BENGALI PUMPKIN CURRY

1 Whole Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, peeled, cut into large 1 ½ inch cubes
2 Dried Red Chilies or fresh Green Chiles (whole)
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Panch Phoran spice mix
1/4 Rice Bran oil
1 tsp Red Chili powder
to taste Salt and Pepper

Panch Phoran 5 Spice Mixture (Mix 1/2 tsp each)
- Fennel seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Nigella seeds
- Brown mustard seeds
- Fenugreek seeds

1. Add rice bran oil to a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. When oil is hot, add panch phoran spice mixture, dried red chilies, and sugar and let spice mixture sizzle for a minute.

If using green chilies, cut off the stem end and gently cut into the middle of the chili to open it, but don’t cut all the way through

3. Add squash to the pot and add spice mix Panch Phoran, oil and squash together

4. Add chili powder and a bit of salt, sugar if needed

5. Add a ¼ cup of water to help the squash steam, reduce the flame to low and let cook until squash is soft and mushy.

6. Serve with rice and/or rotis