Red Cowpea(payar), pumpkin and raw banana cooked in flavorful coconut gravy. This dish is called Mathanga Erisseri in Kerala and one of the popular recipe for Onam/Vishu Sadya. This is an easy and delicious Red Cowpea, and Pumpkin curry and goes well with rice. Check out more on Onam/God’s own festival. Here are other Onam/Vishu recipes:
Pineapple Pachadi
Ladys finger kichadi
Cabbage thoran
Sambhar
Palada Payasam / Pradhaman

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Red Cowpea (Red Payar)

1 cup

Pumpkin

1/2 kilogram

Raw Banana (medium size)

2 number

salt

1 teaspoon

turmeric powder

1 teaspoon

chilli powder

1 teaspoon

grated coconut

1 1/2 cup

Shallots

4 number

garlic

2 number

green chilli

4 number

Jeerakam

1 pinch

mustard seeds

1 teaspoon

curry leaves

2 sprig

dry red chilli

3 number

grated coconut

1 1/2 cup

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.

Remove pumpkin skin. Scrape the raw banana skin a bit. You don't have to remove the whole banana skin. Chop pumpkin and raw banana into 1-inch cube pieces.
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 tsp salt, chilli powder, and turmeric powder. Pressure cook for 1 whistle or until it's cooked.
Grind all the ingredients listed under the grind section. Add the ground coconut mix to the cooker. Let it boil. Switch off the stove.

Heat 2 tsp oil in another thick bottomed pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Add dried red chilli and curry leaves. Once sauteed, add grated coconut. Fry the coconut until brown. Please make sure that it doesn't get burnt.