More Kuzhambu (Typical South Indian Dish)

                                    More Kuzhambu ( Typical Iyengar Style)

A lovely tangy Vegetable gravy dish made out of sour butter milk. Today I am writing the recipe made with White Pumpkin. The basic gravy is the same, however, you can change the vegetables according to your liking or availability. Generally vegetables like White pumpkin, Chayote Squash (Chow Chow), Okra, Green Capsicum, Egg plant are the ones, that are mainly used with this gravy. Many times I have even seen people use Potatoes too.
But  the vegetables mentioned above tastes very good when cooked and added to the basic gravy.
One thing important is that the the Butter milk must be sour, because sourness only would give it the taste. Since I live in a place where butter milk never get sour enough, I would have to use a little bit of Tamarind juice to make it sour. It is perfectly alright to use Tamarind if one cannot get sour curd  or buttermilk. The taste would be just the same.

Ingredients to be soaked in water together:
1. 1 tsp of Tuvar dal, 
2. 1 tsp of Channa dal, 
3. 3 tsps of dry coriander
4. 1tsp of Carom Seeds (Ajwain or Omam)
5. 3 tbls of grated coconut
6.1 green chilly and 1 red chilly (you can add more according to the amount you prefer)
7. 1/2 tsp of rice
8. As always with all my dishes I add quite a few curry leaves while grinding itself.

 Soak a small lemon sized tamarind ball in cup of water( if the butter milk is sour then no need for tamarind)
For the vegetable:
100- 150 grams of  White pumpkin, cut into big pieces (about 1 inch squares)
Boil them with enough water to cover them, along with a tsp of Turmeric powder, salt to taste, and a tsp of Hing/ Asafoetida. 
Keep the pot covered with a lid and once it has come to a boil, turn the heat to simmer and let them cook till they are half done.
Next squeeze the juice of the Tamarind and add it to the boiling Pumpkin mixture
Boil everything together till the raw smell of the Tamarind goes off
Add more water as required. It should be of pouring consistency not too thick.
Test whether the Pumpkins are cooked.
In the meantime grind the soaked mixture in the grinder into a paste.
Pour this mixture into the Pumpkin mixture, keeping the gas at simmer all the time
Wait for it to come to a boil or two.
Take it off from the stove and pour it into a serving bowl.
Now take a small thick bottomed pan, and heat it
Add one tsp of Sesame oil, once it is hot enough add 1 tsp of Mustard seeds, 1 tsp of Fenugreek seeds, once they splutter, add a few curry leaves and pour this on top of the More Kuzuhambhu
Add some fresh chopped coriander leaves. (optional)
(I have not added Jeera in this because instead of Jeera I have used Carom seeds)

Serve it hot with Rice, along with some dry vegetable curry, some Aplams/Popadams/ Potato wafers. It also goes well with Chapaties, Dosas and Adaas.
Mostly people make it with Jeera, but it can also be made with Carom seeds, which most people have forgotten to use these days in this dish. (it is not invented by me)
 People who have had More Kuzhambu in our house really appreciated the slightly different taste the Carom seeds bring to this yummy dish.
The ingredients:

                                        The ground Masala to be added to the boiling  Pumpkin mixture

                                       The Yummy More Kuzhambu served along with other items
                                                                                      for Lunch

                                   Serve it with some Parupu, it would taste very good.