'Everyday cooking'-Butternut Squash curry and chutney

Butternut Squash

Went grocery shopping last evening with 'E'. 'M' stayed @home because he wasn't feeling very well( and well..he isn't a grocery shopping enthusiast either!) He has this theory,where scientists work on making a 'food capsule',which you take once every 6 months..and you don't need to go grocery shopping,cook, eat and do the dishes! How convenient..and ya..how lazy????
Anyways......

At the grocery store,there were these fresh pumpkins and all kinds of colorful squash.'E' loved to look at those and touch them. I usually buy the 'precut' butternut squash,as it makes my life easier and they do a pretty good job of cutting into neat squares.But yesterday I thought..oh well..'E' will love to take a whole one home.So I bought this whole butternut squash.

This morning 'E' woke up and sensed that we are getting him ready for his pre school(Which just started last week..and ohh boyy..there is a lotttt of crying and 'mumma' mumma' there.) He started crying and telling me he doesn't want to go to school.Just to distract him,I reminded about the pumpkins we saw at the grocery store yesterday...and that mumma is going to make 'pumpkin curry/bhaaji' for him today after he comes back from school. I got him ready..and started for school.Throughout the way he kept crying..and telling me 'I want to eat pumpkin bhaaji..I want to eat Pumpkin bhaaji'!!!!! My poor little one...he thought if I make the bhaaji now,he doesn't have to go to school! How innocent!

Squash Curry/Bhaaji

Ingredients:

2 cups Butternut Squash cut into cubes
1 green chilli

5-6 Curry leaves

1/4tsp methi seeds

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 cup ground peanut/cashews(I use cashews because 'E' is allergic to peanuts)

Turmeric,asfoetida,salt to taste

1tsp oil

1/2 cup Water
Method:

1) Heat 1tsp oil,add cumin,methi,mustard,turmeric,asfoetida,curry leaves.

2) Add the precut squash.

3) Saute,add water,salt,water and simmer for about 7-8 mins

4) Add peanut/cashew powder,mix

5) Garnish with coriander.
6) Serve with warm rotis/chapatis/rice

Squash Chutney

This year when we visited India,my mother in law mentioned that pumpkin is her favorite vegetable.She said,it not only tastes good,but you can use all the parts of the pumpkin and nothing goes waste.She makes curry/bhaaji out of the pulp(is that what you call it?) ,she makes chutney from the pumpkin peel/skins and dries the seeds to use as snack later! Wow! I decided to follow her foot steps and use the squash to the fullest!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Squash peels ground in a blender

1/4 cup peanut/cashew powder

1/4 tsp Cumin,mustard ,sesame seeds

1 green chilli ground along with squash peels

1 clove garlic ground along with squash peels

Turmeric,asafoetida,salt,sugar,chilli powder to taste

1tsp oil

Method:

1) Heat oil,add mustard,cumin,sesame seeds.Add the ground squash peels.

2) Saute on low flame for 6-7 mins

3) Add salt,peanut powder,chilli powder,sugar.

4) Saute again for 2-4 mins.

Feel good about using the squash to the fullest and stretching the dollar!