Mor Kulambu Recipe | Mor Kuzhambu
Mor Kuzhambu is a traditional South Indian dish made with curd (yogurt) or buttermilk as the base. It is mildly spiced and usually thickened with a ground coconut paste, along with spices like cumin, coriander, and green chilies. This yogurt-based Mor Kuzhambu is commonly prepared with vegetables and is served with steamed rice.
About Mor Kulambu
If you enjoy North Indian Kadhi, then you may also like this South Indian Mor Kulambu. It is a curd-based dish that is simple to make and full of flavor.
At home, I make two versions. One is this traditional recipe with a freshly ground coconut paste, and the other is a quick version, similar to kadhi. This version has more depth and a better texture.
Table of Contents
Mor kulambu is one of our favorite ways to enjoy a yogurt-based dish. It is best served with steamed rice for a simple and satisfying meal.
The recipe may look long, but the ingredients are commonly used in everyday South Indian cooking.
The ground paste is made with fresh coconut, tur dal, raw rice, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves. This paste gives body and thickness to the curry.
The tempering is simple with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chilies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Coconut oil works well, but you can use any neutral oil.
You can add vegetables or skip them. I often use ash gourd (white pumpkin or petha) or okra, as they pair well with the flavors of this curry. Other options include potato, brinjal, taro root or chow chow.
To make this mor kulambu, first rinse and soak the lentils, rice and spices for about 20 minutes. Then grind them with coconut, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves to a smooth paste.
Whisk slightly sour curd till smooth. Add the ground paste and some water, and mix well.
Meanwhile, cook the chopped ash gourd with turmeric and water till almost done. Then add the curd mixture and gently simmer on low heat. Do not let it boil.
Finally, prepare the tempering and pour it over the kulambu. Cover for a few minutes so the flavors infuse well.
You can add vegetables or skip them entirely. I often use ash gourd (white pumpkin or petha) or okra (bhindi), as they pair well with this curry.
You can also use other vegetables. Here are some options:
- Potato: Boil or pressure cook, then peel, chop and add.
- Okra: Sauté in oil till almost cooked, then add to the curd mixture.
- Brinjal: Sauté till soft. Add a little water if needed while cooking.
- Drumstick (murungakkai): Peel, chop and cook in water till almost done.
- Colocasia: Boil, peel, chop and add.
- Chow chow: Peel, chop and cook till tender.
- Spinach/amaranth (keerai): Chop, blanch, mash and add to the buttermilk mixture.
Explore More Kuzhambu Recipes
How To Make Mor Kulambu (Stepwise)
Make Paste
1. Take the below listed ingredients in a bowl:
- 1 tablespoon tuvar dal
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon raw rice
Using a fine tea strainer rinse them. You can use any type of white rice. If you do not have rice, then 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice flour can be added, while grinding.
2. Add ¼ cup hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
3. Then, take the soaked ingredients along with the soaking water in a small grinder jar or chutney grinder.
4. Add the below mentioned ingredients:
- 3 to 4 chopped green chilies
- 1 inch chopped ginger
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- ¼ cup fresh grated coconut
5. Grind to a fine and smooth paste. Keep aside.
Make Buttermilk Mixture
6. Take 1 cup thick and slightly sour curd in a bowl or pan. Beat it till smooth.
7. Add the prepared paste.
8. Add 1 cup water.
9. Mix very well. Keep aside.
Cook Ash Gourd
10. Rinse, peel and chop ash gourd in 0.5 to 1 inch cubes. You will need 1.5 cups of chopped ash gourd. Take the ash gourd in a pan.
11. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Stir to mix.
12. Cover the pan and keep it on medium-low heat on the stovetop.
13. In between, check and give a stir.
14. Simmer till the ash gourd cubes are almost cooked.
Make Mor Kulambu
15. Reduce the heat to a low or you can even turn off the hear. Then, add the prepared buttermilk mixture.
16. Mix thoroughly.
17. Season with salt as per taste. Mix again.
18. Simmer the kuzhambu on low heat. Stir occasionally.
19. The kuzhambu has to come to a gentle simmer. Once you see the kuzhambu simmering, then turn off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
Temper Mor Kulambu
20. Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil in a tadka pan or small pan. You can use gingelly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds), sunflower oil, safflower oil or even ghee.
21. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
22. Let the mustard seeds crackle on low heat.
23. When the mustard seeds crackle, add ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds.
24. Quickly add 1 to 2 dried red chilies (stems and seeds removed).
25. Then, immediately add 7 to 8 curry leaves and 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing).
26. Stir and turn off the heat.
27. Pour the tempering in the Mor Kulambu. Cover for 5 minutes and let the flavors infuse.
28. Serve Mor Kulambu with steamed rice. You can even garnish with some chopped coriander leaves while serving.
Dassana’s Recipe Tips
- For the ground paste, use any variety of white rice that you have at home. If you don’t have rice, then add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice flour while blending the ingredients. Apart from helping in thickening, rice or rice flour also aids in preventing the yogurt from separating.
- Feel free to leave out adding ash gourd from the recipe. Also, any vegetables of your choice can be added. I have shared a list on how to cook with some of the most commonly used veggies in a kulambu curry, in the sections above.
- For the tempering, you can use gingerly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds), sunflower oil, safflower oil or even coconut oil. In case you want to use ghee (clarified butter), you can do that too.
- Reduce the number of green chillies and red chillies according to your preferences.
- Make sure the curd that you are using for this recipe is slightly sour and thick. It should also be full-fat or made with whole milk. Do not make the recipe with toned milk curd or low-fat curd as it may separate while cooking.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Mor Kulambu Recipe | Easy Mor Kuzhambu
Ingredients
For ground paste
- 1 tablespoon tuvar dal (arhar dal, tur dal, hulled and split pigeon pea lentils)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon raw rice
- ¼ cup hot water – for soaking
- 3 to 4 green chilies or add as required
- 1 inch ginger
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- ¼ cup coconut – fresh and grated
For cooking white pumpkin
- 1.5 cups white pumpkin – chopped (petha, ash gourd, winter melon)
- 1 cup water or add as required
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Other ingredients
- 1 cup curd thick and slightly sour, beaten
- salt as per taste
For tempering mor kulambu
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil – sesame oil or sunflower oil or ghee or preferred neutral flavored oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies – broken, stems and seeds removed
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
Instructions
Making paste
- Take tuvar dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and raw rice in a plate or bowl.
- Using a fine tea strainer rinse them. You can use any type of white rice. If you do not have rice, then 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice flour can be added instead while grinding.
- Then take all of them in a bowl. Add ¼ cup hot water. Soak for 20 minutes.
- Then take the soaked tuvar dal, coriander seeds etc along with the soaked water in a small grinder jar or chutney grinder.
- Add chopped green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and grated coconut.
- Grind to a smooth and fine paste. Set aside.
Making buttermilk mixture
- Take the thick curd which is slightly sour in a bowl or pan. Beat or whisk it till smooth.
- Add the ground coconut paste. Then add 1 cup water. Mix very well. Keep aside.
Cooking ash gourd or white pumpkin
- Meanwhile when the rice and lentils are soaking, you can cook the pumpkin. Rinse, peel and chop ash gourd into 0.5 to 1 inch cubes. Take the chopped ash gourd in a pan.
- Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pan and keep it on a medium-low heat. In between do check and give a stir.
- Simmer till the pumpkin is almost cooked.
Making mor kuzhambu
- Reduce the heat to a low or you can turn off the heat. Then add the buttermilk mixture. Mix well.
- Season with salt as per taste. Mix again.
- Simmer the mor kuzhambu on a low heat. Do stir occasionally.
- The entire kuzhambu has to come to a gentle simmer. Once you see the kuzhambu simmering, then turn off the heat. Cover and keep aside.
Making tempering
- Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil in a tadka pan or small pan. You can use gingelly oil (oil made from raw sesame seeds) or sunflower oil or safflower oil or even ghee.
- Add mustard seeds.
- Let the mustard seeds crackle. When the mustard seeds crackle, add fenugreek seeds.
- Quickly add red chilies, curry leaves and a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and turn off heat.
- Pour this tempering mixture in the More Kulambu. Cover with a lid for five minutes and let the flavors infuse.
- Serve Mor Kulambu with steamed rice.
Dassana’s Notes
- You can opt to make this recipe without white pumpkin. Simply chose to omit it in the recipe. Add water as needed to get the consistency you prefer, but do not make it thin.
- You could also add other veggies as mentioned in the post above.
- Preferably use thick, sour tasting curd or yogurt to make mor kulambu. The curd should also be full-fat or made with whole milk. Do not make this recipe with toned milk curd or low-fat curd as it may separate while cooking.
- Adjust the amount of green chillies and red chillies according to your preferences.
- Do add rice or rice flour as it helps in thickening the gravy and also prevents the curd from getting separated.
- The recipe cannot be scaled as is.
Nutrition
Mor Kulambu recipe from the archives was originally published on May 2018.
We don’t use tuvar dal, coriander seeds, rice powder, ginger etc for more kuzhambu. Also no garnishing with coriander leaves.
Mor Kuzhambu has many regional and family-style variations. This recipe is based on the version I learned, where a little tuvar dal, rice, coriander seeds and ginger are added to the paste. The coriander leaves garnish is optional.
Thank you for sharing your version.
What other dal can I use in this recipe?
Along with tur dal, you can also use moong dal, masoor dal, or even a mix of dals. Each one gives a slightly different flavor and texture, but all work well in the recipe.
Very neat, clear, detailed recipe with most appropriate images. Fantastic.
Only onething I want to ask? How come you prepare a mor kulambu without Asafoetida and pepper?
Thank you. I am glad you found the recipe clear and helpful.
Asafoetida is included in the recipe. Black pepper can also be added, but in my version I don’t use it since I add red chillies with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida in the tempering, along with green chillies in the ground paste.
Amazing!!! Please continue to keep this blog updated !! Have been reading it for years!
Handy for someone making it for the first time. Thanks a ton!
Welcome and thanks.
Made More Kulambu today following your recipe and it was delicious. Thanks and keep rocking with your recipes.
thank you vanitha for this feedback and the rating too. welcome and happy cooking.