SWEET PUMPKIN DUMPLING / KERALA STYLE MATHANGA PIDI

     My acquaintance with MATHANGA PIDI - SWEET PUMPKIN DUMPLINGS came along just a few days after my marriage. My mother bought few Yellow Pumpkins from our kitchen garden while visiting me at my in-law's place. It was just a few days after my wedding and there was a bunch of relatives at my in-law's place. My MIL'S three Sisters and her mother(Clemmie Thathi), all great cooks of their own cadre hit up an idea to cook Mathanga Pidi with those Pumpkins.  I least had an idea what the dish was then.

     Those were my initial days of cooking and I readily gave a helping hand to impress my MIL least to know that making small dumplings out of 3 Big Pumpkins was not an easy task.  Kneading, Shaping the balls(out of a sticky dough), grating large batches of Coconuts for Coconut Milk.  Grinding and squeezing grated coconuts in the process of making Coconut Milk. A whole lot of tasks was going around creating an euphoric atmosphere, a lot of talking, gossips, laughter etc., Most of the women at home were in midst of making Mathanga Pidi.  It took a whole afternoon through the evening before we finished making a huge batch of Mathanga Pidi ready to be supplied to relatives and neighbours.

     Though my first impression of cooking(helping)this tasty dessert took me off guard and concluded within myself as a difficult task, I loved the sweet little yellow dumplings, soft and succulent floating in a sweet coconut milk base.  I have always made this recipe since then, but never ever, such a large quantity.  Whenever I buy Yellow Pumpkins, this recipe pops into my mind and if my effort matches with my instincts I go with preparing Sweet Pumpkin Dumplings/Mathanga Pidi.

      A few years earlier, I was in the midst of preparing Mathanga Pidi.  I steam cooked Pumpkin Wedges and was about to scoop and puree the flesh, but couldn't find time to prepare Mathanga Pidi.  So no choice, I left the Pumpkin Puree in an airtight container thinking that I would prepare Mathanga Pidi later.  But I found time to prepare the dessert only the next day.  To my awe, the dough prepared with refrigerated Pumpkin Puree came out to be less sticky. Since then I steam cook the Pumpkins a day or two before I plan to prepare Mathanga Pidi.  This way the job gets much easier.

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Cuisine - Kerala (India)
Recipe Type - Pradhaman/ Payasam, Dessert
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4- 6
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20-30 Minutes
Refrigerating Time - Overnight/Few hours(Optional)
Cooking Time - 20 -30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS :

For Pumpkin Dumpling - Mathanga Pidi :
Yellow Pumpkin Puree - 1/2 Cup(Approx)
Coconut Powder(remains from making Coconut Milk) - 2 Tbspn
Salt - a Pinch
Sugar - 1 Tspn
Water - 2-3 Tbspn(Approx)

For Coconut Milk Base :

Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Thin Coconut Milk - 1-11/2 Cups
Jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Cardamoms - 3-4 Pods
Salt - a Pinch
Wheat Flour - 1 Tspn
Water - 2-3 Tbspn

HOW TO MAKE SWEET PUMPKIN DUMPLING / KERALA STYLE MATHANGA PIDI

METHOD :

For Pumpkin Dumplings - Mathanga Pidi :

• Cut Pumpkin into wedges along the groves. wash and remove the seeds.
• Steam cook the Pumpkin Wedges for about 20-30 Minutes or until it turns tender and soft.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Scrape the cooked Pumpkin flesh with a spoon and mash it into a fine puree without any lumps.
• Mix Pumpkin Puree, Coconut Powder, Salt and Sugar in a wide bowl.
• Add Wheat Flour little at a time to the above mix and knead it into a dough.
• Add wheat flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
• Use water while kneading, only if necessary.
• Knead the mixture into a soft pliable dough.
• Pinch small portions from the dough and shape it into small balls.
• Make sure there are no cracks in the ball.

For Coconut Milk Base :

• Powder the Cardamom Seeds into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Melt Jaggery with 1/2 Cup of Water and strain for any impurities.
• Pour thin Coconut Milk into and cook on a low flame for few minutes.
• Add Powdered Cardamoms and mix well.
• Mix Wheat Flour with 2-3 Tbspns of cold Water without any lumps.
• Pour this flour mixture into the Coconut-Jaggery mix and cook on a low flame for about 5-7 minutes.
• Pour Thick Coconut Milk and leave it on a low flame, stirring continuously for about 2-3 minutes.
• Carefully drop the small Pumpkin Dumplings/Mathanga Pidi into the Coconut Milk base.
• Cook on a very low flame for about 12-15 minutes.
• Wait until the Pumpkin Dumplings/Mathanga Pidi floats.
• Once the Pumpkin Dumplings/Mathanga Pidi would float to the surface.
• Serve Sweet Pumpkin Dumplings/Mathanga Pidi hot or cold.

For a detailed recipe on HOW TO MAKE COCONUT MILK, Click here...

NOTES :

• Refrigerating the Pumpkin Puree for a day or two(at least for few hours may be) is one trick to get a non-sticky dough, which I learnt out of an experience.
• While kneading the Pumpkin Puree and other ingredients into a dough, add very little flour at a time, and knead the dough adding Wheat flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
• Add water only if necessary, while kneading the dough.
• I have always used Wheat Flour(not All-Purpose Flour) for making Mathanga Pidi.
• My MIL says, all-purpose flour makes the dough stickier and the sweet pumpkin dumplings chewier & harder once cooked.
• There are similar recipes prepared with Rice Flour too, yet to try.
• Adding Coconut Powder gives a texture to the Pumpkin Dumplings/Mathanga Pidi.
• Using ground coconut remains from making Coconut Milk gives a dry powder.
• Alternatively can use powdered Desiccated Coconut.

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