Here is an easy, yellow-colored yogurt curry that you can make when you're short on time, yet it hooks you with its delightful taste! Featuring yogurt or curd as the primary ingredient, it can be made in under 20 minutes. And for this reason, this curry comes up frequently in our day-to-day meals as our favorite ozhichu curry (meaning liquid gravy curry). With this curry, you are sure to feel soothed, especially for all your gut issues
Make sure to use slightly thick and sour curd, and that too, which is at room temperature.
If desired, you can blend the yogurt in the blender with a bit of water to make it smoother.
The dish should never be boiled as it will curdle, which will ruin the taste and texture of the dish.
To spice up, you can either add dried red chili or chopped green chilies while sautéing the ginger.
While preparing the dish, it should always be stirred in only one direction.
Do not add salt as you are preparing the curry as boiling with salt will denature the proteins.
It is usually topped over Kerala matta rice or white rice and is paired with thoran or mezhukuparatti, along with pickle and pappadoms or any other crunchy side dishes.
Moru kachiyathu is a dish that is synonymous with the daily fare of Kerala. This dish made me realize that sometimes the simplest of the fares are the most comforting ones. The ease of preparation and the readily available ingredients make it a dish that we make almost once every week. Furthermore, curd is soothing to the stomach, making this moru curry a refreshing fare that is often consumed when we are unwell, as it aids digestion further. It is even considered a natural remedy against the summer heat.
What is Moru Kachiyathu?
Moru Kachiyathu is a yogurt-based curry in which the yogurt, or ‘moru,' is ‘kachiyathu,' or tempered with basic spices such as fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds, along with a few other basic ingredients. It is also known as ‘moru curry' or ‘kachiya moru.' It is even an integral part of the Onam Sadya.
• In certain parts of Kerala, it is made with coconut. If you add coconut, it adds more thickness than the usual one. For that, grind ¼ cup of coconut, 1 green chili, and ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds to a paste. Stir it into the tempered items, sauté until the raw smell leaves, then add buttermilk.
• To make it more nutritious, you can add vegetables like cucumber, ash gourd, or plantain.
It can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Not whisking the curd properly before adding it to the tempered spices can cause curdling, preventing you from achieving the desired consistency.
The buttermilk should be at room temperature, and you must keep stirring continuously in one direction to avoid curdling.
It curdles either when added to hot-tempered items or when not whisked properly.
• Whisker to whisk the curd • Saucepan or Earthen saucepan • Mixer Grinder, optional • Wooden or Silicone Spatula