Mathanga Erissery (Kerala Style Red Cowpea and Pumpkin Curry)

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Mathanga Erissery is a humble, homely dish served in Kerala meals and festive spreads like Onam, Vishu, weddings, and other special gatherings.

Kerala style Mathanga Erissery served in a metal bowl with visible red cowpeas and roasted coconut topping.

This version adds raw banana (vazhakka) for more body and bite. Pumpkin and coconut bring natural sweetness, gently balanced by the heat of green chillies and chilli powder. Red cowpeas (vanpayar) add a soft, earthy bite. The soft mash and chunky textures come together in a warm, comforting balance.

We will guide you through each step with exact ingredients, simple method, useful tips, easy swaps, storage instructions, and serving ideas so you can make it confidently at home.

Jump to:

What is Mathanga Erissery?
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
Recipe Ingredients
Variations to Try
How To Make Mathanga Erissery? (Step-by-Step Guide)
Tips and Tricks
Serving Suggestions
Storage Instructions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
More Kerala Onam/Vishu Sadhya Recipes to Try
Mathanga Erissery (Kerala Style Red Cowpea and Pumpkin Curry with Coconut)

What is Mathanga Erissery?

Mathanga Erissery is a Kerala dish made with yellow pumpkin (mathangha), red cowpeas (vanpayar), and coconut. The vegetables are cooked, blended with a fresh coconut mix, and finished with a toasted coconut tempering.

It has a thick, scoopable texture and a golden yellow colour from pumpkin, turmeric, and chilli powder. Cowpeas remain scattered along with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chillies, while the pumpkin softens into a mash.

Raw banana, when added, holds its shape and brings more body to the dish. Vanpayar adds soft, earthy bites throughout.

The flavour begins with a natural sweetness from pumpkin and coconut. Green chilli and chilli powder bring gentle heat. The final toasted coconut tempering ties it all together with nutty, roasted depth.

The smell opens with warm coconut oil and mustard. Then comes the mellow sweetness of cooked pumpkin, followed by a subtle earthy trace from the cowpeas.

It ends as a well-balanced dish between sweetness and mild spice. A similar balanced item in Kerala Sadhya is our Pineapple Pachadi.

Why You'll Love This Recipe?

This dish is loved first for its nutrition and balance. It’s naturally gluten-free, filling, and comforting. It completes a Sadhya but also pairs well with kanji. Once ingredients are prepped, it’s easy to cook and bring together.

If you’re planning a full sadya spread, explore God’s Own Feast – Kerala Sadhya Guide for more side dishes to pair with this eriserry.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for Mathanga Erissery including cubed pumpkin, red cowpeas, raw banana, coconut, and spices on a gray background.

1. Mathangha (Yellow Pumpkin)
Use ripe yellow pumpkin for best flavour. Remove the skin and seeds, then chop into 1-inch cubes.

2. Raw Banana (Vazhakkai)
Lightly scrape the skin, no need to peel fully. Cut into 1-inch cubes. You can skip raw banana if needed. It is an optional addition.

3. Red Cowpea (Vanpayar)
Soak red cowpeas overnight in water. This is a key part of erissery and gives it its earthy taste and protein. It is not usually skipped in traditional versions.

4. Other Ingredients
You’ll also need turmeric powder, green chilli, jeerakam (cumin), garlic, grated coconut, mustard seeds, shallots, dried red chilli, and curry leaves. These are staples in most Kerala kitchens.

You’ll find exact quantities and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below. If you're looking for another Sadhya side, try our Avial, a classic mixed vegetable dish with spiced coconut.

Variations to Try

1. Vegetable Options
You can substitute pumpkin with yam (chena), raw banana (vazhakkai), or papaya (kapalanga). A mix of these works too.

2. Legume Swaps
Replace red cowpeas with black-eyed peas or green gram (cherupayar) if you want a lighter version.

3. Skip Raw Banana / legumes /onion
Raw banana is optional and can be left out. Some versions are made without any legumes. This suits days when you want a simpler meal.
Skip onions if you’re following a restricted diet or keeping it plain.

6. Adjust the Consistency
Keep it semi-thick as a side dish, or loosen with water to serve it as a curry. If it turns too watery, a little coconut milk helps balance it.

For another mild, coconut-based dish that balances the Sadhya plate, try our Vendakka Kichadi.

How To Make Mathanga Erissery? (Step-by-Step Guide)

Cooked red cowpeas inside an Instant Pot with water and turmeric before adding pumpkin and banana.

STEP 1: Soak Red Cowpea / payar overnight in 2 cups of water. Add the soaked cowpea along with the water into the pressure cooker. Add extra water up to the level of the cowpea, so that it's completely soaked. Add salt and turmeric powder. Pressure-cook for 2 whistles, or until cowpea is cooked well.

Chopped yellow pumpkin and raw banana cubes with spice powders added to red cowpeas in Instant Pot.

STEP 2: Red cowpea generally takes more time than pumpkin and banana. If cowpea is cooked well after 1st step, remove it from the cooker and keep it aside. Otherwise, cook red cowpea again along with pumpkin and banana. Add chopped pumpkin and banana into the cooker. Add 1 teaspoon salt, chilli powder, and turmeric powder. Pressure-cook for 1 whistle, or until it's cooked.

Coconut, green chilli, jeera, garlic, and shallots placed in a grinder jar for making the coconut mix.

STEP 3: Grind all the ingredients listed under the grind section.

Red cowpeas and pumpkin cooked with ground coconut into a thick erissery gravy in the Instant Pot.

STEP 4: Add the ground coconut mix to the cooker. Let it boil. Switch off the stove.

Roasted grated coconut with dried red chilli and curry leaves being sautéed in a pan for Mathanga Erissery.

STEP 5: Heat 2 teaspoons oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Add red chilli, curry leaves, and grated coconut. Fry until golden brown without burning.

Golden roasted coconut with mustard seeds and curry leaves added to the cooked erissery in Instant Pot.

STEP 6: Add fried coconut mix to the cooker. Mix it well. Serve with rice.

For your next sadya side dish, try a simple thoran like our Cabbage Thoran or Beans Thoran. Both pair well with rice and erissery.

Tips and Tricks

Soak red cowpeas overnight. It reduces cooking time.
Grind the coconut mix coarsely. Not too smooth and not too crude. Medium texture gives the best result.
Mash pumpkin lightly. Keep some texture. It should not be fully mashed or too chunky. Bites in between are best.
Roast the grated coconut on low heat. Don’t let it burn. Stop when it turns golden brown and smells nutty.

This pachadi complements other Kerala sadya favourites like Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti (Long Beans Stir Fry) or Beans Mezhukkupuratti for a wholesome, balanced meal.

Serving Suggestions

Pumpkin Erissery is served with Kerala rice, Kerala Style Sambar, and other sides like avial, thoran, pachadi, and kalan. In a Sadya, it adds a soft, sweet break between the spiced and tangy items on the leaf.

You can keep it semi-thick as a side or loosen it slightly to pour like a curry over rice. It also pairs well with kanji for a light, comforting meal.

Whether it’s Onam, Vishu, wedding feasts, or a simple lunch at home, erissery always brings warmth to the plate.

And at the end of every sadya, a sweet like Palada Payasam is simply unavoidable.

Storage Instructions

Mathanga Erissery stays fresh for 2 to 3 days when stored in a clean, dry, airtight container in the fridge. Let it cool completely before refrigerating to avoid moisture buildup.

Reheat with a splash of hot water or coconut milk to loosen the texture.

Freezing is not recommended. The texture of pumpkin and coconut changes once thawed and may turn grainy.

Along with Erissery, Moru Curry is another Sadhya essential that brings a cooling, sour touch to the plate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I make Mathanga Erissery in an Instant Pot?

Yes. Pressure-cook cowpeas and pumpkin together. Add the coconut mix to it. Simmer for a bit. Finally, add the tempered mustard and roasted coconut on top.

Do I need a pressure cooker to make erissery?

No. You can cook cowpeas in a normal pot, but it takes more time. A pressure cooker just makes it quicker.

More Kerala Onam/Vishu Sadhya Recipes to Try

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have tried this! Please leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment below. Don’t forget to share your photos on Instagram and tag @a_little_bit_of_spice.

Mathanga Erissery (Kerala Style Red Cowpea and Pumpkin Curry with Coconut)