Mor Kulambu Recipe | Easy Mor Kuzhambu
Mor Kulambu is a traditional South Indian dish made with yogurt or buttermilk. It has a tangy taste and is lightly spiced. In this recipe, ash gourd is cooked in a smooth coconut paste made with rice, lentils, and spices. The curried dish is finished with a simple tempering and served with steamed rice.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tuvar dal ((arhar dal, tur dal, hulled and split pigeon pea lentils))
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp raw rice
- 1/4 cup hot water (- for soaking)
- 3 to 4 green chilies (or add as required)
- 1 inch ginger
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 1/4 cup coconut (- fresh and grated)
- 1.5 cup white pumpkin (- chopped (petha, ash gourd, winter melon))
- 1 cup water (or add as required)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup curd (thick and slightly sour, beaten)
- salt (as per taste)
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil (- sesame oil or sunflower oil or ghee or preferred neutral flavored oil)
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies (– broken, stems and seeds removed)
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida ((hing))
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
Instructions
- 1
Take tuvar dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and raw rice in a plate or bowl.
- 2
Using a fine tea strainer rinse them. You can use any type of white rice. If you do not have rice, then 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice flour can be added instead while grinding.
- 3
Then take all of them in a bowl. Add ¼ cup hot water. Soak for 20 minutes.
- 4
Then take the soaked tuvar dal, coriander seeds etc along with the soaked water in a small grinder jar or chutney grinder.
- 5
Add chopped green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and grated coconut.
- 6
Grind to a smooth and fine paste. Set aside.
- 7
Take the thick curd which is slightly sour in a bowl or pan. Beat or whisk it till smooth.
- 8
Add the ground coconut paste. Then add 1 cup water. Mix very well. Keep aside.
- 9
Meanwhile when the rice and lentils are soaking, you can cook the pumpkin. Rinse, peel and chop ash gourd into 0.5 to 1 inch cubes. Take the chopped ash gourd in a pan.
- 10
Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.
- 11
Cover the pan and keep it on a medium-low heat. In between do check and give a stir.
- 12
Simmer till the pumpkin is almost cooked.
- 13
Reduce the heat to a low or you can turn off the heat. Then add the buttermilk mixture. Mix well.
- 14
Season with salt as per taste. Mix again.
- 15
Simmer the mor kuzhambu on a low heat. Do stir occasionally.
- 16
The entire kuzhambu has to come to a gentle simmer. Once you see the kuzhambu simmering, then turn off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
- 17
Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil in a tadka pan or small pan. You can use gingelly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds) or sunflower oil or safflower oil or even ghee.
- 18
Add mustard seeds.
- 19
Let the mustard seeds crackle. When the mustard seeds crackle, add fenugreek seeds.
- 20
Quickly add red chilies, curry leaves and a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and turn off heat.
- 21
Pour this tempering mixture in the More Kulambu. Cover with a lid for five minutes and let the flavors infuse.
- 22
Serve Mor Kulambu with steamed rice.