(যদি) কুমড়োপটাশ নাচে- খবরদার এসোনা কেউ আস্তাবলের কাছে;
চাইবে নাকো ডাইনে বায়ে চাইবে নাক পাছে;চার পা তুলে থাকবে ঝুলে হট্টমূলার গাছে!
And my little pumpkin’s journey of listening to “Kumro Potash” started week before last week! It is truly said that time flies! She has completed two years in September and all set to join play school. However, she is not much fond of talking alike her super talkative mother and for me she is true copy of her father. I have tried with several poems including “Johny Johny”, Twinkle Twinkle” or “Ata gache Tota pakhi” but she did not reacted to any. I was quite worried given she has not started speaking fluently and almost with a sour mind started reciting “Kumropotash” a famous Bengali Poem by late Sukumar Roy on the eve of Halloween and surprisingly she started reacting to it…”Momma Potaaaash” and proud mom with heights of enthusiasm completed the poem and ended on celebrating with Pumpkin Cupcake! Surprisingly it was Halloween on that day and My deshi “Kumropotash got mixed with the Halloween Pumpkin and served as Pumpkin Cupcake.
On this thought let me share some more details on both “Kumropotash” and Halloween. “Kumro Potash” is actually a famous children poem written by Sukumar Roy and is part of his celebrated creation “Abol Tabol” where Kumropotash is a “Pumpkin looking” creature. Abol Tabol is a set of “Nonsense Poem” and for me Abol Tabol is something I want to elaborate further to my daughter to make her aware about the richness of Bengali Language. On the other hand, Halloween, is celebrated mostly in Western countries to remember near and dear dead persons. One of the famous Halloween activities is to decorate Pumpkins!
Since both Kumropotash and Halloween Pumpkin met pasta on same day; I have decided to celebrate the day with Pumpkin Cupcake (read; a mother’s weird trick to add pumpkin to daughter’s diet). In general Pasta is not much fond of Pumpkin (this time, alike her mother) and her pathetic mother always try to find out wired ways of adding veggies to her diet.
I was available with a big size Pumpkin last week and was well aware that in my absence (I am traveling this week) nobody is going to cook that in my place! Finally little effort (really little) and I ended on some super moist and amazingly flavourful Pumpkin Cupcakes with a topping of Cream cheese and grated Pumpkin and best part is pasta cherished the Pumpkin Cupcake! Pumpkin Cupcakes are both healthy and tasty and since added with a powder of Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and Clove, those emit a superb aroma upon baking. In addition, I have added some Cashew nut, Cherries and Tutti Frutti to my cupcakes. For frosting I took some Cream Cheese and mixed that with pulp of Pumpkin and then voila….
- Whole Wheat Flour: 2 Cup (300g)
- Baking Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Baking Soda: 1 Tsp.
- Salt: ½ Tsp. (optional)
- Egg: 2
- Pumpkin puree: 1.5 Cup (250 g)
- Refined Oil: ¾ Cup (100 ml)
- Hung Curd: ⅓ Cup (50 ml)
- Vanilla Essence: 3-4 drops
- Sugar: 1 Cup (150 g)
- Cinnamon: 1”
- Dry Ginger Powder: ½”
- Clove: 4-5
- Nutmeg: ¼
- Cashew nut: 10-15
- Cherrie: 8-10
- Tutti Frutti / Candied Papaya: 1 Tbsp.
- Cream Cheese: 100g
- Pumpkin Puree: ½ Cup
- Red Food colour: 1 drop
- Yellow Food Colour: 1 drop
- Icing Sugar: 3 Tbsp.
- Take Cinnamon, Dry ginger, Nutmeg and clove and ground into a smooth powder. This spice mix will be added to the cupcake batter later on.
- Remove the Skin of a medium sized Pumpkin and cut into small pieces and then using the wet jar of the grinder make smooth puree and run through a strainer. I made 1.5 Cup of Pumpkin puree.
- Preheat oven in 180 degree c for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl shift Whole Wheat Flour along with Baking Powder, Baking Soda and salt.
- Add 1 Tsp. of “Spice Mix” to the Flour mixture.
- In another bowl take 2 eggs in room temperature and mix using a hand blender until the eggs turn fluffy.
- Now add Oil to the mixture and using the bender blend properly.
- Add Curd, Vanilla Essence and give it a mix again.
- Add Sugar to beaten eggs and mix again for 30 second or until sugar mixes properly.
- Add 1 Cup of Pumpkin Puree and again mix.
- Now add Flour mix in three batches to the Wet mixture and mix property using cut and fold method. Don’t overmix in this stage.
- Chop Cashew Nut, Cherries and Tutti Frutti and mix lightly with the batter
- Line a Cupcake tray with paper liners and pour 3 Tbsp. of the batter in each Cupcake liner.
- Now bake Cupcakes in the preheated oven for 15 minutes in 180 degree c and check after 15 minute by inserting a toothpick whether the cupcakes are done or not.
- If required bake for few more minutes.
- Remove Pumpkin Cupcakes from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Cream Cheese and Pumpkin Puree should be refrigerated before making the frosting.
- Take Cream Cheese in a bowl and using a hand blender blend it for 1 minute in medium speed.
- Add Icing Sugar and Pumpkin puree and mix properly.
- Add ½ Tsp. of “spice mix” and mix it again.
- Divide the frosting into two parts and mix 1 drop of Red food colouring in one part and yellow food colouring in another part.
- Take Cream cheese and Pumpkin frosting in a piping bag and decorate Pumpkin Cupcakes with it.
Refined Oil can be replaced with Butter
Let me end with legendary “Kumropotash”; a poem very close to my heart!
