Thursday, October 17, 2013

Warm Buttermilk with tempering from Kerala / Kachiya Moru

Kachiya moru is a preparation from Kerala meaning warm buttermilk with tempering. Buttermilk is an integral part of a meal in Kerala and is normally had with rice at the end of a meal. According to Ayurveda, buttermilk is considered to be cold and hence one is discouraged from having it when a person has a cold or if the weather is chilly. This kachiya moru or moru kachiyathu is made for all those kind of occasions. It is also sometimes served with rice as a curry especially when there's a spicy fish or mutton fry on the menu, providing the perfect antidote to a fiery hot dish. This lightly seasoned buttermilk is good for the stomach and is great to have on those days when the stomach is a little delicate. Or have it like a soup before or after a meal on a cold winter day.
Ingredients
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 4 to 5
Green chilli - 1, slit
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Run the buttermilk in a blender along with salt to get a smooth mix. Heat oil in a saucepan or kadhai and add the mustard seeds. After it splutters add the curry leaves and the slit green chilli. Sauté for a couple of seconds to coat with oil. Add the turmeric powder and add the buttermilk immediately. Switch off the heat and swirl the saucepan so the whole thing is mixed well. Pour it out into a serving bowl.
The buttermilk should not be boiled just heated, else it will split. It takes only a few minutes to prepare kachiya moru and is usually prepared just as the food is being served so it gets to the table hot.

A variation is to add pepper powder to the kachiya moru instead of green chilli.

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