Vendhaya keerai mor kuzhambu is a comforting South Indian curry made with fenugreek leaves, yogurt and coconut. Learn how to make this flavorful mor kuzhambu with step-by-step photos and tips.
Vendhaya Keerai Morkuzhambu | Vendhaya keera morkuzhambu | Recipe for vendaya keerai | Methi leaves recipe | Methi leaves stew | Keerai mor kuzhambu | Keerai kulambu | Mor curry | Yogurt stew | Spinach and yogurt stew | How to make vendhaya keerai mor kuzhambu | Tambrahm style mor kuzhambu | Keerai mor kuzhambu recipe | How to make Mor kuzhambu | How to make More Kuzhambu with spinach
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Keerai | Spinach Recipes
Keerai is the Tamil word for spinach. In English, we generalize it with one word spinach, but in most of the Indian languages we call the green with its specific name.
Today's recipe is Vendhaya Keerai mor kuzhambu. Fresh methi/fenugreek leaves, cooked in fresh masala made of coconut, green chilies, and dal. It is finally topped with whisked sour yogurt. Check this delish vendhya keerai sambar
Mor Kuzhambu | Mor Kulambu | Moru Curry
Mor kuzhambu or Morekuzhambu is a traditional South Indian yogurt-based curry popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala cuisine. It is usually prepared with slightly sour buttermilk or yogurt along with coconut, green chilies and spices.
Today's Vendhaya keerai more kuzhambu is a South-Indian style recipe. We have moru curry and papaya pachadi from our neighboring state Kerala. We also have Majjige huli from Karnataka.
South-indian style more kuzhambu can be made with many vegetables, like ashgourd , okra/bindi. It can also be prepared with vazhaithandu | banana stem, as well as with berries like turkey berry.
The difference between the recipes across the state is the coconut masala that goes into the cooking of vegetables. In Tamilnadu, we use soaked dal along with coconut and green chilies.
Most of the Kerala based yogurt stews use only coconut, green chili, and cumin seeds. This makes a lot of difference in taste as well as the consistency of the dish.
Today's Lunch Thali
Today's lunch thali features
- Steaming hot rice with ghee
- Vendhayakeerai More Kuzhambu | Methi leaves yogurt gravy
- Beans Paruppusili
- Tomato Rasam, without garlic. The best rasam that will help you to ease your sinuses.
- Basbousa , middle eastern semolina cake, a recent recipe in the blog, that is getting lot of attention
The Ingredients
- Spinach : The hero ingredient of this curry. I have used fresh fenugreek leaves, also known as methi or vendhaya keerai in local language..
- Spice : This mor kuzhambu uses fresh masala made of chilies, ginger, and curry leaves. It also includes chana dal, toor dal, and coriander seeds with fresh coconut.
- Yogurt : i m using store bought fresh full fat sour yogurt and water for this gravy.
- Tempering : coconut oil is preferred for tempering, along with mustard seeds, cumin, red chilies and lots of curry leaves.
Step-wise Instructions
Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions
- I have used 3 bunches of fresh methi leaves for the recipe. Chop the root portion off, and roughly chop the rest of the methi leaves and wash it in water well. Drain and keep it aside.
- Soak both the dals along with coriander seeds, cumin, chilies, curry leaves and ginger in water for 20 minutes.
- Now take the soaked ingredients in a blender jar, add coconut to this and grind it to a smooth paste.
- Heat a pan with 1 teaspoon of oil, when hot splutter mustard seeds. Add the drained methi leaves and saute for a minute or two. After a minute of two, add the ground fresh coconut paste to this.
- Add salt and turmeric powder. Cook for around 8-10 minutes until the rawness of the masala escape.
- Now reduce the flame to simmer, add the diluted curd water mixture to this. do not allow this to boil. The mix would start bubbling from the edges after 5-6 minutes. Take it off the heat.
- Now for the final tadka, heat a 1-2 teaspoon of coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add 2 broken red chilies and cumin seeds with fresh curry leaves. Pour this sizzling tadka over the mor kuzhambu and serve it along with rice.
Serving Suggestions
Mor kuzhambu makes a yummy combo with paruppu usili. It also makes a fitting side with upma and adai varieties.
Recipe
Vendhya Keerai Mor Kuzhambu | Mor Kuzhambu | South Indian Lunch #12
Equipment
- Indian style mixie or any heavy blender
Ingredients
- 3 bunches fresh vendhya keerai | fenugreek leaves | methi leaves, approximately 3-4 cups tightly packed
- 1 cup sour yogurt, preferably full fat
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
For Coconut Masala
- ¼ cup fresh coconut
- 4 green chilies
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 tablespoon chana dal/gram dal/Kadalai paruppu
- 1 teaspoon Tuvar dal/toor dal/Tuvaram paruppu
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds/dhaniya
- few curry leaves
Tempering
- 1.5 tablespoon coconut oil divided between initial tempering and final tadka
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds/kadugu plus another ¼ teaspoon for the intital tadka
- ¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
- 2 nos red chilies broken
- curry leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the methi/vendhaya keerai. Chop off the roots, roughly chop the spinach, immerse in water for 10 minutes, drain and set aside until use.
- Soak both the dals, along with coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves in ½ cup water for the masala. Let this soak for a minimum of 15 - 20 minutes.
- Mix the curd and water in a wide bowl. Use a whisk, combine it all together in to uniform liquid
Let us make the masala paste
- Take the soaked dals and other ingredients in a blender jar, along with that soaked water, add fresh coconut and grind it to a fine paste. No need to add water as we are taking it along with the soaking water. Keep aside until use
Now let us make the Keerai mor kuzhambu
- Heat a thick bottom pan with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, when hot splutter mustard seeds and hing.
- To this hot tempering, add washed and drained methi leaves and sauté for a minute or two.
- add the ground coconut masala to this. Add ½ cup of water to the mixer jar, wash and add that water also to the pan. Mix well.
- Now to this add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and allow this to cook in a medium flame until the rawness of the fresh masala escapes.
- Once the rawness escapes, that takes about another 8-10 minutes. Reduce the flame to simmer. Add the whisked yogurt to this and mix well
- After adding curd mix, the gravy shouldn't boil, as it will curdle the gravy and liquify it. So keep the flame to absolute minimum
- Once you see bubbles around the edges of the pan, take it off the heat.
Let us add Tadka
- Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan, once hot splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves and broken red chilies finally add cumin seeds and pour this sizzling tadka over the mor kuzhambu.
- Serve this delicious mor kuzhambu with rice. I served this as a side to a weekday lunch thali along with beans paruppusli and rasam.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.
Vaishali says
Absolutely love the whole thali, Priya, I am coming over to enjoy this meal. The curry sounds super delicious, must give it a try. And that bite in your hand ...looks awesome. Wish could dig in;)
Priya_Srinivasan says
Thank you vaishali
Archana says
Wow! The flavours of this methi kadhi will be amazing! The addition of chana dal and toor dal will make the kadhi simply yum. Bookmarking it for the winter when the methi is tender.
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
That whole thali looks so good, and I love how you put in the basbousa as a part of it, which in fact looks so well done... The mor kuzhamb with methi leaves sounds like a very healthy curry...
Preeti Garg says
Vendaya keerai morekuzhamu sounds awesome, Whole thali looks tempting, mouthwatering and healthy too.
Radha says
Sounds yum! Have not made morkuzhambu with vendhaya keerai. Why not? I am a huge fan of morkuzhambu and going to try this. By the way, the platter looks comforting.
Mildly Indian says
Super idea, I have just planted some methi, so will have a harvest soon. This mor kozhmabu will be the best possible recipe.
Kalyani says
I have made methi Kadi and Pakodi Kadhi (gujarati / north indian style) with vendhaya keerai. Morkozhambu is very new and unique to me. bookmarking to try soon, for summer meals now, Priya
Mayuri Patel says
I love any yogurt based curry. I made this easy to follow mor kuzhambu. It turned out super delicious. We enjoyed with some plain rice and dry potato sabji.
Neha (My Culinary Expressions) says
This Vendhya Keerai Mor Kuzumbhu seems flavorful. Will have to try it out since I adore South Indian flavors. It is majestically placed in the thali. Wow!
Priya vj says
I made this vendhiyakeera Morkuzhambu for lunch today and it was super delicious. I will make it frequently now 🙂