We are back on the fermentation series after the sweet break for the yummy Mysore Pak dessert. Lingering on in South India, we bring you another delicacy. “Mor Kozhambu” (which roughly translates from the original Tamil to buttermilk gravy), is one of the many side dishes served with rice.
Let me rant a bit again. V is really amused that I am in such a funk these days about Northern California. But how can I not be? Spring is my favorite time of the year and it feels like we have jumped straight from fall to summer. Last weekend, while hiking in Rancho San Antonio Park, I was dismayed to see the poor little famished buttercups. The wild flowers, the gurgling sound of water, the little baby deer and quails and rabbits, all hallmarks of spring, are non-existent. Well, we must keep calm and carry on!
As I have stressed throughout the fermentation series, make sure the yogurt you buy from the store has live and active cultures and is preferably organic. Otherwise, there is pretty much no point in consuming it.
Making yogurt at home is not difficult. Add about a tablespoon of yogurt to 2 cups of luke warm organic whole milk and leave it undisturbed overnight. You need to find a warm spot such as inside the oven with the light on. I place the milk inside another container with luke warm water and smother the whole thing with a kitchen towel so that it creates somewhat of a humid condition. To make “mor kozhambu”, leave the yogurt out of the refrigerator at room temperature so that it becomes a bit sour.
- 2 cups sour yogurt
- For spice paste:
- 1 tsp yellow lentils/split chickpeas (chana daal in Hindi, kadalai paruppu in Tamil)
- 1 tsp split pigeon peas/red gram lentils/red gram daal (toor daal in Hindi, thuvaram paruppu in Tamil)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi in Hindi, vendhayam in Tamil)
- 1 tsp split black lentils/split black matpe beans (urad daal in Hindi, uluththam paruppu in Tamil)
- Pinch asafoetida
- 3-4 dried red chilies
- 3-4 Thai or Indian green chilies or serrano chilies
- 4 Tbsp grated coconut (can be found in the frozen section in the Indian grocery store)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Vegetables:
- 1/2 cup ash gourd (also called white melon), cut in to cubes (alternately use chayote squash)
- 1/2 cup green beans, cut in to 1 inch pieces
- 1 medium potato, cut in to cubes
- 1/4 cup shelled green peas
- Pinch turmeric
- For tempering:
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- Whisk the yogurt until smooth and set aside
- Wash and soak the yellow lentils and red gram lentils in water to cover for about an hour
- Heat oil in a small pan. When hot, add the fenugreek seeds and split black lentils and cook on low heat until golden brown
- Grind together the soaked lentils, fenugreek seeds, split black lentils, asafoetida, red chilies, green chilies, coconut and cumin seeds with a little water. Set aside
- Heat some water in a pot and add the vegetables, turmeric and a dash of salt. Cover and cook on low heat until the vegetables are soft but not mushy, ~10 – 15 mins
- Add the whisked yogurt and raise the heat to medium and let it froth a bit and switch off heat
- To make the oil tempering: Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds. Switch off heat when the seeds start popping and add the curry leaves
- Dump the tempering into the yogurt gravy, and adjust salt to taste
- Serve immediately with freshly cooked white rice and crisp appalams (also called pappadums)
South Indian cuisine is rice-based, more vegetarian friendly, spicier and less greasy than North Indian cuisine. It may seem daunting at first, but once you pick up a few basic techniques, it is pretty easy. The best way to learn the techniques is to watch someone in person, so I hope you have a really good South Indian friend who cooks. Alternately there’s always youtube! As for the recipes, Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India is the bible, no debate! Also, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!