MORU KACHIYATHU/YELLOW BUTTER MILK

It is a very common, simple Kerala gravy type curry that we Keraliates have on their dining table on almost all days.  It really goes well with non-veg lunch or dinner with rice and curries especially with “beef/chicken ularthiyathu” or “meen pattichathu” as this type of dishes have no gravy.  So we use moru kachiyathu with rice as gravy.  Moru kachiyuthu or kachiya moru has its own role on a dinning table whether it is a simple normal dinner or a seven course dinner.  

It is very simple to make, but at the same time we have to take care of it.  Other wise the butter milk will curdle and it will become a mess.

The butter milk is seasoned with some masala and turmeric, which gives yellow colour to the gravy.  The traditional way to prepare this is; make a fine paste of coconut, cumin seeds, ginger, and garlic and sauté this in the oil and add butter milk to this.  Any way I don’t use coconut for this.  There are two reasons for that.  One is; we have to grind the coconut and other ingredients to a very fine thick paste.  As the quantity of the ingredients is too little I can’t do this in the mixer grinder.  The other reason is, with out adding coconut or with out grinding the masala in to paste it comes out well and we people like its taste very much.  One more reason is there; by comparing with the traditional one the effort is less and it will be ready with in a few minutes.

Once we prepare, we can use it for 2 or 3 days.  To prevent souring you have to keep it in the fridge.

Ingredients

Thick butter milk – ½ l

Green chilly slited – 2

Ginger chopped 0- 1 tsp

Garlic chopped – 1 tsp

Cumin seed – 1 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – 1 stalk

Shallots chopped – 2

Red chilly flakes – 6-8 flakes

Coconut oil – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Method

Heat a thick bottomed steel vessel and pour oil. 

Heat it and add mustard to crackle. 

Add curry leaves, cumin seeds, green chilly, ginger, garlic, shallots and chilly flakes. 

You can use ½ tsp of fenugreek if you want. 

On a medium flame sauté well till it becomes light brown and add turmeric powder and mix well. 

Put the fire on low flame and slowly add beaten butter milk. 

You have to stir it continuously on a very low flame.  When it becomes too hot and begins to boil bring it down from the fire. 

Continue stirring for one or two minutes. 

Do not boil it. 

The butter milk will curdle and the mooru kachiyathu will become a mess. (pirinjnhu pokum)

So take care of it.  Don’t forget to stir for few more minutes even after turning off the stove.

If the butter milk is too sour add some sugar to balance the taste, if you like.