Thursday, December 31, 2009

Moru kaachiyathu (tempered beaten curd )


The past week was a miserable one, both health-wise and because plans for a family get-together fell through ... and when down in the dumps, comfort food works best. If there was anyone else to do the cooking, maybe the menu may have been something else, but since I had to do the cooking, I opted for one of the easiest fixes - moru kaachiyathu.

Like chicken soup elsewhere, this is a very comforting curry with hot kanji (gruel) and some veggies. Especially when a bad cold makes your taste buds go on strike, this helps bring them back to working order.

Beaten curd - 1 and 1/2 cups
Onion -1 small (sliced thin)
Green chillies - 3 (sliced)
Ginger - 1 inch piece (cut into strips)
Garlic - 5 to 8 cloves (cut into halves)
Curry leaves - 1 stalk (separated)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek/ methi/uluva seeds - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dried red chillies - 2
Salt to taste

In a deep-bottom pan, heat about 1 tsp of oil, splutter the mustard seed, add the fenugreek seeds and the dried red chillies.
Then the onion and curry leaves. once the onions sweat, add the garlic, ginger, green chilles. Now add the turmeric powder and now add the beaten curd. stir and take off the fire before the curd comes to a boil.

Add salt to taste. Add a pinch of cumin powder at this point.

Note: for a totally different taste, add one sliced tomato with the garlic, ginger and green chillies .

Serve with rice, chammandi podi and tender mango pickles. Great combination with red fish curry.

6 comments:

  1. sounds delicious and a great way to cure an ailment!

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  2. darling!! i hope you find your groove again...and wishing you and my darling girl ichu and oh yeah throw in daddy too a lovely beautiful and happy new year 2010!!

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  3. Dear Swapna, ah, you make me so hungry for some good home cooked Kerala food:):) Thank you for the great recipe, I am going to give it a shot soon.

    Happy New Year, I wish you joy, good health and peace in 2010:)

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  4. Wishing you a very Happy New Year!!

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  5. This looks like something I would love to eat. I love curry and I enjoy all of the spices that get incorporated into the dishes. This looks wonderful.

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  6. I love kaachiya moru. My mom used to make it if were not well and fed up of plain old kanji. It is indeed the ultimate comfort food.

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