A daily South Indian or I should be more specific and say Tamil meal would be rice, sambhar (or kuzhambu), rasam with one or two vegetables (one of them being mostly spinach in my house). It is a wholesome meal with the right amount of carbs, protiens and vegetables and very les fat as there is not much oil involved. So today's recipe is about moru kuzhambu and kovakkai kari.( I will keep the rasam for nother cold day!) Kuzhambu is like sambhar but without the lentils. Moru means buttermilk (diluted yogurt). Kovakki is also known as tindora (in Hindi) or Ivy gourd. Kari refers to dry vegetable (without gravy) sauteed in a little oil with some spices. This meal can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
Kovakkai Kari
Assemble
Kovakkai - 2 cups, sliced length wise (I used frozen precut kovakkai)
Oil - 1 tbsp
To season - mustard seeds (kadugu), curry leaves
Salt and chilli powder as needed
Method
Heat oil in a round frying pan. Once the oil is hot, season with the mustard seeds. Wait till they sputter before adding the curry leaves. Add the cut kovakkai and cook for 10 -12 minutes sauteing regularly. Once the kovakkai becomes a little soft, add the salt and chilli powder. Saute till the kovakkai turns a little brown. If you want it more crispy fry for a longer time with a little more oil.
Moru Kuzhambu
Assemble
Buttermilk - 2 cups (I usually whisk yogurt with a little water as this less sour and more thicker than store bought buttermilk; if you want a more richer taste, add some sour cream to the yogurt)
Diced pumpkin/lady's finger/potatoes - 1/2 cup
Seasonings - mustard seeds, curry leaves
To grind
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 4-5
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Tur dal - 1 tbsp , soaked in water for 15 mins
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Grind all the above ingredients to a smooth paste.
Method
Heat oil in a flat bottomed vessel. Season with mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves. Now add the diced vegetables. Usually only one kind of vegetable is used. Add a little water to cover the vegetables and let boil till the vegetables are tender. Add the ground coconut paste with a little more water (1/2 cup). Season with salt and let boil for 10 minutes. Once the raw smell of the paste goes away, sim the heat to low. Add the buttermilk, stir and turn off the stove at once. It is important not to boil the buttermilk as this will cause it to curdle and the water to separate.
Serve with hot rice.
The moru kuzhambu is mixed with the rice and the kovakai kari is used as a side dish.
I am contributing this recipe to the Monthly Mingle which is about Healthy Family Meals this month. Some may disagree about coconut being 'healthy' but nutritionists suggest that although coconut is high in saturated fatty acids, it is actually beneficial because of its high content of lauric acid which has potent antiviral and antibacterial properties, and is believed to increase metabolic rate. So here's to many more simple healthy meals!
