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.