A South Indian Recipe Mor Kuzhambu Curry

Mor Kuzhambu

Mor kuzhambu is a buttermilk or curd-based curry that is popular in South Indian cuisine. Mor kulambu is similar to kadhi which is enjoyed often in North India. Mor kulambu is easy to make and there are at least two versions of a more kuzhambu recipe you can try. One way to learn how to make mor kuzhambu is with coconut paste, or you can make an instant version that tastes similar to kadhi.

When you prepare a moor kulambu recipe, you can add some vegetables to the curry or skip the vegetables altogether. Ash gourd, also known as winter melon or white pumpkin is a popular choice for mor kulambu and you can also add okra (aka laday finger) to the recipe to add more vitamins and minerals to the dish. In addition to these veggies, you can also add brinjal, potato, taro roots or chow chow to the mor kuzhambu.

Making a Mor Kuzhambu Recipe with Different Vegetables

Here are some of the vegetable suggestions for a tasty more kulambu dish:

Okra-You can saute the okra with some oil until it is almost cooked before adding it to the curry mixture.

Potato (aloo)-This ingredient tastes great in mor kulambu. Pressure cook or boil the potatoes, chop them, and add them to the curry.

Drumstick-If you want to use this for your mor kuzhambu recipe, scrape and peel them, them chop the drumstick and cook it in water until it is nearly done before adding it to the curry.

Brinjal (eggplant)-Saute these veggies in some oil util they are fully cooked. You may also want to add a little water while cooking the eggplant.

Chow chow-If you’re using chow chow for mor kulambu, peel and boil it in water until nearly cooked.

Taro roots-You can pressure cook or boil the roots before peeling and chopping them to incorporate into the curry.

Amaranth or spinach leaves-chop the leaves, then blanch and mash them to add them to the curd.

Mor Kuzhambu Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for each step of preparing mor kuzhambu:

For the ground paste, you’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon of pigeon pea lentils

• 1 teaspoon fo coriander seeds

• half a teaspoon of cumin seeds

• half a teaspoon of raw rice

• 1/4 cup of hot water (for soaking)

• 3-4 green chile peppers

• half an inch of ginger

• 5-6 curry leaves

• 1/4 grated coconut

To cook the white pumpkin, you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups of chopped white pumpkin

• 1 cup of water (add as needed)

• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder

Additional Ingredients

• 1 cup of thick yogurt (the curd should be beaten well and slightly sour)

• salt, to taste

To temper the more kulambu, you need:

• 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of oil

• half a teaspoon of mustard seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds

• 1-2 dry red chile peppers (break and remove the seeds)

• a pinch of asafoetida

• 7-8 curry leaves

Instructions for Preparation

The first step is to make the paste. Take the pigeon peas, coriander, cumin, and rice and rinse these ingredients in a tea strainer. If you don’t have rice, rice flour will work as well. Place the ingredients in a bowl and add the hot water. Soak the ingredients for 20 minutes. Put the ingredients in a small grinder, add the green chiles and ginger, along with the curry leaves and coconut. Grind the ingredients into a paste and set the paste aside.

Next, you’ll need to prepare the curd. Take a cup of thick curd and put it in a pan or bowl. Beat it until it has a smooth consistency. Add the ground coconut paste and water. Mix thoroughly and set it aside.

While the lentils and rice are soaking, cook the white pumpkin. Rinse, peel and chop the pumpkin and place it in a pan. Add the turmeric and water, stirring often. Cover the pan and heat on medium-low flame. Check the mixture throughout the cooking process and stir as needed. Simmer the pumpkin until it is nearly cooked.

Preparing the Mor Kuzhambu

Turn the heat to low or turn the heat off and add the curd and coconut mixture. Stir well. Season with salt to taste and stir again. Simmer the curd on low heat, stirring occasionally. Once you see the kuzhambu come to a boil, turn off the flame and set the kuzhambu aside.

Making the Tempering

Heat the oil in a small pan; safflower oil, gingelly oil, or ghee work well for this recipe. Add the mustard seeds. Allow the seeds to crackle, then add the fenugreek. Add the red chilies, curry leaves, and pinch of asafoetida. Stir and turn off the heat.

Pour the tempering onto the kulambu. Cover the dish for about five minutes to infuse all the flavors. Serve the dish with steamed rice.

Enjoy!

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