Both I and my son are down with cold and cough and thus it is bad start for this week. Poor little one he is more sick yesterday night, he had some fever. This morning I took him to his doctor and found that he has bad cold and has some infection in ear too. He got his dose of antibiotics. I need to go to doctor tomorrow and to get my dose of antibiotics. It is not fun moving around with a stuffed nose. I am making very simple curry and some sides for lunch and dinner as I don’t want to spend more time in kitchen. I made this simple Mulakushyam an easy lentil and ash gourd curry.
This curry is one of the traditional curries of Kerala, South India. Literal meaning of Mulaku dooshyam means “ chilies are bad”. This curry doesn’t use any red chili, and instead uses black pepper and if you want you can add green chili, if you add more then it won’t be mulakushyam. It is less spicy comfort curry. This curry is normally given to new born moms and those who are sick or as a rainy day dish.
Other day I got a comment in Facebook fan page that why you are not making traditional recipes , I told the reader that I make the traditional recipes occasionally and that I have posted most of them during my first few years of blogging. I don’t want to repeat the dishes by just changing ingredients and changing the name.
Coming to the recipe I have seen there is lot of variety of mulakushyam, some add grated coconut, and some season them with mustard seeds, curry leaves. Toor/Tuvar dal and Ash gourd/ winter melon are main ingredients of basic mulakushyam. However other vegetables like pumpkin, raw banana, elephant yam, drumsticks, spinach, carrot etc. are also used sometime.
For making this curry, first pressure cook the dal, and then cook the winter melon/ ash gourd pieces with little turmeric, pepper, green chili and salt in another bowl. Once dal is cooked, add it to cooked veggies and green chili then finally check the salt and add little coconut oil on the top along with little curry leaves.
If you want you can add seasoning, I didn’t add it. I made it very basic version of mulakushyam. Simple comfort curry goes well with bowl of rice and a side dish of your choice. I like to make comfort dishes which my grandma and mom make occasionally at my kitchen. It is always nice to rekindle the memories of taste which we grow up with it.
Here comes the recipe. Give it a try; it is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Delicious simple less spicy curry made with lentil, winter melon and touch of coconut oil.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of Ash gourd/ Winter melon/ Kumbalanga chopped into bite size pieces
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 green chili
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup toor dal
- 2 cup of water+ extra for cooking dal
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- ½- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
Instructions
- In a bowl add chopped ash gourd, salt, turmeric and pepper and green chili and cook well it takes about 20 minutes.
- In the mean time pressure dal with 2 cups of water until 3-4 whistle.
- Once the dal is done, add this to
- Cooked ash gourd and let it boil for a minute or two. Then finally add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and curry leaves and remove from the flame.
- Enjoy with a bowl or rice.
- Notes: If you want you can add grated coconut, also use other vegetables, but only one vegetable and dal .
- Also if you want to do a seasoning you can do that.
- This is basic version of mulakshuyam.
Notes
Copyright ©2014 Zesty South Indian Kitchen by Swathi(Ambujom Saraswathy) All Rights Reserved.
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
gayathri says
Healthy and yummy curry.
beena says
Simple yummy curry
Arthy Shama says
This looks completely kids-friendly. Must make for my daughter also:)
Sindhiya says
A nice comfort food...Looks so delicious!!
Sundari says
lovely,healthy curry!! picture perfect!!
Amila says
love the curry.It looks delicious...
Hope both of you will get well soon....
Nalini Somayaji says
perfect for winter time...Mulakushyam ....we prepare this during chaatrumasa...that one month no green chilly and no red chilly one pepper...instead of chilly....
ShivaG says
Old Kerala tradition uses - onlyBlack Pepper, Cumin Moondal, curry leaves, coconut ( a little)
CHITCHAT says
Perfect comfort food. I add a little perungayam to this.
Rani Vijoo says
My favourite curry...looks yummy and delicious Swathi..
veena says
comforting dish.. My mum does it too.. I like ur name ... Get well soon Swathi
Mayuri Patel says
lovely curry, never have made anything with ash gourd. Wishing you both a speedy recovery.
Choc Chip Uru says
This would be so delicious with some steaming rice, lovely dish!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Sangeetha Nambi says
Love this all time....
Subha says
Nice Molakushyam recipe Swathi..Goes best with rice..