OMBHAL

North Eastern States of India are collectively known as the ‘ Seven Sisters ‘ , which was named in 1972. The Seven Sisters comprise Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland & Tripura. Later in 1975, Sikkim is included as 8th state.
Nagaland is the magnificent state with magnanimous culinary treasures & shares it’s boundaries with Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar & Manipur. The cuisine of Nagas is basically spicy with many varieties of chillies available here. Though smoking, fermenting & sun drying are techniques used in Naga cooking, here is a recipe of pickle cum vegetable curry cooked with tamarind & jaggery . Pork, meat & fish are commonly used along with bamboo shoots & vegetables & in few vegetarian recipes ,I chose this one. Ombhal is also in cuisine of other seven sister states too.
Ombhal tastes best with aromatic rice.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves : 2 persons

Ingredients:

250 grams pumpkin
1/4 cup tamarind water
1/4 cup jaggery
1 tsp oil
1 bay leaf
2 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel, discard seeds & cut pumpkin into dices.

2. Add tamarind water & cook on a low flame until it becomes mushy.

3. Then with the help of fork mash it roughly.

4. Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, bay leaf & dry red chillies.

5. Once mustard seeds splutters , add the pumpkin mixture & salt.
6. Cook for a while.
7. Add jaggery & let it cool till it becomes little thick. Turn off the flame, add lemon juice.
8. Serve hot with rice.

Note:
1. Can add raisins too.