One of the many pumpkins on our farm at Katie’s Abode Hartola reminded me of the carved ones with toothy faces that children love to make during Halloween. Ours, however, is not the red/orange variety that are usually used for the eerie-looking faces on the porches, but taste-wise, it is equally good. If you ask me, however, I prefer the red variety because it is a little sweeter.
We have been growing pumpkins at our Hartola homestay for several years, but we have never harvested one of this size before! It feels special and it is as if nature has rewarded us for all the care we put into the farm. Usually, we use the pumpkin flowers and tender leaves to make different local recipes, a couple of which I have shared below.
The Joy Of Harvesting
After carefully protecting this pumpkin from rodents, wild boars, and wild rabbits, we finally brought it into our kitchen. It is such a joyful and fulfilling moment when you bring fresh produce straight from your own garden.
Right now, the pumpkin is sitting proudly on display. We have been showing it off to everyone; to our friends, neighbours, and even our guests! Soon, we will be making different dishes with it, but as always, we will also share most of it with our friends and neighbours. That is one of the best parts about living here — we grow, cook, and share together.
Now, the Recipes:
As promised, here are two recipes I learned from my mom, which I have recreated many times in Hartola and every single time, they have turned out to be delicious.
The first one is:
Pumpkin flower fritters recipe
Pumpkin flower fritters recipe
This is a very popular seasonal snack in Assam and neighbouring regions. I still remember how, on Sundays, we used to have them for lunch at home.
The ingredients are simple — pumpkin flowers, a batter made with rice flour or besan (or even a mix of both), a few spices like turmeric and chilli flakes, and mustard oil for frying.
Just clean the pumpkin flowers, dip them in the batter, and deep fry until crisp and golden. They are best served hot with chutney or sauce. It is a good idea to fry them just when you are ready to eat. Make sure the flowers are fresh and recently picked from the farm for the best taste.
The second recipe is:
Tender Pumpkin Leaves with Potato
Pumpkin tender leaves with potato recipe
This recipe is equally amazing, and is made with tender pumpkin leaves and potato. It is very easy to make, but its rustic taste stays with you forever.
For this recipe, you will need:
- Tender pumpkin leaves and stems (cleaned, fibres removed, and chopped)
- Potato (thinly sliced or cubed — optional)
- A couple of crushed garlic cloves
- One or two green chilies
- One finely sliced onion
- Turmeric powder and salt to taste
- A pinch of panch phoron, the Assamese five-spice mix made of fenugreek seeds (methi), nigella seeds (kalonji), cumin seeds (jeera), mustard seeds (rai), and fennel seeds (saunf)
- Mustard oil for cooking
If you can’t find panch phoron, use a little cumin seed instead.
Now how to bring all the ingredients together to make an amazing dish:
- Heat mustard oil in a pan.
- Temper the spices and add the sliced onion.
- Fry until the onion turns slightly brown.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Cook on a medium to low flame — do not add water.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, it’s done!
The result is a simple, rustic dish with an earthy aroma that pairs beautifully with rice.
Seriously, cooking with ingredients grown in your own soil adds a different kind of flavour to the dishes. There is a quiet satisfaction in knowing where your food comes from and sharing it with people around you.
This year’s pumpkin is a special one for us at Katie’s Abode Hartola. After all the care, protection, and excitement, it finally found its way to our kitchen.
BTW, if you know any other pumpkin recipes, do share them with us! We have quite a few pumpkins in the kitchen this season, and trying out new recipes will definitely be fun.
