Mathanga Erissery | Pumpkin and Black-Eyed Peas in Coconut Gravy (Sadya Recipe)

Mathanga Erissery is pumpkin and black-eyed peas (chowli) in a mild coconut gravy. This traditional recipe from Kerala is a part of the Sadya, the festive meals served on Onam and Vishu.

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Pumpkin is a vegetable we all like at home and as a result, we make a lot of pumpkin dishes at home, including this Mathanga Erissery. However, I did not realise that I had not written about this traditional Onam Sadya recipe from Kerala till I read a comment by Sridevi of Coconut Craze on the Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry that I posted recently.

I made this gluten-free, vegan Pumpkin dish today after many many months and took the opportunity to update this post from May 2014.

Tips to Make the Perfect Mathanga Erissery

• In Kerala, Erissery is made with red cowpeas or vanpayar. However, these are sometimes hard to find in other locations and so I made them with regular black-eyed peas or Chowli.
• Soak the black-eyed peas well so that they cook well. While I would recommend a minimum of 4 hours, I find that soaking them overnight gives the best results. On days when I forget to soak them at night, I soak them as soon as I get up so that they soak for 5 to 6 hours before I need to cook them for lunch.
• The pumpkin should be ripe (bright orange) yet firm. Ripe pumpkin gives the Mathanga Erissery the depth of flavour it needs.
• Use coconut oil for tempering, if possible.
• Add coconut to the tempering. Believe me it gives this dish a wonderful flavour and aroma.
• As with many dishes, let the Mathanga Erissery rest a bit after you make it, so that all the flavours meld and you get a delicious dish with layered flavours.

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This is a no onion, no garlic recipe. However, many communities in Kerala use shallots or Madras onions in the gravy for Mathanga Erissery.

Erissery can also be made by replacing pumpkin with other vegetables such as raw jackfruit, yam, or raw banana.

Some Irrelevant Details About Me 🙂

My mother’s closest group of friends at work included a Parsi, a Malayalee, a Tamil Iyengar, a Palghat Iyer, a Sindhi, a Mangalorean, and a Maharashtrian.

All these people carried lunch from home and shared the goodies at meal times. Given that my mom was a foodie, anything new she ate and liked, she had to try out at home. As a result, we were quite used to having new dishes for lunch and dinner on Saturdays and Sundays. 🙂

The result was that I never sometimes quite realised that some of the dishes Amma made were not traditional Andhra dishes. They were something we ate regularly at home and when I discovered novel names for them later I life, I was vastly amused. Mathanga Erissery is one such dish. We have made is at home for as long as I can remember, but I discovered that it was a part of Kerala cuisine much later in life.

Some More Recipes for Onam Sadya

Here are a few more recipes that you can include in your menu for Vishu Sadya or Onam Sadya:

• Olan | Ash Gourd & Pumpkin in Coconut Milk
• Inji Thayir | Yogurt with Ginger
• Kerala Parippu Curry

Find more traditional Kerala Sadya recipes in this Collection of Onam Sadya Recipes.

How to Make Mathanga Erissery for Onam Sadya

1. Prepping the Peas
   1. Wash and soak 1/4 cup of black-eyed peas in 1 cup of water for 4 to 6 hours. I normally soak the peas overnight.
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2. Prepping the Pumpkin
   1. Use about 350 gms of pumpkin. After you peel it and discard the fibrous centre, you should have about 200 to 225 gms of pumpkin. 
   2. Scrape off the soft inside of the pumpkin.
   3. Peel the pumpkin and chop the pumpkin into 2″ pieces.
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3. Cooking the Peas (I start with this as it is the most time consuming part)
   1. First, drain all the water from the soaked peas.
   2. Now, wash the soaked peas well under running water and add 1/2 cup fresh water.
   3. Pressure cook the black-eyed for 3 whistles (releases of pressure) or till the black-eyed peas are just soft enough to mash but still hold their shape. If you have not been able to soak the peas for 4 hrs or more, I would recommend you pressure cook for 4 whistles, and then lower the heat and let the peas cook for 10 minutes under pressure.
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   4. When the peas are cooked, discard all the water from the pressure cooked peas.
4. Making the Coconut Paste (I do this when the pumpkin is cooking)
   1. Grind 1/4 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 green chillies with 2-3 tbsp water to a thick, coarse paste.
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5. Making the Mathanga Erissery
   1. To a heavy-bottomed vessel, add the pumpkin cubes, 2 large pinches of turmeric, 1/4 tsp salt and just enough water to cover the pumpkin pieces.
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   2. Over medium flame, cover and cook till the pumpkin pieces are cooked. When the pieces are cooked, they will become translucent and can be cut easily with a spoon.
   3. When the pumpkin is cooked, lower the heat.
   4. Use a spoon to gently break the pieces. Do not mash the pumpkin, just break the pieces. 
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   5. Now add the cooked black-eyed peas and the coconut paste.
   6. Using a gentle hand, mix well.
   7. If needed, add a little water and some salt. Do not add too much water; the Erissery should be like a thick stew.
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   8. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
   9. Turn off the heat.
6. Adding the Tempering
   1. In a tempering ladle, heat 1 tsp Coconut Oil.
   2. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
   3. Next, add 2 red chillies and a few curry leaves.
   4. Stir-fry for a few seconds till the chillies are well-roasted.
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   5. Now add 1 tbsp grated coconut and stir-fry till the coconut dries out a bit, turns light brown and is fragrant.
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   6. Add the tempering to the Mathanga Erissery and mix well.  
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7. Let the Mathanga Erissery rest for 10 minutes before serving as a part of the Onam Sadya or Vishu Sadya. On regular days, just serve it with some rice. It tastes great with rotis as well.

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Recipe for Mathanga Erissery

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Mathanga Erissery: Pumpkin and Black-Eyes Peas Curry for Onam Sadya

Aruna

Mathanga Erissery is a traditional Kerala dish made with Pumpkin and Black-Eyed Peas. This gluten-free, vegan dish is a part of the Sadya, or the festive meals served on Onam and Vishu. In Kerala, this no onion, no garlic recipe uses Vanpayar or red cowpeas but I made it with the easily available black-eyed peas or chowli.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Soaking Time 4 hours hrs

Course Accompaniment, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine Indian, Kerala, South Indian

Servings 4 People

Calories 106 kcal

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker
• Heavy-Bottomed Vessel or Wok
• Bowl for Pressure Cooking
• Spatula
• Grinder
• Knife
• Peeler

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 350 Gms Red Pumpkin
• 1/4 Cup Black-eyed peas (50 gms)

To Grind Together

• 1/4 Cup Grated Fresh Coconut
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 Green Chillies

For Tempering

• 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 Red Chillies
• 1 tbsp Grated Coconut
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
• A Few Curry Leaves

Other Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• Salt to Taste

Instructions

 

Soaking the Peas

• Wash and soak 1/4 cup of black-eyed peas in 1 cup of water for 4 to 6 hours. I normally soak the peas overnight.

Prepping the Pumpkin

• Use about 350 gms of pumpkin. After you peel it and discard the fibrous centre, you should have about 200 to 225 gms of pumpkin.
• Scrape off the soft inside of the pumpkin.
• Peel the pumpkin and chop the pumpkin into 2″ pieces.

Cooking the Peas or Vanpayar (I start with this as it is the most time consuming part)

• Drain all the water from the soaked peas.
• Wash the soaked peas well under running water and add 1/2 cup fresh water.
• Pressure cook the black-eyed for 3 whistles (releases of pressure) or till the black-eyed peas are just soft enough to mash but still hold their shape. If you have not been able to soak the peas for 4 hrs or more, I would recommend you pressure cook for 4 whistles, and then lower the heat and let the peas cook for 10 minutes under pressure.
• When the peas are cooked, discard all the water from the pressure cooked peas.

Making the Coconut Paste (I do this when the pumpkin is cooking)

• Grind 1/4 cup grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 green chillies with 2-3 tbsp water to a thick, coarse paste.

Making the Mathanga Erissery

• To a heavy-bottomed vessel, add the pumpkin cubes, 2 large pinches of turmeric, 1/4 tsp salt and just enough water to cover the pumpkin pieces.
• Over medium flame, cover and cook till the pumpkin pieces are cooked. When the pieces are cooked, they will become translucent and can be cut easily with a spoon.
• When the pumpkin is cooked, lower the heat.
• Use a spoon to gently break the pumpkin pieces. Do not mash the pumpkin.
• Add the cooked black-eyed peas and the coconut paste.
• Using a gentle hand, mix well.
• If needed, add a little water and some salt. Do not add too much water; the Erissery should be like a thick stew.
• Simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Turn off the heat.

Adding the Tempering

• In a tempering ladle, heat 1 tsp Coconut Oil.
• Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
• Add 2 red chillies and a few curry leaves.
• Stir-fry for a few seconds till the chillies are well-roasted.
• Add 1 tbsp grated coconut and stir-fry till the coconut dries out a bit, turns light brown and is fragrant.
• Add the tempering to the Mathanga Erissery and mix well.

Serving Suggestion

• Let the Mathanga Erissery rest for 10 minutes before serving as a part of the Onam Sadya or Vishu Sadya. On regular days, just serve it with some rice. It tastes great with rotis as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 106 kcalCarbohydrates: 14 gProtein: 2 gFat: 6 gSaturated Fat: 5 gSodium: 228 mgPotassium: 394 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 1299 IUVitamin C: 29 mgCalcium: 38 mgIron: 1 mg

Keyword Eriserry, Gluten Free, Mathanga Erissery, No Onion, No Garlic Recipe, Onam Sadya, Pumpkin and Black-eyed Peas in Coconut Gravy, Vegan, Vishu Sadya

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!