Morkuzhambu / Morkootaan

Morkootan / morkozhambu is a southindian curry (sounds like khadi) which goes well with plain cooked rice as a main dish and as a tastiest side dish for Dosai / Dosa (indian pancake), rotis etc

Those days there were no refrigerator hence the balance buttermilk of every day is collected in a kachchatti (vessel made out of stone) which gave way to invent this dish. Nothing is wasted!

I normally make curd specially for this and leave it for some extra hours so that it attain the right amount of sour taste.

The dish will be little sour. If you don't like sour taste you can even use fresh buttermilk.

Vegetables that can go into making this dish :-

Elephant yam, Cucumber, Ashgourd,Raw banana, yam (colaccia)

Ingredients :-

1. Sour curd - 1 cup (churn & keep ready)
2. Cucumber - 1 cup (diced) [Madrasi kakdi]
3. Grated coconut - 1 cup
4. Green chillies - 2 nos
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp (dry roasted)
7. Water - 2 cups
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Rice - 2 tsp (soak for 30 minutes) or use rice flour (optional)

For tempering :-

1. Oil - 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
4. Red chilli - 1 No. 

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Notes :-

• If the buttermilk is very sour then it will not precipitate when boiled.
• To prevent such reaction, it is advisable to use some rice flour or add soaked rice to the masala for grinding and cook the dish in slow flame after adding buttermilk.

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Procedure :-

• Churn the buttermilk
• Dry roast the Fenugreek seeds / methi seeds 
• Put the diced vegetable into a vessel, add tumeric powder, salt and boil till the vegetable is tender & crisp. 
• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and roasted fenugreek seeds to a nice paste adding little water
• Add the ground masala to the cooked vegetable and bring it to boil.
• Now lower the flame and add the buttermilk, mixing slowly
• Let it be on slow fire till foam forms on top (mix at regular intervals)
• Remove from fire
• Heat little oil for tempering, add mustard seeds when they start to splutter, add red chilli, curry leaves and add this to the curry.
• Toungue tickling aromatic Morkootan / Morkozhambu is ready!

Side dish suggestion :- This traditional dish goes well with another dry dish called "mezhukupiratti". I will make a post on this tomorrow. papad is also makes another good combo.