Dudhiye Phoola Upkari

                Dudhiye Phool is nothing but pumpkin flower upkari.It is one of the most favourite upkari among konkanis.More than the pumpkin we all love the phodi prepared from the leaves and flower upkari.Upkari is a dry curry had as a side dish with rice.If u have a pumpkin creeper you need not waste anything, you can prepare 4 variety of tasty curry out of this creeper.Use the leaves for Duddhi Panna Podi (mature leaves phodi), flower,bud and tender leaves of the creeper used to prepare upkari, the bud is dipped in besan batter and deep fried to make bajo and the tender stem is chopped into 1 cm long and added along with horsegram (kulith) to make koddel.You can also prepare this upkari just with its flowers if you have some 20-25 flowers.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin Flowers/combine flower,bud and tender leaves-25 nos
• Coconut gratings-1 tbsp
• Jaggery- a small piece
• Salt to taste 

For Seasoning:

• Mustard-1 tsp
• Uraddhal-1 tsp
• Dry Red chillies 1-2 nos
• Hing- a pinch
• Oil-1 tsp

1. Method:
   Pluck the flowers in the morning,if you don’t get enough flowers you can add few buds and tender leaves also.
2. Now take each flower in your hand and tap it to the floor or table then cut open the flower and the bud to remove insect/worms inside it.                                        
3. Chop the cleaned flowers /  leaves & buds too. wash with water and salt and keep aside              
4. Prepare seasoning in a pan.Heat oil then crackle mustard,add uradhal, red chillies broken and hing.
5. Now add the chopped flowers add salt and sprinkle water.close with a lid and cook.mix occasionally
6. When half done add grated coconut and a small piece of jaggery and saute well. Cook till the water is completely dry.

Tasty upkari is ready to serve.