Mor Kuzhambu - SPICY BUTTER MILK KUZHAMBU

Mor kuzhambu is a traditional dish among South Indians which is made with buttermilk and is made during festivals and special occasions. This kuzhambu can be made with many vegetables such as ladies finger, ash gourd, pumpkin, drumstick etc and can be made in several variations.  I am posting the recipe which I learnt from my mother.  This can be mixed with hot steamed rice with a teaspoon of ghee and it would taste wonderful.  

I prepared this last week and coincidentally one of our common friend visited us for lunch with her husband.  She liked it with very much. 

Ingredients:

Thick Butter milk - 2 cups

Ash gourd  - 1 cup

Soaked toor dhal and bengal gram - 2 tsps each

Coconut:  1 small cup

Green chilly - 8

Jeera - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dhaniya/coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida - 1 small piece

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

To Temper

Mustard seeds - a tsp

Red chilly - 1

Curry leaves - few

Preparation:

1. Soak a teaspoon of toor dhal and bengal gram in water for half an hour.

2.  Boil ash gourd with little water adding turmeric powder and salt.

3.  In a pan, with little oil, roast asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, urad dhal, and coriander seeds.  While all had fried well, lastly add the green chilly and switch off the flame.  Grind this along with coconut, jeera, and soaked toor dhal.

4.  Take 2 cups of curd and beat it without any lumps adding little water and keep this butter milk aside.  When the ash gourd had cooked well, add the ground paste and mix well.  Let it boil for 2 minutes.  Then add the buttermilk and mix well.  Switch off the flame in a minute when you see start seeing froth on the top of the vessel.

5.  Temper the gravy with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chilly.

6.  Serve this kuzhambu with hot steamed rice.  We had it with yam fry and drumstick leaves curry.