Mor Kulambu is a yogurt or buttermilk based sauce or curry from the South Indian cuisine. This recipe has ash gourd (winter melon, petha, white pumpkin) added to the Mor Kuzhambu and also includes a ground rice, lentils, spices and coconut paste which makes it very flavorful and tasty.
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.
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.