Pumpkin & shrimp verdur is a delicious and hearty Goan seafood curry, that pairs well with some steamed rice or pav bread.
Hello folks!
I have yet another Goan favorite, to share with you guys!
As Goa was a former Portuguese colony, most of the Goan cuisine is heavily influenced by the Portuguese. Verduras is actually a Portuguese word, which literally means cooked vegetables. Today I’ve used pumpkin along with shrimps for this verdur. It is quite common to use bottle gourd in this verdur recipe, even okra can be used here. Instead of fresh shrimps/prawns, dried prawns may also be used.
In Goa, we have an interesting tradition which is largely followed till date. A day before the wedding, the entire neighborhood is invited for a meal, this meal is prepared in remembrance of the departed souls. This dish is most certainly prepared as one of the entrees.
The flavor of coriander dominates this dish, with a subtle heat from the green chillies, the fibrous pumpkin along with the succulent shrimps definitely makes this dish amazingly yum. It is perfect with a plate of steaming hot rice!
Table of Contents
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE GOAN PRAWN CURRIES
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE PUMPKIN & SHRIMP VERDUR
1.In an electric mixer/ grinder, add grated coconut, garlic cloves, peppercorns, 1 green chilly, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder. Grind to a smooth paste, initially with 1/2 cup water, pulse everything 2-3 times, then add another 1/2 cup water and grind to a very smooth paste. Arrange a cheesecloth over a strainer ( or simply use a very fine mesh strainer, and skip using the cheesecloth) and a container below, Put this ground mixture over the cheesecloth, squeeze the cloth and collect the extract in a container (This is the thick extract). Put the coconut + spices residue back in the grinder, add another cup of water, grind to a smooth paste, collect the extract in another container (This is the thin extract).
2.Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat , sauté chopped onions until translucent.
3.Add shrimps and green chillies, cook until the shrimps are par cooked and turn opaque about 1-2 minutes.
4.Add tomatoes, cook until they soften up.
5.Add the cubed pumpkin , cook until it softens.
6.Add the thin coconut milk extract , bring to a boil.
7.Now, add the thick coconut extract , salt and sugar, mix well and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Check for seasoning, adjust accordingly
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN & SHRIMP VERDUR?
Pumpkin & Shrimp Verdur
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 1 lb pumpkin, cut into 1 X 1 inch cubes
- 8 oz / 250 gms shrimps or prawns deveined, washed and marinated with salt for 15 minutes.
- 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5-6 peppercorns
- 2 green chillies, I used Serrano chillies
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In an electric mixer/ grinder, add grated coconut, garlic cloves, peppercorns, 1 green chilly, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder. Grind to a smooth paste, initially with 1/2 cup water, pulse everything 2-3 times, then add another 1/2 cup water and grind to a very smooth paste. Arrange a cheesecloth over a strainer ( or simply use a very fine mesh strainer, and skip using the cheesecloth) and a container below, Put this ground mixture over the cheesecloth, squeeze the cloth and collect the extract in a container (This is the thick extract). Put the coconut + spices residue back in the grinder, add another cup of water, grind to a smooth paste, collect the extract in another container (This is the thin extract)
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat, sauté chopped onions until translucent.
- Add shrimps and green chillies, cook until the shrimps are par-cooked and turn opaque about 1-2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, cook until they soften up.
- Add the cubed pumpkin, cook, until it softens.
- Add the thin coconut milk extract, bring to a boil.
- Now, add the thick coconut extract, salt and sugar, mix well and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Check for seasoning, adjust accordingly
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
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Regards,
Freda
What an interesting history behind this lovely, colourful dish. It has a great combination of ingredients that make it sound really delicious. Your photos are wonderful!
Thanks so much, Millie 🙂
Looks so delicious!
Thanks so much 🙂
Love the flavours in there Freda…. sounds great…
Thank you so much dear 🙂
Very interesting combo. Looks YUMMY!
Thanks so much Kushi 🙂
So yummy 🙂 I am so trying this for sure… and that pumpkin dish looks super !
ME TOO! Looks super gooooooood! Wish I could have this for dinner tonight hahaa, but I’ll need to find some fresh shrimp first 🙂 The pumpkin dish is too cute!
hahaha!!! Thanks so much Cher! glad you liked it 🙂
Thanks a bunch dearie 🙂 There were too many cute dishes out here for fall , resisted the urge to buy everything :p
I can imagine …
Lovely lovely lovely color and presentation Freda 🙂
Thanks so much dear 🙂
Love that pumpkin bowl! It matches so well.
🙂
Hi… This looks yumm again… ?????there is an almost similar dish in bengali with prawns called “Lau chingri” bottle guard with prawns ..so couldn’t stop the comparisons erupting in my kind.. ?A great dish overall . ??????
Wow ! That’s great Neethu ! I didn’t know about that dish , thanks for enlightening me ?
Love it, I remember this so well Freda. I like how you’ve extracted the coconut juices, the real Goan way, or maybe the westernized Goan way, because in Goa, they would use the grinding stone :). The ingredients are perfect!
Hehe, yes Loretta ! I remember my grandma grinding all the masalas on a grinding stone ! Those flavours are amazing in their own way 🙂 glad you liked it! Thanks so much for stopping by !
Pumpkin and shrimps… Unique combo ??????
Thanks so much dear ?
Lovely! Loved this recipe a lot! Btw which pumpkin did you use?
Thanks Lina ! I used this pumpkin that is probably called Cinderella variety , attaching a link for you to see the image -http://winedineguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Pumpkin-ID-Chart.jpg
Cool…will chk it…thanks
I forget to tell you Lina, you can use dudhi, we don’t get it here, so thought of using pumpkin:)
Oh nice…I’ll try it
Looks awesome. And such inviting pics. Wow
Thanks a bunch dear 🙂
Looks flavorful..love ur click
Thanks so much Vidya 🙂
Freda your verdura looks muito gostoso 🙂
Hehe ! Thsnks Nandini ! It’s nice to hear Konkani words :p
Wow!! I had never heard of this dish before…it looks so good! I love coming to your blog, especially to see some of the lovely Goan recipes you share dear ?
That’s so sweet of you Shamira , thanks dear ! Now that I see you have uploaded a pic , you look so pretty 🙂
Aww you always give me the sweetest compliment sweetie..thank you so much ?
your dish looks very lovely!!!
Thanks a lot Gloria 🙂
Looks delicious! It’s also great to learn a bit about the origins and uses of the dish. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
That means so much coming from you Ronit ! Yes it’s always great to learn about the origin of certain dishes, very intriguing ! Thanks so much 🙂
Love it Freda, what a delicious combination. Your pictures make me hungry!!
Thanks heaps Suzanne 🙂
Gorgeous pictures and wonderful dish Freda! Your photos are amazing and I love the ingredients!
Thanks so much for the appreciation , Lynn :*
a very different and lovely dish!
Thanks once again , Dear Lynn 🙂
welcome!