South Indies: Majjige Huli - Ash Gourd & Buttermilk Stew

An old post with new pictures yet again ..  And, it is Majjige Huli/ Mor Kuzhambu in Tamil ,this time .. I have grown soo fond of this subtly flavoured stew that I actually wait for summer, just to have an excuse to make this more often

This afternoon at lunch, I was just contemplating, how the simplest stuff is sometimes the best and so darn, finger-lickin' good without anything exotic. One of the many ways of enjoying a simple meal is eating rice with a simple yellow colored, tangy yogurt based gravy- Majjige Huli.

Its such a lovely dish to look at. A pale shade of yellow, vegetables cut into large chunks & dunked in a creamy buttermilk-coconut sauce. The tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves & red chillies add a lovely dash of color.

On Hot summer days, we immensely enjoy Majjige Huli with steamed rice. It has an amazing cooling effect on your body & it really brings out the flavor of vegetables.

Ash Gourd really blends well with the gravy & this is truly one of the best ways to use up Ash Gourd.This is comfort food in one of the most simplest forms.

You Will Need:

• 250g Ash Gourd -  cut into large chunks & cut the skin off
• 2 cups Yogurt - Slightly sour or a day old yogurt will work wonders
• Salt as per taste

To Grind:

• 3 tbsp grated coconut - fresh/frozen
• 2 tbsp chana dal - soaked in water for 30 mins
• 10 green chillies - medium spiced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2  tsp turmeric
• A small piece of ginger

To Temper:

• 2 dry red chillies - broken
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A few curry leaves
• A big  pinch of Hing
• 1 tsp desi ghee/clarified butter

How To:

• Cook Ash Gourd with a pinch of salt in about 2 cups of water until completely cooked yet firm
• Grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list into a smooth paste using little water
• Add the ground paste to the cooked vegetables & bring the mixture to a boil
• Add yogurt & salt as per taste & let it simmer on low flame for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between.
• Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, Hing & red chili

Serve with HOT steamed rice. Enjoi !!!

NOTE:

• If the yogurt is not sour enough, add about 2 tbsp of tamarind juice
• You could also use cucumber, okra, spinach, Chayote instead of ash gourd