Mor kuzhambu / mor kulambu recipe with Buttermilk (Mor), toor dal, coconut, ginger and green chilli as main ingredients. I have shared 3 types of making in this post.
Buttermilk kuzhambu is a south Indian gravy you can prepare with less effort in weekends or busy weekdays when you want to spend less time for cooking.
This is one more version similar to this recipe with onion and goes well with potato curry.
I have never ever made mor kuzhambu without cumin seeds (Jeera) and coriander seeds.
At-least I make sure to add jeera which I consider the main flavor in the mor kuzhambu next to ginger.
But when my co-sis was staying here last year, she told that her mom makes a version of mor kuzhambu without cumin and will get the recipe for me.
She shared the recipe last month and I tried it. It is with simple ingredients, yet flavourful.
Serving suggestion
Mor kuzhambu is usually had with steamed rice with a side of south Indian style vegetables like a spicy dry curry or the best usili.
Goes well with
Storage
- Stays good for 10 hours in countertop. Leftovers can be stored in fridge for couple of days. But make sure to store as soon as it is cooled. Do not store after leaving outside for long time and then put inside fridge.
Top tip
- Mor kuzhambu will curdle if the curd is not whisked well.
- Also, never bring to rolling boil. When it starts to froth in the sides, switch off stove.
- Binding ingredients in this recipe are toor dal and rice, helps preventing curdle as well as thickens and makes smooth.
- While cooking mor kuzhambu, you can stir, but do not take in ladle and pour as we do for other gravies.
- After switching off, do not close tightly with lid. Leave a little space and close using the lid.
- Do not use spoilt curd that is slimy, it won't give good texture (smooth).
Step by step photos
- Bring curd to room temperature and beat it smoothly using a whisk. If not beaten smoothly, chances are there to break while heating up. So make sure to beat smooth.
2. Soak toor dal and raw rice (I forgot to add) in water 2 hours prior. In a kadai, add few drops of oil and fry broken chilli and ginger.
3. Grind soaked toor dal, ginger, green chilli and coconut with little water to a smooth paste.
4. Mix it to the beaten curd, add turmeric, salt as need.
5. Mix well. Put it over stove and add your choice of cooked vegetable. I added seppankizhangu (arbi) here.
6. Heat the kuzhambu until it raises and becomes frothy, no need to boil it.
7. Temper with the items given under 'To temper' table and top the butter milk.
Serve mor kuzhambu with paruppu usili or potato curry the best combo for mor kuzhambu. I can have it as such with rice.
Recipe card
Mor Kuzhambu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Butter milk Thick, whisked smooth curd
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt
- Vegetable of your choice
To grind
- 1 tablespoon Toor dal
- 1 tablespoon Rice
- 3 Green chilli
- ½ inch Ginger
- ¼ cup Coconut
To temper
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 Red chilli
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Soak toor dal and raw rice (I forgot to add) firstly in water for 1 hour.
- Bring curd to room temperature and beat it smoothly using a whisk. If not beaten smoothly, chances are there to break while heating up. So make sure to beat smooth.
- In a kadai, add few drops of oil and fry broken chilli and ginger.
- Grind soaked toor dal, ginger, green chilli and coconut with little water to a smooth paste.
- Mix it to the beaten curd, add turmeric, salt as need.
- Mix well. Put it over stove and add your choice of cooked vegetable. I added seppankizhangu (arbi) here.
- Heat the kuzhambu until it raises and becomes frothy, no need to boil it.
- Temper with the items given under 'To temper' table and top the butter milk kuzhambu.
Video
Notes
- Vegetable can be ladies finger, white pumpkin, chow chow, arbi (seppankizhangu), brinjal etc. Ladies finger should be sauteed in oil. Boil the veggies separately with salt until done and add it to the kuzhambu.
- You can add urad dal vada (medhu vada) or even paruppu urundai in mor kuzhambu.
- Mor kuzhambu can be stirred but cannot be poured while stirring using the ladle. That's what my elders say as it may give you watery kuzhambu. Also they say, do not boil it covered with lid.
- Serve with paruppu usili or potato curry the best combo for mor kuzhambu. I can have it as such with rice.
No soak version
Chow chow mor kuzhambu is a wonderful gravy to go with rice as a part of a south Indian meal. With freshly ground spices, this is such an appetizing lunch recipe.
Method
- Firstly, beat the curd smooth. If not it will break while heating, so make sure to beat smooth.
- Meanwhile, grind all the ingredients under the table 'To grind to a paste' with little water. After that, add the ground paste to curd along with turmeric,salt and mix well.
- Then, add boiled vegetable (with salt) of your choice.
- Heat this in stove only upto the stage when it starts to raise(will be froathy) (should not boil)
- Finally, temper with mustard,chili and curry leaves. Enjoy with rice!
With Onion
This is my most favorite, the way my mom and MIL does. The only difference between the one made by them is, my mom grinds the paste coarsely, while MIL grinds smoothly.
Believe me, though both are similar recipes, it's flavour and texture is so different. I was not a big fan of this until I got married. Once MIL made this and I told her I don't like mor kuzhambu, but when I had it, I loved it. Then realised that only the coarse ground items were bothering me. These days I love to make it with onion only and loving it a lot. So here's my one more version.
Mor kuzhambu with onion recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Lunch
Prep Time: 1 Hr soaking time | Cook time: 15 mins | Serves: 2
Ingredients
- Curd - 1 & ½ cup
- Vegetable (I used banana stem) - ½ cup
- Turmeric - ¼ tsp
- Salt - As needed
To grind
- Coconut - ¼ cup
- Toor dal - 1 tbsp
- Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Small onion - 1
- Ginger - ½ inch piece
- Green chillies - 4
To temper
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Mustard - ½ tsp
- Red chilli - 1
- Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Method
1. Soak toor dal at least 1 hr. Gather the rest of the ingredients under 'To grind' table. Meanwhile you can boil the vegetable you are going to add in mor kuzhambu.
2. Grind the ingredients under 'To grind' table, in a blender to a smooth paste.
3. Beat the curd smoothly. Mix curd, ground paste, turmeric well. Adjust water, approximately one more cup of water.
4. Heat this over the flame and add the boiled vegetable.
5. When it is about to boil, froths and raises switch off the flame immediately and temper with the items given under 'To temper' table and mix in the kuzhambu.
Serve with rice!
Geethu Sathiyan says
Hi raks,we add a 1/2 TSP of coriander seeds n 1 TSP of jeeragam while grinding. Try this version too.
V Bagavathi says
My mom uses kadalai paruppu instead of Toor deal also jeera.. We never use coriander seeds for more kuzhambu..
Preethi Vikram says
I just grind green chillies & coconut with mor instead of water. After it becomes a smooth paste I add half teaspoon of dry fried urad dal & pinch of fenugreek seeds & a pinch of white rice. After the kuzhambu froths over top it with a glass of mor again. We temper with mustard seeds, jeera & curry leaves.
Unknown says
Okay, my soaking version of morkuzhambu has channa dal, jeera, coriander seeds, and raw rice. Soak, grind with g.chillies, and ginger, mix in Mor,and froth up. This is the Meenakshi Ammal Book - Samaithu Paar's version, I think.
MSangeetha says
Looks delicious Raji. Love to have this with papad.
Veena says
Tried today, came out well
Traditionally Modern Food says
This s quick version will try this
Chef Yaqoob khan says
It's looks just beautiful and delicious thanks
I will try
Hema Krishnamohan says
Good to know so many versions.Soaking a pinch or two of mustard while grinding other ingredients will prevent morkuzhambu from becoming sour.
Rupali K says
It looks delicious...
Anuradha says
Do you grind rice with the dal?
Raks anand says
Yes, soak together and grind.