Kachiya Moru ~ The simple spiced up buttermilk curry from Kerala

In Central Kerala, or at least in the town I grew up, Kachiya Moru, is the seasoned spiced up buttermilk curry, a regular comfort side dish paired up with fried fish. Some refer the same as 'Moru Curry', though a few claim 'Moru Curry' demands the addition of ground coconut with spices. Kachiya means boiled and Moru, butter milk.
There are versions wherein tomatoes, garlic and chilly powder are added along with the ingredients, but somehow I stick the version to the one I had always savoured while growing up; the natural sourness of the organic buttermilk pepped up dominantly with tiny bits of ginger and green chillies!

 I had drafted the whole post past weekend and trying to publish with a click away, now, I got into this problem. Surprisingly the whole post had been replaced with my previous published post. I tried hard to retrieve but failed! Sigh! Instead of crying over the spilt milk, I am here preparing the post all over again, as I go by.....

Kachiya Moru
Serves a small family of 4
Total time needed - less than half an hour

Ingredients:

1. Beaten yogurt / buttermilk- 2 cups / 500ml

2. Coconut oil- 1 tbsp
    Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
    Fenugreek seeds / Uluva - 2 fat pinches
    Small Onions 3-4 minced fine
    Red chillies- 3 , broken into 3 pcs each
    Green chilles- 3 ,minced
    Cumin seeds / Jeerakam- 1/4 tsp
    Curry leaves -a sprig
    Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp




Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard and brown the fenugreek seeds. Stir in red chillies, onions and ginger. Sauté for a while and add the crushed cumin seeds or powder, green chillies and curry leaves. When the chillies and sautéed, add the turmeric powder and salt. Switch off the flame and stir in the beaten curd and combine. Now, switch on the flame to medium and heat the curry stirring continuously. This part is tricky. You are not supposed to let the curry boil as it may curdle the buttermilk. So just see to it, it gets heated up well and does not simmer. Shh..I myself am not a perfectionist here ;) Since you keep on stirring you may not be able to notice the point just before boiling but keep this clue, you will see the steam emanating from the curry. :).

Goes well with steamed rice and mezhukkupuratti too :)

Notes:

• I use beaten curd. Buttermilk (diluted yogurt or curd) from my kitchen turns the curry watery. Hence I beat the curd and do not use water to dilute. The curry gets thinner as you serve.
• The final stage of preparation should be handled with care.
• Ashgourd is a common vegetable which can be used in this curry. I have already posted one with Ripe Kerala bananas here, which is slighly different from the above recipe, though the basics are the same. It's called Ethappazha (ripe bananas) Pulisseri (buttermilk curry).

                                        Thanks for the bowls, Jeyashri :)

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