Morkali
takes me back to grandmom when she used to dish this out for an evening snack n
it really didn’t need any accompaniment . But I must admit it’s an art of making the right consistency of morkali. Mor in Tamil means buttermilk and Kali means a
gooey porridge kind of semi solid food.
It was, and remains, my sister’s most hated dish. I really didn’t know
what the fuss was then , for she could eat pretty much everything including my
dreaded bitter gourd . To each his own I guess .. Anyway, this dish got revived at my house once mom moved in with us
sometime ago n the husband also seemed to like it.
So like the theme goes for BM this week, just
3 ingredients excluding the salt, sugar and oil. Once you get the proportion right, you are pretty much on track (See Tips below to get the perfect Morkali). I use non
stick pan to use very less oil but some people use a deep bottomed iron
pan and once the morkali is done,they love to eat the slightly crispy but lil
burnt portions of the morkali too 🙂 Like I said, to each his own 😀
Made in so many different ways, this is how mom makes it and I love it too 🙂
Prep time : 5 mins, cook time : 15 to 20 mins,
Spice level : medium, served with Mor Milagai (sun dried chillies, fried in oil)
To make
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Sour buttermilk – 1.25 cups (depends on the quality of the rice flour)
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 3 tbsp
- Methi seeds + mustard – 1/3 tsp
- Asafoetida – a generous pinch
How to make
- Sieve flour. In a large bowl, add flour and slowly add sour buttermilk and make
a pouring consistency. Rest for 3-4 mins …Add salt to taste. - In a non stick pan, splutter mustard-methi seeds, add asafoetida and this
batter & slowly keep whisking it till it comes together. Sprinkle a lil
water and cook covered for 8-10 mins on a low flame. - To check if it’s cooked , wet your palms and touch the surface of the dish – if it sticks to
your hand it needs to cook more. If not, stir it a bit and cook for 1 min more.
Make equal portions and serve hot with mor milagai as an accompaniment .
Tips :
- Dont play with the proportion of flour : buttermilk. More watery buttermilk
will need more oil and cooking time will increase. - Buttermilk should be neither too watery or thick. Should be like a pouring
consistency. - Slightly sour buttermilk works best to get a tangy taste. If you are using
sweet curds to make buttermilk for this dish, squeeze in half a lime juice or a
dash of tamarind extract to make it tangy. - Make sure you use fresh rice flour for best results. Sieving is important to
get some air into the flour.
This looks like a traditional dish and a comfort food.
It is nice to read about your memories around this recipe. It must make the recipe special.
I guess it's just perfect for the weather we have. Looks great and truly comforting.
I enjoy this dish so much!..not that we make it often, wish we could..
Yum yum
Nice reading your post Kalyani.This is one of my fav and I too love the crunchy/burnt part of the morekali sticking to the the cast iron pan.Yum!!!
Even morkali is a nostalgic post for me, i love this food very much, my grandma's signature dish.
My aunt used to make something similar. This looks yum.
Kalis are regular in our homes…perfect for this summer and healthy too..looks lovely..
Morkali brings lot of memories for me as well. My paati makes this often and hers is the best. She even made it once on my birthday as a cake and made me cut it in the evening. Tempted to come to India and eat my paatis morkali 🙂
Here's what I learnt — There is usually no rhyme or reason why some people like and hate certain foods. I tried for a very long time to come up with a logical explanation for my husband's and kid's food preferences and I'm getting more clueless as time passes. Finally I gave up 🙂
Anyway, your mor kali looks very creamy & comforting.
Looks very yummy and comforting. A hot bowl of morkali is good for the soul 🙂
nice memories surrounding mor kali…
looks like the perfect comfort food
I too have many good memories attached to this yummm morkali. Looks delicious with that more milagaI.