Pumpkin halwa and pumpkin pie! On October 31, whereas India celebrated Diwali, the world marked the day (or fairly night time) as Halloween. Pumpkins have been in particular demand. The common-or-garden pumpkin has myriad makes use of, from being wanted throughout Halloween to being ‘sacrificed’ and ‘smashed’ (in entrance of doorways and automobiles) throughout Durga Puja/Ayudh Puja. Many candy delicacies are produced from pumpkin throughout Diwali.
The truth is, pumpkin has been chosen as India’s nationwide vegetable resulting from its vast cultivation all through the nation and its skill to thrive in numerous soil circumstances. Its ease of cultivation, versatility in culinary use, and dietary advantages all contributed to this recognition.
Halloween has popularised the pumpkin within the West, whereas in India, throughout Diwali, the competition of lights, individuals benefit from the style of this humble vegetable by getting ready delectable pumpkin halwa. The intense orange color of the gourd displays the festive spirit and provides a visible delight to the celebrations.
Pumpkins will not be solely valued for his or her culinary makes use of but additionally maintain a particular place in festivals and celebrations all over the world.
The pumpkin is taken into account a ‘humble’ vegetable as a result of it’s versatile, wholesome, and extremely reasonably priced.
Indian Context
Pumpkins have a protracted historical past, relationship again to historical cultures and their beliefs about harvest, fertility, and safety in opposition to evil spirits.
“It is fascinating how one humble pumpkin can imply so many issues: creativity and enjoyable throughout Halloween, and safety and custom throughout Ayudh Puja. The pumpkin’s journey from a festive ornament to a non secular image reveals how cultures worldwide discover that means in on a regular basis issues in their very own distinctive methods,” says Chef Anshu Bhatnagar, a contract kitchen guide based mostly in Goa.
In India, pumpkins have been used as an alternative of animal sacrifices for hundreds of years.
They function prominently in Indian festivals and rituals, including to their cultural significance. Throughout festivals like Diwali and Navratri, pumpkins are used as choices in prayers and adornments in decorations, symbolising abundance and prosperity.
Yearly in South India, as a convention throughout Dussehra, pumpkins are smashed outdoors properties, business institutions, and in entrance of automobiles to chase away the evil eye.
Those stored outdoors properties to chase away evil usually have crude faces painted on them, significantly throughout housewarmings.
Pumpkin has wealthy dietary content material, consisting of a spread of important nutritional vitamins, minerals, and health-promoting compounds that contribute to its plain dietary significance.
Within the North, the refined sweetness of pumpkin is loved as ‘kaddu ki sabji‘, whereas within the South, it’s an ingredient in sambar.
Past Diwali, pumpkins discover their approach into numerous regional celebrations. In Kerala, the competition of Onam options the preparation of ‘erissery’, a coconut-based pumpkin stew. This dish, bursting with flavours, is a vital part of the grand Onam Sadya (feast) and underscores the cultural significance of the pumpkin in commemorating the state’s agricultural heritage.
Pumpkin seeds are thought of a superfood.
Well-liked Dishes
Some Indian dishes made with pumpkin embody bhandare wala kaddu (North India), kumror torkari (West Bengal), khatta meetha kaddu (Punjab), pumpkin palya (Tamil Nadu), pumpkin erissery (Kerala), and lal bhoplyachi bhaji (Goa and Maharashtra).
Chef Ashish Bhasin, founder and director of CB Hospitality, highlights different specialities of pumpkin. “For Makar Sankranti, pumpkins are made into dishes like pumpkin curry and candy raita. In South India, white pumpkins are cooked into dishes like kottu, a stew that helps decrease blood strain and offers important nutritional vitamins.”
“In Bengali delicacies, candy pumpkin stew (kumror chokka), cooked with potatoes, Bengal gram, and coconut, is usually served with luchi (Bengali-style puri) at weddings. Within the North, khatta meetha kaddu (candy and bitter pumpkin with tamarind and jaggery) is a favorite dish served with puri for festive meals,” says Bhasin.
Western dishes embody pumpkin soup, pumpkin lasagne, pumpkin fritters, mashed pumpkin, meatballs, pancakes, and pumpkin pie.
A part of Halloween
Within the West, pumpkins maintain a particular place in Halloween festivities.
For a whole lot of years, the Halloween custom has concerned carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns to scare away evil spirits, originating from Irish farms. Since then, it has develop into a vegetable synonymous with the competition, which is usually celebrated in America.
The lore related to pumpkins has advanced over centuries and continues to carry significance even in the present day. They’re nonetheless linked with autumnal traditions like Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Throughout these festivities, pumpkins are prominently displayed as decorations or utilized in conventional dishes like pumpkin pie.
The aroma of roasted pumpkin seeds-a must-have Halloween snack-is exhausting to withstand. And the final word dessert is the pumpkin pie!
(The creator is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the non-public opinions of the creator