Poosanikai Mor Kolambu
A tangy and flavorful yogurt curry, with so many variations to choose from! A must try, finger licking, super star jewel recipe from Senthil’s Kitchen.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole milk sour yogurt
- Salt to taste
Tadka items
- ½ tbsp Mustard seeds
- 2 red chilies
- ½ tbsp Urad dal
- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Jeera seeds
- 10 Mor Milagai
- 2 sprigs Curry leaves
- 1 tsp Hing powder
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 green chilies
- 2 Tomatoes chopped
- 2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp oil
To make paste
- ½ cup coconut
- 2 tbsp Toor dal soaked
- ½ inch Ginger
- 3 Green chilies
- ½ tbsp Cumin
For garnish
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
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To make paste: coarsely grind coconut, soaked toor dal, ginger, green chilies and cumin seeds with some water and keep aside
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Separately cook Poosanikai (White Pumpkin): pressure cook pumpkin pieces with enough water to cover them with 1 tsp turmeric and salt for one whistle and release pressure immediately. You can also cover and cook in a regular pot.
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Tadka: Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add red chilies, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and brown them a bit. Add mor milagai and fry for about 30 seconds. Add curry leaves and hing and fry for few seconds. Then add chopped onion and green chilies and fry for about a minute till the onions sweat a bit. Do not brown the onion. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for about a minute or two. Then add one cup water along with 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt and bring the contents to a boil.
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Add the boiled pumpkin pieces along with the water used to boil them.
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Add the paste and stir and boil for just 2 mins. We do not want this sauce to be too hot when adding yogurt, otherwise yogurt may curdle.
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Switch of the flame and add yogurt and give a good stir. Check and adjust salt level.
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Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Recipe Notes
- You can skip turmeric if you want your Mor Kolambu to look white, but I prefer to add it.
- Tips on how to make different Mor Kolambu versions:
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- Poosanikai (Ash gourd/ White pumpkin): peel skin and cut into half inch cubes and pressure cook with some water, turmeric and salt for one whistle
- Vendaikai (Ladies finger/ Okra): cut into 1 ½ inch pieces and fry on a pan with 1 tbsp oil until okra starts to brown a bit
- Drumstick: cut into 3 in pieces and pressure cook with some water, turmeric and salt for one whistle
- Eggplant: cut into strips or cubes (not too big, not too small) and fry on a pan with 1 tbsp oil until the eggplant starts to brown a bit
- Chow chow (Chayote squash): cut into pieces and pressure cook with water, turmeric and salt for one whistle
- Potato: peel skin, cut into pieces and pressure cook with water, turmeric and salt for one whistle
- Taro root: peel skin, cut into pieces and pressure cook with water, turmeric and salt for one whistle
- Carrot: peel skin, cut into pieces and pressure cook with water, turmeric and salt for one whistle
- Green bell pepper: cut into 1 inc squares and fry on a pan with 1 tbsp oil until the bell pepper pieces are cooked soft
- Green tomato: no need to cook, add after tadka, and after onion is fried. Red tomatoes maybe skipped if you are using green tomatoes.
- Vadai
- Milagai (Chilli) Bajji
- Pakoda (Pakora)