Morkuzambu

Thanjavur version

Ingredients:

Channa dal                : 1tbsp

Dania                        : 1 tbsp

Jeera                         : 1 tbsp

Green chillies             : 6/7 (if small; adjust according to taste)

Red chilli                    : 3

Ginger                        : a one inchl piece

Coconut                     :grated from half a coconut

Turmeric powder       : 1 tsp

Thick butter milk        : 2 cups

Mustard seeds           : 1 tsp

Curry leaves              : a few

Preferred vegetable for Morkozambu is White Pumpkin. Alternatively Brinjals or ladies finger (Okra) can be fried and added.

No vegetable is needed if you are making it with dal urundai ( paruppu urundai - recipe below)

Method: 

Cut pumpkins to large pieces and boil them with turmeric and salt.

Soak Channa dal, dhania, jeera and red chilies for a about 5 minutes. Add coconut and green chillies and grind to a smooth paste.

Add this paste to the vegetable and bring it to a boil.

Add  thick butter milk and boil for about 3 minutes.

Heat oil. Add mustard and curry leaves and pour it over the kuzambu,.

Alternatively you can skip step one and mix the paste to the thick butter milk and boil it for about 3 -4 minutes.

Cut ladies finger into 2 inch pieces and fry them in oil and pour over the kuzhambu.

Tirunelveli version:

Methi                : 1 tsp

Red chilli           : 6/8

Urad dal            : 2 tsp

Fry the above till you get  a nice aroma.. Add coconut and grind to a paste.

Heat oil. Add Mustard , Curry leaves, 1 tsp haldi powder and vegetable. Add thick butter milk and the ground paste. bring to a boil.

Use drumstick or brinjal for this.

(if butermilk is not sour, you can add a little tamarind)

Parupurundai Morkuzambu

Soak 1 cup tur dal. Add salt, 4 red chillies and grind to a thick paste. make into balls and steam llike idlis. Add these balls when morkozhambu boils.

Palakkad version
Thick sour  butter milk : 3 cups
Coconut                        : 1/ 3cup
Red chillies                   : 3
Green Chilli                   : 1
Channa dal                    : 1 tsp
Dhaniya                         : 1tsp
Methi seeds                   : 1/4 tsp
Raw rice                        : 1/2 tsp
Salt                                : to taste
Curry leaves                  :  a few
Mustard seeds               : 1/2 tsp
Oil                                 : 2 tsp

Method:
Add a cup of water, salt and turmeric to the buttermilk and mix it well.
In a little oil, fry dhaniya, channa dal, red chillies , methi seeds and rice.
Grind this together with the coconut, jeera and green chilli to a smooth paste.
Add to the buttermilk and boil the mixture for about 5 minutes on low flame.
Heat a little oil and splutter mustard seeds and pour it over the mixture.
Vegetables like ash gourd can be boiled and added to the mixture before putting it to boil.
Or you can fry okra pieces or brinjal pieces and add them in the end.

Kadhi:

Thick buttermilk            – 4 cups

Besan (kadalaimavu)     – 1 cup

Chilli powder                – 4 tsp

garam masala               – 2 tsp

Daniya powder            – 2 tsp

salt

Mix all ingredients together.

heat oil. fry jeera, add the mixture and cook till besan is cooked