Memories on a Plate is an anthology of recipes from across India cuated by Nivaala and The Alipore Post. As a part of this collection, multiple collaborators have shared anecdotes, essays, poems, memories and songs that encapsulate the submitted recipes. Read the excerpt and recipe submitted to Memories on a Plate by Samyuktha KVS, rooted in memories of her grandmother:
Kaimanam (ைகமணம்): The distinct love and aroma that one’s cooking lends to the food
Morkozhambu, a Tamil household delicacy.
As I write this on a lazy Sunday morning far away from home, I find myself longing to tuck into the saapad that could have followed suit; if only!
Every grandchild sings (or rather, burps) laurels about their grandmother’s cooking, and I am no exception. Paati’s kaimanam reminds me of all the love, care and generosity that goes into every extra ladle of sambhar, that gigantic jar of thokku or hidden box of barfis that she’d set aside especially for me. While grandmothers are exceptional at almost anything under the sun, there’s one thing that just doesn’t come naturally to them – passing on their decades-old heirloom recipes in a way 20-something-year-olds understand.
I mean, what is “Rendu kallu uppu” (um…2 salts?), or “Thoraayama” (instinctively)? Somehow, after painstakingly deciphering her voice notes, I decided to document my ultimate comfort food that she’d wholeheartedly whip up in a jiffy for me every time I’d yank her pallu and request.
Here’s my paati’s recipe for Morkozhambu, a curd-based gravy, rich with coconut, lentils and spices.
Ingredients:
| Curd | ½ litre |
|---|---|
| Turmeric | ½ teaspoon |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon |
| White pumpkin, boiled | ½ cup |
| Ladies Fingers, fried | ½ cup |
To soak:
| Rice | 2 teaspoons |
|---|---|
| Toor Dal | 2 teaspoons |
| Cumin seeds (jeera) | 1 teaspoon |
| Coriander seeds (dhaniya) | 1 teaspoon |
| Green chillies | 2-3 |
| Roasted dry red chillies | 1 |
| Ginger | a 2-inch piece |
| Fresh coconut, grated | 1⁄2 cup |
For the tadka:
| Coconut oil | 3 tablespoons |
|---|---|
| Curry leaves | 3-4 leaves |
| Mustard seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Roasted dry red chillies | 1 |
What You Will Need
Mixing bowls, colander, mixer-grinder, medium sized kadhai, small kadhai or a utensil for tadka
Instructions
Soak the ingredients listed under “to soak” for 30 minutes in water, then drain the water out, and grind in a mixer-grinder until it forms a coarse paste.
In a clean mixing bowl, combine the ground paste with the curd, along with half a cup of water and spices. Stir well.
Place a kadhai on a medium flame. Once the kadhai is hot, add your cooked vegetables along with the curd mixture and bring it to a low simmer.
While the curd mixture is simmering, place the utensil for the tadka onto the flame.
Once the coconut oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds and wait for 5 seconds. Then add in the red chilli and turn off the flame. Finish with the curry leaves and leave aside to cool slightly.
Once the curd mixture begins to boil slightly, switch off the flame and add in the tadka.
Mix and serve hot.
This recipe by Samyuktha KVS was published in ‘Memories on a Plate’, curated by Nivaala and The Alipore Post.
Read more in The Locavore’s in-depth feature here.
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