Morekootan (Curd based Coconut Gravy)

Born to a Typical Tamil Iyer Family and married to a Palakkad Iyer I literally have the best of both worlds! This I realised even more with the diffent dishes I have been introduced to by my husband after marriage. One of the staple dish on any tamilian's menu card is more kozhambu (Buttermilk based gravy with vegetables and gram flour/besan). This gravy is watery and my mother makes it the most yum and i remember me and my sister digging in to it and giving a damn if we would pile calories !!!! But the palakkad iyer's (The keralites have a thicker variation called Kalan) have a way with all the dishes. They add coconuts to make it not only more loaded but also yummylicious. So this dish the palakkad iyer style----------


Ingredients:-

• White Pumpkin (200gms), a few pieces of potatoes (to appeal to my daughter's eating sense)
• Turmeric Powder (a big spoon)
• Coconut
• Black Pepper (a few, or depending on taste)
• Green Chillis (a few)
• Curd
• Coconut Oil, Mustard, Urad Dal, FenuGreek Seeds, Curry Leaves,  Pinch of asafoetida-------for Seasoning

Procedure:-

Wash and cut the white Pumpkin in to small pieces and pressure cook the same with a big spoon of Turmeric Powder. 

Now for the gravy grind the coconut, green chillis and black pepper to a fine paste with curd. 

Mix the boiled vegetables to this gravy along with salt and bring it to a boil.

Season it in coconut  oil with mustard, urad dal, a few curry leaves along with fenugreek seeds and a pinch of asafoetida

The morekootan is ready to be served with steaming hot rice. The dish if very thick can be watered down a little (optional). Morekootan can be made with potatoes, raw bananas, yam etc--