Mor Kuzhambu or Mor Kulambu is a popular South Indian dish that is made from slightly sour yogurt and pairs beautifully with steamed rice. It can be made with and without coconut. Here is how to make it.
You can also try other South Indian recipes, which are perfect for your summer meals – Veg Kurma, Curd Rice, Kerala Style Pineapple Pachadi, Vendakka Pachadi, and Veg Kootu Curry.
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About This Recipe
Mor kuzhambu is a popular yogurt-based recipe that is prepared in almost all South Indian households. Also called mor kulambu or more kulambu, this flavourful and spicy curry is a simple recipe where the base is made of yogurt or buttermilk.
Mor Kuzhambu can be made with or without coconut and it has a spicy and sour taste. Although it is made using yogurt or buttermilk, it is nowhere close to the North Indian kadhi, which also has chickpea flour (besan) added to it.
You can add vegetables to it to make this dish more wholesome and filling. It’s a summer recipe as all the ingredients used in this dish are known to cool down the body.
This Mor Kuzhambu is,
- Creamy
- Delicious
- Easy to make
- Full of flavor
- A Summer favorite
Ingredients
For the Paste – To make the paste, you will need yellow pigeon peas lentils (toor dal), raw white rice, cumin seeds, ginger, green chilies, fresh coconut, and curry leaves.
You can adjust the amount of green chilies, as per your spice level. Use fresh coconut, for the authentic and traditional taste. Use fresh and green curry leaves, for the best flavor.
For the Curry – To make the base of the curry, you will need sour yogurt, turmeric powder, salt, and vegetables. I have added pumpkin but you can a variety of veggies to it.
For Tempering – Lastly, we will temper mor kulambu with coconut oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida, dry red chilies, and curry leaves.
Use only coconut oil for an authentic taste. In case, you do not have the same available, you can use any vegetable oil or even ghee/clarified butter for tadka. Use fresh and green curry leaves and not the wilted ones.
To make this curry gluten free, avoid adding hing/asafoetida to the tadka.
How to make Mor Kuzhambu?
Start by soaking 2 tsp Toor dal and 1 tsp raw rice in water for 30 minutes. This will make both of them a little soft to grind and also digestible.
Next prepare the yellow pumpkin. Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin into big cubes. Heat 1 cup water in a pan and bring it to boil. Add the pumpkin cubes to the boiling water and cook on medium heat until softened, 6-8 minutes. Drain any remaining water and keep the cooked pumpkin cubes aside.
Note -Save the water and use it in the curry later. You can use other veggies to make this curry. I have mentioned them below.
Add 1 cup of sour yogurt to a medium size bowl. Whisk the yogurt using a wire whisk until smooth.
Note – If you don’t have sour yogurt, you can leave the plain yogurt on the kitchen counter for 8-10 hours. It will become sour.
Add 1 cup of water and ½ tsp turmeric powder to the bowl and mix well. Keep the bowl aside.
Note – You can use the water left from cooking the pumpkin.
Drain the dal and rice and add it into the small jar of a grinder along with ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 2 chopped green chilies, 8-10 whole curry leaves, ½ cup chopped fresh coconut, and ¼ cup water.
Grind to make a smooth paste.
Add this paste to the whisked yogurt and mix well.
Transfer the yogurt mixture to a cooking pan. Add the cooked pumpkin to the pan and cook the curry on low heat.
Note – Do not get tempted and increase the heat. The yogurt will split if the heat is more.
Keep stirring while cooking. Cook until the curry comes to a gentle simmer. It will take 15-18 minutes.
For tempering, heat 2 tsp coconut oil to a small pan.
Once the oil is hot, add ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida, 2-3 whole dry red chilies, and 10-12 whole curry leaves, and let them crackle for a few seconds.
Pour the tempering over the kuzhambu. Mix well and serve hot with rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it without coconut, whisk 2 cups yogurt, add 1 tbsp gram flour, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp sambar powder, and mix well.
Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, carom seeds, ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute for 2-3 seconds. Simmer the heat, add the yogurt mixture and salt.
Let it boil for 5 minutes until it thickens. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with rice.
Yes, you can use ready buttermilk instead of yogurt. Just avoid adding water to the buttermilk and directly add turmeric powder and mix well.
1. Bhindi (okra, lady’s fingers or vendakkai – It is one of the most commonly used vegetables to make mor kulambu. Wash the okra and wipe them well. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Saute in some oil until almost cooked and then add to the curry.
2. Brinjal (eggplant or kathirikkai) – Slice into thin slices or cube. Saute in oil and add to the curry.
3. Ash Gourd (white melon or petha) – Peel and cube. Cook in water just like yellow pumpkin.
4. Potato (aloo or urulai kizhangu) – Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Steam, boil, or pressure cook until soft and then add to the curry.
5. Drumsticks (mruungakkai) – Cut the drumsticks into 2-inch pieces. Peel the hard skin and steam or boil until tender.
6. Greens (spinach, amaranth greens, fenugreek leaves) – Wash the leaves and chop them. Saute or steam.
7. Chow Chow (seemai kathirikai) – Cut into cubes and steam.
8. Ripe Mango – Choose a firm-ripe mango for this dish. Peel and chop into cubes. Add to the curry. This version will have a sweetish tangy taste.
You can also use a combination of veggies instead of using anyone.
Another variation of this dish is called paruppu urundai mor kulambu. In this dish, fritters made of lentils are added to the kulambu. You can check a recipe here.
Serving Suggestions
Mor kuzhambu makes for a very comforting and satisfying meal when served along with simple steamed rice with a side of South Indian papad.
This spicy yogurt curry is great for the summers as it has the cooling effect of curd. However, while making this recipe, you should keep in mind not to over boil the kuzhambu as this could lead the yogurt to curdle.
This more kulambu is also a popular dish as part of the Onam sadya in Kerala, it’s also known as Moru Curry and Pulissery.
Storage Suggestions
I would suggest you make mor kuzhambu fresh. As it has fresh coconut, it doesn’t last for long. So if you have leftovers, store it for maximum 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm before serving.
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Recipe Card
Mor Kuzhambu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour yogurt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt (to taste)
- 1 cup cubed yellow pumpkin
To grind into a paste
- 2 teaspoon yellow pigeon peas lentil/toor dal
- 1 teaspoon white rice
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 2 whole green chili
- ½ cup chopped fresh coconut
- 8-10 curry leaves
For Tempering
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida/hing
- 2-3 whole dry red chili
- 10-12 whole curry leaves
Instructions
- Start by soaking 2 tsp Toor dal and 1 tsp raw rice in water for 30 minutes. This will make both of them a little soft to grind and also digestible.
- Next prepare the yellow pumpkin. Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin into big cubes. Heat 1 cup water in a pan and bring it to boil. Add the pumpkin cubes to the boiling water and cook on medium heat until softened, 6-8 minutes. Drain any remaining water and keep the cooked pumpkin cubes aside.
- Note -Save the water and use it in the curry later. You can use other veggies to make this curry. I have mentioned them below.
- Add 1 cup of sour yogurt to a medium size bowl. Whisk the yogurt using a wire whisk until smooth.
- Note – If you don’t have sour yogurt, you can leave the plain yogurt on the kitchen counter for 8-10 hours. It will become sour.
- Add 1 cup of water and ½ tsp turmeric powder to the bowl and mix well. Keep the bowl aside.
- Note – You can use the water left from cooking the pumpkin.
- Drain the dal and rice and add it into the small jar of a grinder along with ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 2 chopped green chiles, 8-10 whole curry leaves, ½ cup chopped fresh coconut, and ¼ cup water.
- Grind to make a smooth paste.
- Add this paste to the whisked yogurt and mix well.
- Transfer the yogurt mixture to a cooking pan. Add the cooked pumpkin to the pan and cook the curry on low heat.
- Note – Do not get tempted and increase the heat. The yogurt will split if the heat is more.
- Keep stirring while cooking. Cook until the curry comes to a gentle simmer. It will take 15-18 minutes.
- For tempering, heat 2 tsp coconut oil to a small pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida, 2-3 whole dry red chilies, and 10-12 whole curry leaves, and let them crackle for a few seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the kuzhambu. Mix well and serve hot with rice.
