Mor Kuzhambu (Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu)
Mor Kuzhambu or Poosanikkai Mor Kuzhambu - A South Indian Main Course Curry or Gravy with Ash Gourd cooked in a delicious Coconut and Yogurt based gravy. It is tempered in coconut oil and curry leaves. Tastes best with steamed rice, poriyal or thoran and papadam.
Servings 4 people
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.