Puliyitta Koottu

Ingredients

White pumpkin : ½ kilo
Tamarind  : lemon sized ball
Red gram dal : 150 gm
Coriander seeds : 20 gm
Asafoetida : a small piece
Coconut : ½ 
Dried red chilli : 5 or 6
Coriander leaves : a little

For Seasoning

Oil :  as needed
Mustard : as needed
Dried red chilli : as needed
Black gram dal : 10 gm
Chana dal : 10 gm

Method    

Cut pumpkin into pieces.
Grate coconut.
Add water to tamarind and extract twice.
Cook red gram dal and set aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan, add asafoetida, coriander seeds, dried red chilli and fry.   
Grind this along with grated coconut in a mixie.
In a copper bottom vessel boil the tamarind extract.
Heat oil in a frying pan, add asafoetida, mustard, dried red chilli, black gram dal, chana dal and fry.
When mustard splutters and the dals are red add to the tamarind extract.         ,
When tamarind extract boils, add pumpkin pieces and when it is cooked, add ground paste, cooked dal and let it boil. 
When the contents are thick remove from stove and garnish with coriander leaves.

P.S. If you have kuzhambu vadaam at home, this can be fried and added.
If this is not available, we can soak 50 gm black dal and grind it along with 2 green chillies without adding water.
Drop small balls of this ground paste in heated oil and fry.
This can be added to the above preparation. 
This item is usually served in North Arcot district weddings.