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Khatta meetha kaddu in English translates to sweet & sour pumpkin curry. This is a vegan, no onion no garlic, beginner & bachelor-friendly recipe.
This pumpkin / kaddu sabji is also known as bhandarewali kaddu ki sabji, petha ki sabji.
Pumpkin is called kaddu in Hindi and lal bhopla in Marathi.
This sweet and sour pumpkin curry is one of the easiest sabji preparation. This kind of curry is popular across northern parts of India.
Khatta means sour and meetha means sweet, the sweetness comes from jaggery or sugar and sourness comes from amchur powder also known as raw mango powder.
In northern parts, raw mango powder is extensively used in giving this curry the required sourness, but as you come down to the south, the use of tamarind is made which gives that sour kick to this dish.
This plant-based pumpkin / kaddu recipe is a no onion no garlic sattvik recipe, which means this can be made for Navratri vrat too. But instead of raw mango powder, you need to add tamarind pulp to this curry if making for vrat/ fasting and avoid methi seeds.
This is a one-pot sabji that is often included in festive meals, during fasting, and you will also find this kind of sabji / curry making its way to the wedding menus too.
This is a super delicious curry that goes well with poori, chapati or as a side dish with dal rice.
Pumpkin sabji is an everyday kind of recipe that is made almost regularly in most Indian households. This khatta meetha kaddu is made with a handful of ingredients.
If you are a pumpkin lover, you must definitely try this recipe. This is one of the quickest, easy and super tasty recipes as Pumpkin does not take a lot of time to cook.
This vegan main course curry is mildly spiced. Made with tender orange or yellow pumpkin, spiced with basic Indian spices such as dry red chillies, bay leaf which give a mild hint of spice to this dish.
You will find a beautiful balance of sweet, spicy and tangy flavours emanating from this dish. Although we are using jaggery or sugar for sweetness, the sweetness from pumpkin also adds a nice depth to this dish.
You can even pack this vegetable for tiffin. Add very little water while cooking to make a semi-dry version or a dry one. Serve with chapati (Indian flatbread) some salad and pickles. It makes a perfect tiffin meal.
You will find pumpkin / kaddu lovers very rare. Due to the mushy texture, many are not fond of this vegetable. This is one of the most underrated veggies. Not only good in taste but pumpkin / kaddu is packed with so many health benefits.
Some benefits of pumpkin / kaddu are:
1. It is a good source of dietary fibre
2. Helps in the control of diabetes
3. Highly nutritious
4. Packed with vitamins that boost immunity
5. Rich in vitamin A
6. Low in calories (helps in weight loss too when included often)
7. Contain essential compounds to promote healthy skin
Pumpkin / kaddu is such a versatile vegetable that it is often added to curries and dals to enhance flavour and increase the nutritional value of the dish. Pumpkin is often added to sambar (Do check out Vanita’s corner recipe link ) or paired with green veggies.
You will find many recipes made out of pumpkin / kaddu which are loved by adults and kids too such as kaddu ka halwa (pumpkin pudding), kaddu ka bharta ( mashed pumpkin), pumpkin soup, kaddu ki poori (spicy pumpkin puffed poori) and one of my favourite that is bhoplyache gharghe (kaddu ki meethi poori / sweet pumpkin puffed poori).
This pumpkin sabji stays good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat when needed.
Pumpkin is available throughout the year and is one of the pocket-friendly veggies which is easy to add to your diet.
It tastes best when minimal spices are used which do not dominate the actual flavour of the pumpkin.
I have added hing (asafoetida) in making this recipe. If you want it to be gluten-free then just avoid using it.
The tempering for this sabji is often made using mustard oil, but as I do not like the taste, I always use normal vegetable oil available at home.
Pumpkin: I have used 500 gms of orange pumpkin. I peeled off the skin, washed it and cut it into bite-size pieces.
Herbs & Spices: I used dry red chillies, bay leaf (tej patta), cumin seeds, methi seeds, coriander powder, and raw mango powder to name a few.
Seasoning: I have used normal table salt for taste, jaggery (gul) for sweetness and raw mango powder (amchur powder) for sourness. If you can’t get jaggery, use white or brown sugar.
You can get jaggery in any Indian grocery store and is also available on amazon.
Many times tamarind pulp is also used as a souring agent.
Oil: I have used just 1 tablespoon of oil. For this recipe normally 2-3 tablespoons of oil are used, so adjust accordingly.
Water: For pumpkin to cook.
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Let’s see how to khaati meethi kaddu ki sabji / sweet and sour pumpkin curry in your home kitchen.
Serves: 3 Persons
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking level: Easy
Taste: Spicy, Sweet & Tangy
- 500 gms Pumpkin / Kaddu / Lal Bhopla (peeled and cut into bite-size cubes)
- 1/2 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin seeds)
- 1/2 teaspoon Methi seeds (Fenugreek seeds) personally as I love the nutty bite of these seeds I ended up adding 2 teaspoons of methi seeds.
- 1 inch Ginger (grated or crushed)
- 1/4th teaspoon Hing (asafoetida)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder (Kashmiri Chilli Powder)
- 2 teaspoons Coriander Powder
- 1 tablespoon Dry Mango Powder (Amchur Powder)
- 2 teaspoon Jaggery (Gul) or 3 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 Dry red chillies
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Green Chillies finely chopped
- 4-5 Curry leaves (optional)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- Water if needed to cook the pumpkin
- Salt to taste
- In a saucepan, heat oil, Once hot, add cumin seeds, methi seeds and hing (asafoetida), Saute for 10-15 seconds.
- Add dry red chillies, green chillies, curry leaves, crushed ginger and bay leaf. Mix everything well and saute for just 5-10 seconds.
- Now add the pumpkin and mix thoroughly.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, jaggery (gul) / sugar and salt. Mix well.
- Add water if required, pumpkin releases its own water hence add accordingly.
- Cover the pan and cook the pumpkin on low flame for 10-15 minutes. Check occasionally.
- Pumpkin quality differs, some take a longer time, some less. So check occasionally, we do not want a mushy pumpkin for this curry.
- Using a knife or fork just check if the kaddu / pumpkin is cooked or not. If the knife goes through without resistance, your sabji is ready.
- Once the pumpkin / kaddu is cooked perfectly, add amchur powder (raw mango powder) and mix well.
- Lastly, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
- Khatta meetha kaddu / Sweet & sour pumpkin curry is ready.
Important:
Never add amchur powder (dry mango powder) at the beginning of this dish or for that matter any dish. Adding amchur powder will make the cooking process slow hence always add it at the end when the dish is ready.
I have used curry leaves here as my personal preference. Its not needed, but if you love them, then just go ahead and add.
