Mathanga Erissery as it is popularly called in Kerala is a mild curry made with yellow pumpkin, cow peas in a coconut based curry and tempered with spices. Pumpkin or Mathanga Erissery is one of the traditional dishes served in Onam Sadya. Learn to make Mathanga Erissery with step by step pictures and video.
Mathanga Erissery is one of the staple side dish as a part of Onam Sadya Meal. Pumpkin Erissery is a tasty and healthy side dish for rice. This is one of the authentic recipes from Kerala cuisine and it is my favorite as I love the mild sweetness this curry has.
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About Mathanga Erissery
‘Mathanga’ is a Malayalam word for yellow pumpkin and Erissery is a Kerala special curry made with vegetables, lentils in a coconut based curry with a tempering made with coconut oil. This is also known as Ellisheri or Elliseri in some parts of Kerala.
Mathanga Erissery is a thick curry made by cooking yellow pumpkin, cow peas in a coconut based gravy and tempered with mild spices, roasted coconut. The mild sweetness from chunks of pumpkin and the crunch from the cow peas, the combo is just too good to resist.
Restaurants serving authentic kerala meals must have Erissery on their meals menu once at least in a week. Make sure to give a try when you see it in the menu I am sure you will love it.
Erissery can be made with yam and cow peas and it is called chena vanpayar erissery. But the authentic version uses yellow pumpkin with cow peas – I love this more as it has a mild sweetness.
Pumpkin – My wild best guess of Annapoorna Sambar being the best sambar for its mild sweet taste which may come from pumpkin being added in all their sambars as I can feel and taste it! Its their Coca cola secret not revealed till now! Hope Annapoorna will not sue me for this haha.
Mathanga Erissery Video
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Mathanga Erissery Ingredients
- Pumpkin – Yellow pumpkin is traditionally used in erissery. However you can use vazhakka (raw plantain) or senaikilangu (elephant yam) too.
- Cow peas – Vaenpayar (Malayalam) / Cowpeas or Thattapayaru (Tamil) / Alasandalu (Telugu) / Lobhiya (Hindi) / Alasandee (Kannada) gives the crunchy feel of the curry. These peas are available in both vegetable form and also as legume.
- Coconut mixture – A special paste is made using coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies.
- Tempering – A basic simple tempering using coconut oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chili and small onion is made and added.
- Turmeric powder – Turmeric powder is added while cooking dal to give a vibrant yellow color and flavor this dish.
- Coconut oil – The tempering is made using coconut oil, mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
- Coconut – Coconut is roasted along with tempering until reddish brown and added to the curry which makes it taste great.
How to make Mathanga Erissery Step by Step
1.Remove the skin and the seeds of pumpkin.
2.Chop them into bite sized pieces. Measure 2 cups and set aside.
3.Rinse and soak 1/4 cup cow peas for 2 hours. Drain water.
4.Add it to cooker along with 1/2 cup water till immersing level.
5.Pressure cook it with enough water for 2 whistles or until soft. Let pressure release by itself.
6.Open to check, if its easily mashable and soft its done.
7.To a mixer add 1/4 cup coconut, 2 long green chilies and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
8.Grind it along with little water to a slightly coarse paste, Set aside.
9.Cook pumpkin along with salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder and 1 cup water.
10.Give a quick mix and let it start to boil.
11.Once it starts to boil, cook covered until it is soft.
12.It should be soft and easily mashable.
13.Mash it roughly with a ladle. If you like chunky pieces then just mash roughly else mash well like I did.
14.Add coconut paste.
15.Add cooked cow peas.
16.Mix well and cook for 5 minutes until the raw smell of coconut subsides.
17.Prepare the tempering – Heat 2 teaspoon coconut oil add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds let it splutter, add few curry leaves and 2 red chilies broken give a quick saute.
18.Now add 1/4 cup grated coconut.
19.Fry until coconut turns reddish brown.
20.Add this to cooked pumpkin mixture. I always reserve little for garnish.
21.Mix well and switch off. If the curry is too thick adjust with water and boil for few more minutes.Then switch off.
Serve hot with rice and papadam.
Expert Tips
- The consistency should be semi thick not runny or watery.
- Mash pumpkin according to your liking. If you want it fully mashed mash well else if you want it to be chunky while eating then mash slightly.
- Roasted coconut gives a great taste and flavor to erissery.
- The curry is mildy sweet.
- Coconut paste should not be very fine and should not be watery.
- You can also make erissery with kaya (raw banana), chena (elephant yam) etc.
- For cow peas I usually don’t soak overnight, soaking for 2 hours itself is ok. If you forget to soak also its ok you can roast it for a while then just pressure cook for 6-7 whistles.
- You can even fry small onions along with tempering and add it to the curry, it gives a nice crunch.
- You can add more cow peas if you like. So instead of 1/4 cup you can add 1/2 cup .
- Instead of cow peas, you can use karamani / black eyed peas too.
- You can use big onion replacing small onion. But I recommend small onion as it gives great taste.
Serving Suggestions
Mathanga Erissery is an important dish in Onam Sadhya. It can be served as a side dish in vegetarian meals and thali. Recommend to consume on the same day of making as coconut is added in the recipe, it may get spoiled easily. Keeps well in fridge for about 2 days.
FAQS
1.Is Erissery and Puliserry the same?
No – even when they are similar in rhyming. While Erissery is a vegetable, legume and coconut based curry, Puliserry is a fruit / vegetable and curd based side dish!
2.Can I cook Erissery without Black eyed peas?
Yes – it also saves cooking time, however it may not taste like traditional Erissery and will also miss the crunchiness!
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📖 Recipe Card
Mathanga Erissery | Pumpkin Erissery
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow pumpkin
- 1/4 cup black eyed peas
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/4 cup coconut
- water as required
- salt to taste
To grind to a paste:
- 1/4 cup coconut fresh & grated
- 1/2 teaspoon jeera
- 2 small green chili
To temper:
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 nos red chillies broken
- a small sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- Remove the skin and the seeds of pumpkin.
- Chop them into bite sized pieces. Measure 2 cups and set aside.
- Rinse and soak 1/4 cup cow peas for 2 hours. Drain water.
- Add it to cooker along with 1/2 cup water till immersing level.
- Pressure cook it with enough water for 2 whistles or until soft. Let pressure release by itself.
- Open to check, if its easily mashable and soft its done.
- To a mixer add 1/4 cup coconut, 2 long green chilies and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- Grind it along with little water to a slightly coarse paste, Set aside.
- Cook pumpkin along with salt, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder and 1 cup water.
- Give a quick mix and let it start to boil.
- Once it starts to boil, cook covered until its soft.
- It should be soft and easily mashable.
- Mash it roughly with a ladle. If you like chunky pieces then just mash roughly else mash well like I did.
- Add coconut paste.
- Add cooked cow peas.
- Mix well and cook for 5 minutes until the raw smell of coconut subsides.
- Prepare the tempering – Heat 2 teaspoon coconut oil add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds let it splutter, add few curry leaves and 2 red chilies broken give a quick saute.
- Now add 1/4 cup grated coconut.
- Fry until coconut turns reddish brown.
- Add this to cooked pumpkin mixture. I always reserve little for garnish.
- Mix well and switch off. If the curry is too thick adjust with water and boil for few more minutes.Then switch off.
- Serve hot with rice and papadam.
Video
Notes
- The consistency should be semi thick not runny or watery.
- Mash pumpkin according to your liking. If you want it fully mashed mash well else if you want it to be chunky while eating then mash slightly.
- Roasted coconut gives a great taste and flavor to erissery.
- The curry is mildy sweet.
- Coconut paste should not be very fine and should not be watery.
- You can also make erissery with kaya (raw banana), chena (elephant yam) etc.
- For cow peas I usually don’t soak overnight, soaking for 2 hours itself is ok. If you forget to soak also its ok you can roast it for a while then just pressure cook for 6-7 whistles.
- You can even fry small onions along with tempering and add it to the curry, it gives a nice crunch.
- You can add more cow peas if you like. So instead of 1/4 cup you can add 1/2 cup .
- Instead of cow peas, you can use karamani / black eyed peas too.
- You can use big onion replacing small onion. But I recommend small onion as it gives great taste.
Ramya Venkateswaran
delicious looking recipe
Tech Dynamo
I have never heard of this dish before as I m a Punjabi !
marudhus kitchen
Neat presentations and clicks..love this pumpkin eriserry
Full Scoops
Looks so delicious!
zoey123
Can we cook black eyed peas and pumpkin together in the pressure cooker?
Sharmilee J
No the cooking time of both varies so I would recommend cooking separately