This Pumpkin Masala is Indian style sweet-spicy curry made using basic Indian spices in Instant Pot Pressure cooker.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • 2 green chilies (slit lengthwise)
  • 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 500 grams yellow pumpkin (peeled and diced about 1/2 inch pieces (about 3.5-4 cups))
  • 1/2 cup water
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves

Dry Spices

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon amchur powder ((or 1 tablespoon lemon juice))

Method

  1. Peel the pumpkin skin and dice it into ½ inch pieces.

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil to the POT. Once hot, add cumin seeds, let them splutter.
  2. Next, add minced ginger, green chili, and onions. Saute till onions turn light brown.
  3. Then add diced pumpkin, dry spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, water, and mix well. Deglaze the pot, i.e., Make sure to scrape off any spice if sticking to the pot to avoid BURN alert.
  4. Close the lid on the pot. Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and the timer to 3 MINUTES. When the instant pot beeps, Do a QUICK RELEASE (QR).
  5. Remove lid away from you, add garam masala, amchur powder (dry mango powder), and mix well. Add sugar if the pumpkin is not sweet, but it's optional. If there is extra water in the curry, turn on the saute mode and cook for 1-2 minutes to get the right consistency according to your preference.
  6. Lastly, garnish with coriander leaves. Pumpkin Masala or Kaddu ki sabji is ready, serve with hot with chapatis, roti & parathas.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:

  1. Follow the process mentioned as the Instant Pot. Give 1-2 whistles and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Stovetop Kadai/Pan Method:

  1. Follow the process mentioned as the Instant Pot. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame until the pumpkin gets soft (5-7 minutes). Do stir once or twice in between. Once the pumpkin is cooked, add garam masala, amchur powder, and garnish with cilantro. All the other steps remain the same.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.