#115 Aunt V's Best Tuna Curry with Pumpkin

A road trip to Ohio was part of our yearly vacations when the girls were younger and they had a great time with Aunt V and Uncle C and kids. Every time we drove down to visit Aunt V, she always remembered to cook up her mouth watering fish curry with Pumpkin. The loving aunt that she is, she always made it clear that it was just for me since it was my all-time favorite along with her Almond Burfi. I forget that I have two grown children, she makes me feel like a kid all over again. My aunt by marriage to my uncle she makes some creative desserts and curries and is one amazing cook. Although she has shared her recipe with me I can never make it as good as she can.  Aunt V has been very sick for the last few months, and I want to pray and let her know how much I care about her by attempting to follow her original recipe. Get Well Soon Aunt V!
It is quick and easy if you have a couple of cans of solid tuna in water and pumpkin in your home or if you choose, you could use any cubes of fleshy white fish. A spicy, tart curry with the sweet touch of pumpkin served with a warm bowl of steamed rice it is fabulous!! So, I rolled up my sleeves, made endless blunders and with careful preparation I replicated my favorite Aunt V's best fish and Pumpkin curry. It was almost the same but not quite...

Ingredients:
Tuna Can- 2 cans drained of all the liquid
Shallots- 3
Large Green Chillies- 4 cubed
Kashmiri Chilli powder- 2 Tblspns
Pumpkin cubed into 1/2 inch cubes- 1/2 cup
Ginger- 1/2 inch piece
Garlic- 3 cloves
Coriander powder- 1 tspn
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tspn
Tomatoes- 1 chopped
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig
Kudampuli-2 or regular tamarind- 1 Tblspn
salt, ground pepper, Oil, mustard seeds, Methi seeds and Red chillies.

Method:
1. Process together coarsely the shallots, green chillies, tomatoes, ginger and garlic.
2. Take a deep pan and add some oil to it. Add methi seeds and toast and drain out from the oil. Powder coarsely and keep aside.
3. Add the broken red chillies to the oil and the coarsely processed onion mixture. Saute for a minute.
4. Add coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder and pepper and saute.
5. Add 1 cup water, kudampuli or tamarind and pumpkin and cook the vegetable.
6. Add salt when the pumpkin is cooked and then the tuna along with curry leaves and powdered methi. Turn off the fire. Mix gently and keep for some time.
7. Tastes absolutely delicious overnight.