Pumpkin core tumbuli/ Kumbalakai tirulu tambli

Pumpkin is one of the nutritious vegetables which is low in carbohydrates too when compared similar structured vegetables like potato, sweet potato. This vegetable is commonly found world-wide, agree?  My question here is what you do with the core/ tirulu called pumpkin gut which is combination of seeds & fibrous strands while using pumpkin in dishes like sambhar or pumpkin soup! I think a lot before discarding any part of a vegetable unless it cannot be consumed in any way. When it comes to the vegetables belonging to Cucurbitaceae such as cucumber, bottle gourd, pumpkin I will try to include whole vegetable in the dishes. Due to the texture, flavor or taste, all the parts of these vegetables will not go good in every dish. So possibility is making separate dish out of these parts such as core/ seed or skin instead blindly throwing them away.

Last week we received a large tender pumpkin from a friend’s farm, which was organically grown. So I didn’t want to waste any bit of it! I prepared regular sambhar/ curry, soup, Olan from the vegetable with its skin while stored the core in refrigerator to make chutney which I know. Then I came to know tambuli can also be prepared with it (same family who gave this pumpkin shared this information to me) & tried it yesterday for lunch. It tastes good & soothing on tummy with less spice & added buttermilk. I am sharing my recipe of this #zerowaste preparation with you in this post.

Also check similar other recipes here

Bottle gourd peel chutney

Cucumber core tambuli

Pumpkin Core / tirulu chutney

Ridge gourd peel chutney

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Core of pumpkin/ pumpkin tirulu (with seeds) – ¼ cup

Grated fresh coconut – ¼ cup

Cumin seeds or jeera – ¼ tsp

Pepper – ¼ tsp or green chilli -1 (I prefer pepper), one can use dry red chilli too

Butter milk or curds – 1 cup

Salt

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Dry Red chilli – 1

Oil/ butter – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

• Scoop out the core of the pumpkin while cutting it for other recipes. Keep it separately. It can be stored for one or two days if refrigerated in air tight container.
• Now in a pan, add 1 tsp oil. Heat it. Add roughly chopped pumpkin core/ tirulu with seeds. Add cumin seeds & pepper.
• Fry them until the vegetable turn soft. Switch off the stove and let it cool down.
• Take grated coconut in a mixer jar. Add the fried pumpkin core, cumin, pepper and salt. If you are using green chilli, don’t fry it. It using red chilli use fried.
• Grind them to smooth paste.
• Transfer to a serving bowl. Add butter milk or curds. Adjust the consistency as per your need by adding water.
• Prepare a seasoning of mustard, red chilli, curry leaves in oil. Add it to the tambli.
• Serve the fresh tambuli with rice & vegetables.

Notes:

• You can increase the spice level and use dry red chilli or green chilli or pepper for spiciness.
• Tambuli can also be made with cucumber core, ash gourd core…