Stir-fried orange pumpkin

Ingredients: 2 tbspolive or peanut oil * ¼ tsp urad dal * ¼ tsp whole mustard seeds * 1-2dried hot red chilli peppers * 1small onion chopped * 450 gpeeled and seeded pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1 cm dice * ¾ cupwater * ¾ tsp fine sea salt, plus more as needed * 1 tbspdark brown sugar * 1 tspground cumin * ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

*   Pour the oil into a medium pan over medium heat. Add the urad dal. As soon as the dal starts to change colour, about 30 seconds, add the mustard seed and chillies. Once the mustard seed starts to pop and the chillies darken, just a minute or less, add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion just starts to soften, around 2 minutes. Next, add the pumpkin and cook, stirring, until the pumpkin and onion begin to brown. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.

*    Stir in the water, salt, brown sugar, cumin and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid is barely bubbling. Cover and cook until the pumpkin is just barely soft enough to pierce easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.