Indian Pumpkin Curry Recipe (Khatta Meetha Kaddu)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 261 Calories from Fat 144
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 16g25%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Trans Fat 0.04g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
    Monounsaturated Fat 10g
    Sodium 712mg31%
    Potassium 674mg19%
    Carbohydrates 30g10%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 19g21%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 10493IU210%
    Vitamin C 46mg56%
    Calcium 82mg8%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    Hi, I'm Rupali! Welcome to my food blog where I love to share healthy vegetarian recipes from my North Indian roots and present day. My recipes range from simple to elaborate showstoppers.

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