Pumpkin Bharta is a savory Indian dish made by blending mashed pumpkin with aromatic spices like garlic, onions, dry red chilies, and mustard oil, creating a flavorful and slightly spicy dish.
This simple yet aromatic dish is easy to make at home. If do not know the steps, I will guide you through them. Continue reading.
Key Takeaways:
- Pumpkin Bharta displays the exquisite flavor of sweet pumpkin and a blend of spices.
- The dish is easy to make at home and takes very little time or arrangements.
- You can have this dish with rice or roti.
- Pumpkin Bharta is sweet to taste and is little bit spicy due to the red chilies.
- A few alternatives to this dish include baingan bharta, aloo bharta, matar bharta, palak bharta, chana bharta.
How to Make Pumpkin Bharta (Step by Step with Images)
1. Take 500 gm of pumpkin and slice it into thin pieces.
2. Take a wok and heat 1 tbsp of oil.
3. Add the pumpkin pieces and a pinch of salt. Cover and fry them over medium heat.
(Pro tip: Be very careful while adding anything into the hot oil.)
4. Uncover the wok and flip the pumpkin pieces to ensure both sides are evenly fried. Remember to cover while frying. Remove them from the oil when they are done.
5. In the same wok, add 1 tbsp of oil. Put in the 3 dry red chilis and sauté them for a few minutes. Remove them when they’re done.
6. Add the sliced onion and sauté it for a few minutes.
7. When the onions are fried, add 7 to 8 cloves of garlic and stir-fry them for a while.
8. Toss in the 6 pieces of chopped green chilis. Once all the ingredients are properly stir-fried, remove them when done.
9. Now, take less than ½ tbsp of salt and use it to crush the fried red chilis.
10. Smash the garlic cloves in the same way. Smash the fried pumpkins too.
(Pro tip: If you want, you can boil the pumpkin for this, but it won’t taste as good as frying.)
11. After the pumpkins are smashed, add all the ingredients, including the chilis and garlic, mix them thoroughly.
12.Add less than ½ tbsp of salt and mix it in well.
(Pro tip: Better mixing results in a much better taste.)
13. Finally, drizzle ½ tbsp of raw mustard oil into the mixture and mix everything thoroughly.
(Pro tip: Raw mustard oil enhances the taste.)
14. Your Pumpkin Bharta is ready. 
15. Serve it with steamed white or brown rice, roti, or paratha.
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Bharta | Indian Mashed Pumpkin
Ingredients
Instructions
- Take 500 gm of pumpkin and slice it into thin pieces.
- Take a wok and heat 1 tbsp of oil.
- Add the pumpkin pieces and a pinch of salt. Cover and fry them over medium heat.(Pro tip: Be very careful while adding anything into the hot oil.)
- Uncover the wok and flip the pumpkin pieces to ensure both sides are evenly fried. Remember to cover while frying. Remove them from the oil when they are done.
- In the same wok, add 1 tbsp of oil. Put in the 3 dry red chilis and sauté them for a few minutes. Remove them when they’re done.
- Add the sliced onion and sauté it for a few minutes.
- When the onions are fried, add 7 to 8 cloves of garlic and stir-fry them for a while.
- Toss in the 6 pieces of chopped green chilis. Once all the ingredients are properly stir-fried, remove them when done.
- Now, take less than ½ tbsp of salt and use it to crush the fried red chilis.
- Smash the garlic cloves in the same way. Smash the fried pumpkins too.(Pro tip: If you want, you can boil the pumpkin for this, but it won’t taste as good as frying.)
- After the pumpkins are smashed, add all the ingredients, including the chilis and garlic, mix them thoroughly.
- Add less than ½ tbsp of salt and mix it in well.(Pro tip: Better mixing results in a much better taste.)
- Finally, drizzle ½ tbsp of raw mustard oil into the mixture and mix everything thoroughly.(Pro tip: Raw mustard oil enhances the taste.)
- Your Pumpkin Bharta is ready.
- Serve it with steamed white or brown rice, roti, or paratha.
Video
Notes
- Choose fresh and firm pumpkin to make this dish to attain the desired texture and flavor.
- I use mustard oil to make this dish. This will offer the right taste and flavor. You may also add raw mustard oil in the end to the dish for further flavor enhancement.
- Heat the oil nicely and be careful of it splattering while adding the ingredients. It is best to cover the pan while frying. It will prevent oil spills.
- You may boil the pumpkin pieces but frying them slightly will offer a much better taste and flavor. Smash the pumpkin to make a smooth paste.
- Take time while mixing the spices to the mashed pumpkin. Fry the red chilies and garlic and crush them nicely so that they blend perfectly to offer a more flavorful outcome.
