Mor Kuzhambu / Poosanikkai Mor Kuzhambu - A South Indian Main Course with Ash Gourd cooked in a delicious Coconut and Yogurt based gravy with a tempering in coconut oil in true South Indian Style. (Gluten Free) (Vegetarian)
Mor Kuzhambu is a popular South Indian Main Course Recipe (Curry or Gravy) that simply translates as Buttermilk Gravy. It is South Indian equivalent of a Kadhi. Even though this curry is made with a variety of vegetables, we love Poosanikai or Ash Gourd, Winter Melon.
This is Tamil Brahmin’s go to recipe when there is excess sour buttermilk, curd or Mor at home. Very similar to how North Indians deal with excess sour yogurt or curd by making Kadhi. In Summers, such recipes come handy.
This Tamil Brahmin Style Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu is made with a coconut-buttermilk gravy and is mildly spiced. Tastes best with rice as Main course and a side of vegetable – poriyal, thoran.
If you are making this for Sunday Lunch, go all out and include a pachadi as well. Don’t forget the papadam please!
Side Dish Recipes for Mor Kuzhmabu
- Vazhaipoo Paruppu Usili – The perfect side dish according to me for Mor Kuzhambu is an Usili. If you haven’t tried this combination yet, please do
- Achinga Payar Thoran (long beans thoran) - As seen in the pic above.
- Cabbage Poriyal
- Beans Carrot Thoran
Also, don’t forget to grind some Thogayal. Whenever I make Mor Kuzhambu at home, I often grind a thogayal along with it. Tastes excellent, helps in digestion too. My personal favourite is Pudina Thogayal.
In summers, I often serve the Kuzhambu with Idichakka Thoran or Raw Jackfruit Sabzi which is seasonal and Mango Thokku (Mango Pickle).
North India hails their Kadhi Pakoras and we have an equivalent version made with fried fritters called Paruppu Urundai Mor Kuzhambu.
They are basically lentil vadas (similar to masala vada) deep fried and dunked in the buttermilk gravy. Quite similar to the assorted pakoras or urad dal pakodas dunked in North Indian Kadhi.
I will share the recipe of Paruppu Urundai Mor Kuzhambu with you all very soon. During my recent visit to Trichy, I have jotted down the detailed recipe from Narayan’s Chithi (Aunt) and will be sharing the recipe soon.
Vegetables for Mor Kuzhambu
While the gravy recipe remains same, you can experiment with a variety of vegetables that is available in your refrigerator.
- Vendakkai or Lady Finger (Bhindi) is a crowd favourite. It is sautéed or deep fried and added to the gravy just before serving.
- Chembu/Arbi or Colocasia – One of my top favourite! They are soft and melt in mouth. This needs to be cooked, peeled and added to the gravy.
- Senai Kilangu or Yam – Peel, wash twice (mud particles)
- Vazhakkai or Raw Banana – Peel, chop into chunks and add to the gravy.
Step by Step Mor Kuzhambu Recipe
Mor Kuzhambu (Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu)
Ingredients
- 500 gms Ash Gourd (washed, peeled, deseeded and cubed) Read notes below on correct cooking method
- 1 cup Grated Coconut 1 cup is 250 ml (use heaped cup)
- 3-4 nos. Green chillies
- 2 tsp Raw Rice Read notes below
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 3/4 cup Thick Yogurt or curd (preferably slightly sour) Read notes below
- Water (2 cups to cook the ash gourd + extra to grind and adjust consistency of gravy as required)
- salt to taste
- FOR TEMPERING
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 2 nos. Dry whole red chillies broken into pieces
- Pinch of methi seeds or fenugreek seeds (don't add more than specified as it turns the gravy bitter)
- Curry leaves as required
Instructions
- Soak the raw rice with few 4 tblsp of water for atleast 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a kadhai or a thick bottom steel vessel with 2 cups of water and add the cubed pieces of ash gourd along with turmeric powder and allow it to cook.
- Ensure the ash gourd is just cooked right else it will turn mushy. Prick it with a fork and it should be firm and shouldn’t squash.
- Now prepare the yoghurt mixture by whisking the yoghurt with some water and keep aside. The mixture should be of lassi consistency.
- In a mixer grinder jar, add the grated coconut, soaked raw rice along with the water, green chillies and grind it into a thick paste, using some water, if required.
- Add the gravy paste to the cooked ash gourd. add salt and mix well. The gravy would thicken due to the rice added.
- Now add the yogurt or buttermilk. Mix well and immediately switch off the flame.
- If you continue to cook this on high flame, the buttermilk would split.
- Prepare for tempering by heating some coconut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once they crackle add the whole red chillies and curry leaves.
- Pour the tempering over the hot gravy, mix and serve with some steamed rice, poriyal or vegetable of your choice.
Notes
- Raw Rice is added for thickening the gravy and in case you don’t wish to add, you may skip the same. In that case, add more coconut (say another 1/2 cup or more)
- Some add coriander seeds and cumin seeds in the gravy mixture but since this is my Amma’s recipe, I have made no corrections to her creation.
- You can add yam, arbi, bhindi as alternative to ash gourd. However, arbi can be pressure cooked for one whistle to hasten the process of cooking and so can yam. Bhindi, on the other hand, needs to be sautéed in oil for some time before adding to the gravy and just before the tempering.
- Ash Gourd tends to leave some moisture so do ensure you don’t make this gravy very watery and keep it thick. (Hence the raw rice)
- If you forget to soak the rice, skip it and instead use rice flour 2 tsps for the above recipe but don’t add raw rice directly as it spoils the whole texture of the dish.
- The yogurt should be slightly tangy. A day old curd suits well for this recipe. Make sure you whisk it well before adding.
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Vidya Narayan
Comfort food Vidya?
Thanks dear and I agree.
Your recipe sounds authentic, thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Thank you dear and my pleasure.
Loving the color of the curry. ? Comfort food for summer
Thank you so much and I so agree.
Delicious and comforting meal.
thank you so much
I am drooling Vidya. This looks superbly delicious and comfort food. Thanks for the recipe.
My pleasure and it is indeed comforting.
Authentic south indian morkuzhambu recipe vidya. It is so tempting. The combination is awesome. "Okra and Mor kuzhambu", what more I want, its a heavenly lunch for me. Thanks for sharing dear.
Absolutely Okra is the ideal choice of many including my husband. Thank you so much dear Malini.
What a mouth watering recipe Vidya! Your Amma must be so proud of you. I would like the arbi one too....not sure about dunking paav in it yet 🙂
Dunking pav is my crazy idea Sandhya and I am sure not everyone would love that. Rice is the best option anytime and super touched with your kind words. Thank you so much.
A good introduction the kuzhambu as I had no idea what it was. I love any yogurt based curry and making one with either ash gourd or arbitration sounds perfect to me.
I am sure you would love it, a spicy stir fry veg on the side and you are sorted. Thanks Mayuriji
Delicious and droolicious. Love the curry and the colour and your secret to happy marriage 🙂
ha ha .. thank you so much Renu.
This is totally new recipe to me. I love this simple side dish to relish along with some rotis, and rice. I love this sort of simple sabzi.
Thank you. This was my lunch yesterday and enjoyed it thoroughly, as always.
Morkozhambu is my father's favourite and I hated it all through my childhood. Imagine being in Kerala, a Tamil girl and hating every little bit of morkozhambu!!! but my father never gave up on his insistence, till i was pregnant with my second and developed a sudden liking to this, especially the pooshnika one.... lovely recipe. I should try making it for the kids now.
Oh is it? I am yet to come across anyone who doesnt like MorKozhumbu. But in your case, the hatred didnt last for a long time which is good. Haha.. Sometimes, you tend to like something after ages or develop a sudden dislike too for that matter. Glad you liked the recipe Seema!
To be honest,I never made moru curry till now...being Ash gourd my favorite vegetable..I will be trying this for sure..by the way may I know where you are in Palakkad?
If you love Ash Gourd Lathi, you would love this. Do try! I am from Kollengode but sadly no one is living there and I personally haven't been there ever! My parents and grandparents migrated to Mumbai ages ago.
A very delectable, monsoon recipe! I love spicy, soupy dishes with steamed rice on rainy days. The coconut gravy sounds so awesome that I'd be happy to add any vegetables at all to it and gobble up! ?
Very sound marital advice at the end - compromises breed bitterness in a relationship. ?
Ha Ha - Thank you for taking that advice so positively and glad you loved the dish. Perfect for all seasons.
This is one food which I enjoy anytime. Ours is a slightly different version.
That is the magic of Indian food - Every few kms the taste and preparation style changes. Thank you.
Never got a chance to taste this curry but recipe sounds very interesting....some what similar to the avial recipe I read in a cookbook. Would love to try it.
Thanks you should try it Poonam. Aviyal and this certainly taste different. They have the same ingredients but the vegetables and preparation makes all the difference.
fabulous, this ash gourd recipe looking so tempting and inviting. In gravy you added rice which is new but must say gravy has come so rich and mouthwatering. I am bookmarking it gonna try it soon. ash gourd is my favorite veggie.
Thanks a lot and glad you liked it. Rice is added to thicken the gravy, this is especially useful when you dont want to consume too much coconut (which is the main ingredient) and yet desire that beautiful texture and thickness. Do try, I am sure you will love it.
This recipe is so authentic. The flavours all look fantastic!
Thank you!
I once tasted mor khuzambu at a friend’s house and love the simple yet rich taste of it. Yours looks amazing.
Thank you Sapana!
I have a weekness for all types of Mor Kuzhambu. Would love to have it with piping hot rice and ghee with mor malaga and appalam.Hmmm mouthwatering ...................
My gosh Preethi, you read my mind and now I am craving myself for a hot bowl of rice and kuzhambu. ha ha .. Thank you dear.
I am a North Indian and had something like this from my South Indian friend's lunchbox when I was at school (around std. 7). I had loved it, but I was too young to figure out the recipe. I ate it in South Indian Thalis in US but over the years I forgot about it. I saw your comment in a FB post, and I was browsing through the recipes on your website and I found this one quite interesting. That's why I prepared it and oh my god!! It tasted the same as the one in my friend's lunchbox. I was so delighted!! This is something I'll make often 🙂 Thanks for posting that comment on FB 😀
Hi,
Thank you so much for the lovely comment which made my day! I am glad you not only loved the recipe but also could revive the old memories associated with the dish. Thank you for taking the time to post your valuable comment, it meant a lot to me. Please visit us for more such traditional south indian recipes. Always happy to help.