In the world of South Indian curries that go beyond the sambar, kootu and mor kuzhambu are typically constituted as staples in home kitchens. Both curries, usually eaten with rice and a dry preparation of vegetables, known as poriyal – are delicious and mildly spiced. These flavour-packed side dishes are not just a reflection of the culture’s taste palate but also high on protein and good fats. While the kootu curry is a preparation one can typically find as part of a Sadya or celebratory feast, the mor kuzhambu is underrated in a way where it is vastly eaten as an afterthought to a full meal of rice, sambar, poriyal, poppadum, pachadi and so on. Although both, the kootu curry and mor kuzhambu are foundationally similar, with their usage of the same kind of ingredients, each has their characteristic flavour that makes them different from one another.
Kootu Curry
A traditional South Indian dish from Kerala, this mixed vegetable curry is traditionally made with a combination of vegetables like yam, raw banana, ash gourd and black chana, cooked in a spiced coconut paste. The paste, which is usually flavoured with cumin, turmeric, green chillies and coriander seeds, is cooked with the vegetables simmering in the paste. Often served as part of a festive meal or on special occasions, kootu curry often has a as a thicker, semi-solid consistency and is not predominantly yogurt-based like mor kuzhambu. This thickness, derived from the coconut paste and sometimes the usage of lentils, remains consistent without further dilution.
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Mor Kuzhambu
A popular delicacy in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, the mor kuzhambu is a yogurt-based, runny curry made with buttermilk or thinned yogurt, coconut and seasonal vegetables. Often served with steamed rice and known for its tangy, mildly spiced flavour, the mor kuzhambu is similar in many ways to a Kerala-style stew – but with the addition of ground coconut instead of coconut milk. As the name suggests, mor kuzhambu – or a buttermilk gravy, has a relatively low ratio of vegetables to curry – unlike the kootu curry, where the concentration is higher. The thin consistency of this curry, makes it ideal to pair with more accompaniments that have stronger flavours (read: lime pickle). While the kootu curry has an underlying nuttiness that is hard to miss, the mor kuzhambu has a delicate tang that complements the one key vegetable that it is usually cooked with. This might include ingredients like raw mango, okra, ash gourd, pumpkin and even dried green beans, known as vatthal.