Moru Curry (Kerala Buttermilk Curry)

Moru curry with dried chilis and curry leaves in a white bowl.

Moru Curry (Kerala Buttermilk Curry)

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A tangy Kerala yogurt curry made with sour yogurt and a smooth coconut paste ground with ginger, shallots, green chilies, and cumin, then finished with mustard seeds, dried red chilies, and curry leaves in coconut oil. Serve it with rice, thoran, and pappadam, or as part of an Onam sadhya.

Servings servings

Ingredients

Yogurt

1 cup plain yogurt whole milk, not Greek [See Note 1]
1 cup water

Coconut paste

½ cup grated coconut fresh or frozen [See Note 2]
2 green chilies
½ inch ginger coarsely chopped
2 small shallots or 1 large, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon salt
water for grinding coconut

Tempering

1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
2 whole Kashmiri chilies
12 curry leaves

To Finish

boiling water as needed [See Note 4]

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 cup water until completely smooth, with no lumps. Set aside. [See Note 1]
In a blender, combine ½ cup grated coconut, 2 green chilies, ½ inch ginger, 2 small shallots, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and blend. Stir, then keep adding water a tablespoon at a time, blending in between, just until you have a smooth paste. Use as little water as you can. [See Note 2]
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds. When they pop, add ⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 2 whole Kashmiri chilies, and 12 curry leaves, and stir for a few seconds.
Add the coconut paste and stir until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Don't let it boil.
Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the whisked yogurt. Heat, stirring, just until the curry starts to bubble, then turn off the heat right away. [See Note 3]
The curry should be runny, like a creamy soup. If it's too thick, stir in boiling water a little at a time. [See Note 4]

Notes

Note 1: Using a blender gives you the smoothest moru. Sour yogurt gives the best flavor. If I'm using homemade yogurt, it's usually tart enough. If it isn't, I leave it out on the counter for 3 to 4 hours before whisking it. For store-bought, I leave it out for longer, until it's tart enough (up to 8 hours). I use plain whole milk yogurt, not Greek yogurt. To make your own, see my Instant Pot yogurt post.

Note 2: Fresh or frozen grated coconut both work. If you only have desiccated (dried, unsweetened) coconut, soak it in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened, then squeeze it dry before grinding. Grind the paste completely smooth.

Note 3: Yogurt splits if it boils, so turn off the heat as soon as you see bubbles. When the sauce starts sticking to the sides of the pan, that's an indication that the moru is coming to a boil. If the curry does split, blend it with an immersion blender, or carefully in a regular blender with the lid's center cap off, until smooth.

Note 4: Moru curry should be the consistency of a creamy soup. Thin it with boiling water a little at a time if it's too thick.

Note 5: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on low heat without boiling, or microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then another 30 seconds, until warm but not piping hot. This keeps it from curdling. Don't freeze.

Nutrition