Go Back
Print

Mor Kuzhambu

Mor kuzhambu is a traditional South Indian yoghurt-coconut based curry. Simple, light and refreshing curry that is served with steaming white rice.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Tamil Nadu
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Soaking time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3 persons

Ingredients

  • 2 cups thick buttermilk, slightly sour
  • Vegetables (radish, okra, ash gourd, pumpkin, colocasia) refer instructions section on how to use it
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Salt for taste

Soak and grind

  • ½ cup grated coconut
  • 2 green chillies
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon raw rice refer notes
  • 1 tablespoon toor dal (split yellow peas)
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger (adjust more or less as per your taste preference)

To Temper

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil refer notes
  • 4 to 5 curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon split urad dal ( split and husked black gram)
  • ½ teaspoon asafoetida

Instructions

Coconut paste

  1. Soak all the ingredients (except grated coconut) mentioned under "To grind" in water for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and grind it to a smooth paste along with coconut. Add very little water to grind. It should be a thick paste. 

Vegetables

  1. If you are using radish, ash gourd or pumpkin or potatoes (½ cup for the above mentioned recipe) : Peel and chop them in bite sized chunks. Cook them in boiling water for about 10 minutes or until they are tender. Add salt while cooking. Drain any excess water and keep them aside. Add this while cooking the kuzhambu.

  2. For colocasia (about 10 small sized ones or 6-7 medium sized): You can either pressure cook for 2 whistles (indian pressure cooker) or about 10 minutes on high. If not, boil them on stove top until they become tender. Add salt while cooking and also half them if they are bigger. Drain any excess water and keep them aside. Add this while cooking the kuzhambu.

  3. For Okra (½ cup finely chopped ): Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a small skillet, fry the okra until they become crispy. Add little salt at the end of frying. Mix okra only at the end after making the kuzhambu along with the tempering. 

For making the kuzhambu

  1. In a saucepan add buttermilk, turmeric powder, cooked veggies and ground paste. Simmer this until it starts foaming on the top. Immediately remove it from the heat. Do not cook this on high flame. Yogurt will curdle.  (refer notes) Do not add salt to the kuzhambu now. 

Tempering

  1. In a pan heat coconut oil over medium heat and once it is hot, add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the curry leaves, urad dahl and once it starts browning turn off the heat and add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
  2. Pour this over the kuzhambu. Mix well.  

    Serve it warm (not hot) and add salt just before serving. (4)

Recipe Notes

  1. Addition of raw rice is to thicken the consistency. You can also use rice flour instead of raw rice. 
  2. As this is a coconut based gravy, coconut oil enhances the flavour really well. But you can also use any neutral normal cooking oil.
  3. If you add salt while making kuzhambu, it will separate the water content from the yogurt and  it makes the gravy thin and runny.  Salt as the tendency to draw out water from substances.