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MOR KUZHAMBU Vs MAJJIGE HULI

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by twinsmom, Aug 15, 2007.

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Aug 15, 2007 #1
twinsmom Silver IL'ite

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Choices are difficult to take. I mean, that’s what choices are for. To make life more complicated. This…? Nah…that! Er…this…

While I was a student, some exam papers used to give options. Question No. 8. Answer any one of the following. And I am at a loss to select one as I know both the answers…very well. Then I look at Question No. 9. Again, answer any one…and I don’t know the answer to either! What a predicament! Give me a Calvin Klein and a Gucci…I’ll dither. Tell me to choose between Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham…I’ll tap my feet in irritation. O.P. Nayyar and S. D. Burman? I am spoiled for choice… But ask me if I want mor kuzhambu or majjige huli…before you finish your question…I’d have declared MOR KOZHAMBU.
There’s no doubt about it! Comparing the palghat iyers’ mor kozhambu or morkoottaan as it is fondly called, to the majjige huli is like comparing Manichithra Thaazhu to Chandralekha! I mean …no comparison as far as I am concerned.

Mor koottaan is prepared with ash gourd (elavan) or vellarikkai and raw banana or potato. I prefer potato. The cubed vegetables are boiled with salt and haldi and left to cool. Fresh coconut is ground with green chillies and the well ground mixture is added to thick sour buttermilk or well beaten curds. This is mixed with the boiled vegetables and heated at a very low flame till small bubbles start appearing on the surface. Heat is turned off at this crucial moment and the dish is seasoned with kadugu (mustard seeds), menthium( fenugreek seeds), redchillies and garnished with kadipatha. Mmmm! Just divine!

Now for the cousin across the border. For one thing there is a wider variety of vegetables used. Of course, the ash gourd or the vellarikkai (bannada sowthekkayi) is the primary choice. But it is also made with badinekkayi (eggplant)/ ‘ seeme badnikai (chayote squash)/ cucumber/ soppu (greens) or…umm…bendekkayi( okra) and even dodda menshinkayi (capsicum).

The masala involves grinding so many ingredients. Chana daal soaked for half an hour, red chillies, coriander seeds, jeera, coconut, a small piece of ginger and hing. The ground masala is mixed with sour curds and is added to the boiled vegetable of your choice and brought to boil. The seasoning is with mustard seeds and red chilli.

Somehow, though I eat both, I relish the morkoottaan more than majjige huli. The former transports me to realms of exquisite culinary ecstasy whereas the latter leaves an after taste of raw coriander seeds in my mouth.

I am a bit more partial to the north Indian varieties of Kadis. In fact given a choice of majjige huli and punjabi kadi…I know where I’ll head out to. Again I find a personality clash between the Punjabi kadi and the Gujarathi one. The former is more exotic with its pakodas and tangy methi dotted gravy, whereas the latter is more watery and rather sweetish. Give me rice and Punjabi kadi and you can see a gourmand in the avatar of a glutton at work! But my undying loyalties are with good old morkoottaan!

*** This has been published originally in Sulekha by me.

Last edited: Aug 15, 2007

twinsmom, Aug 15, 2007

twinsmom, Aug 15, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #2

sunitha Gold IL'ite

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Dear Twinsmom

Your post brings back memories of my mom's Morkootaan...Simple yet yummy!!! I am also a Keralite,you see!

I got to know from your post today that what I was preparing all these days is a slightly modified version of Majjige huli.Instead of the red chillies in the mixture,I add green chillies.This is ofcourse my MIL's version..I am actually confused now as to which part of the nation she belongs too:idontgetit: She calls this morkhozhambhu but obviously this has turned out to be Majjige huli:mrgreen: Everyday,I am discovering something new about my Mil's cooking...looks like hers is fusion cooking:mrgreen:

sunitha, Aug 16, 2007

sunitha, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #3

sunkan Gold IL'ite

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hey viju,
anyday morkoottan da, i also relish the first one the second one i feel is a lot quesy on the stomach....sunkan

sunkan, Aug 16, 2007

sunkan, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #4

twinsmom Silver IL'ite

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Hi Sunitha,
Fusion cooking....! I am a great exponent of that! I try frantically to conserve the tradioanality of my Tam-bramism...especially ...( only?) in cooking!

twinsmom, Aug 16, 2007

twinsmom, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #5

twinsmom Silver IL'ite

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Hi sunkan,
Yeah... The Mor koottaan is any day preferable to Majjige Huli... I am still puzzled about the terminology in Indusladies... what is thread? What is the diference between thread and snippet? What are trackbacks? Pingbacks?.... H-E-L_P!

twinsmom, Aug 16, 2007

twinsmom, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #6

sunkan Gold IL'ite

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twinsmom said: ↑

Hi sunkan,
Yeah... The Mor koottaan is any day preferable to Majjige Huli... I am still puzzled about the terminology in Indusladies... what is thread? What is the diference between thread and snippet? What are trackbacks? Pingbacks?.... H-E-L_P!
Click to expand...

a thread is something you start as a topic like today's mirror mirror if it becomes a hit with many pouring in, or may be a celebration how u enjoyed and started by u. like may be even happy independance day and a lot more description to go along to make it a memorable thread started by you.
snippets, is something now that which u have shared about ur love for a particular stuff in food or lifestyle, or experience, and so on. i think malathy is here, u can ask about the others that is trackbacks and pingbacks she is a great help here...sunkan

sunkan, Aug 16, 2007

sunkan, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #7

Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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Dear Twinsmom,
Welcome to indusladies !
First thing, please go to
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/faqs/
and familiarise yourself, with how & where to post.
Take a little time off and go through the forums & sub-forums. You will realise, it is nothing more than a child's play. You will love it like Morkootan, call it Puliseri & not run away as from Majjige huli !
The majjige huli, you have described is, as far as I know, the Tamil Nadu version of morkuzambu ! Perhaps the kannada version is also the same. Morkootan can be made with medium sour buttermilk, whereas the latter can "tackle" very sour buttermilk as well. But, let me telll you, if you are accustomed to the former, your tastebuds will reluctantly, if at all, accept the latter !
Your post makes very enjoyable reading, Twinsmom. Please do continue to post in I L - we are all ready to lap up, interesting, well written posts !
Love,
Chithra.

Chitvish, Aug 16, 2007

Chitvish, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #8

honeybee Gold IL'ite

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Hi twinsmom
Nice write-up comparing morkootan and majjige huli.

BTW in your list of vegs for palakkad iyers' morkootan why is my favourite veg.. chembu missing? Sure it becomes a little slimy, but I love it...

Probably procedures vary mildly for each household, my mom adds pepper too along with g.chillies and fresh coconut for grinding.

Good old palakkad.Iam becomng nostalgic!

Regards
Honeybee

honeybee, Aug 16, 2007

honeybee, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #9

abhatv Senior IL'ite

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Hi twinsmom,

Here is my version of the morozhicha koottan.

Boil equal proportions of yam and vazhakkai or the proportion can be a little this way or that way with turmeric and salt. To the boiled vegetables, add moru. When it starts to boil, add a fine paste of ground coconut, jeera, green chillies and pepper(usually I will add pepper only on special occasions). Consistency can be changed according to one's taste. Then season with mustard, methi seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.

Some times I make it with mango and vellarikkai. At that time no pepper, instead of green chillies, a mixture of 1 green and 1 red chilli will be added, there is definitely a taste difference.

Regards,

Abha.

abhatv, Aug 16, 2007

abhatv, Aug 16, 2007

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Aug 16, 2007 #10

Nivedi New IL'ite

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Hi,

I am also from the land of Morkootan and love it dearly. I have'nt attempted the majige huli. But I once tasted a kadi with black eyed beans in it and it was delicious. So my morkootan has undergone a transformation. Along with ash gourd there are pieces of black eyed beans too. :-D

Nivedi, Aug 16, 2007

Nivedi, Aug 16, 2007

#10

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