Why white pepper?
Mor kuzhambu is one of the traditional recipes from South Indian cuisine. The traditional recipe calls for coconut and red/green chilies. But for lactating mother chilies are not recommended during the first 45 days. (Please read about the postpartum recipes and our practice on my postpartum recipes page)Black and white pepper are preferable. So here is the mor kuzhambu recipe suitable for lactating moms made with spinach. I learned this recipe from my MIL. I love this very much, and we prepare this quite often. Instead of coconut, we use pottukadalai or daliya, and instead of chilies, it is the white pepper. Disclaimer: All these procedures and recipes are followed and passed on in my family generations after generations. I am posting them here since I felt I benefitted from it. I do not claim that these are proven methods. All these recipes are handed to me by my Mom, MIL, and grandma.
White pepper
The white and black peppercorns are the fruits of the pepper plant. But they are processed differently. Black ones are ripe fruits that are sun-dried. The white ones are the inner seed with the outer layer removed. White pepper is mild in flavor but hotter than the black ones. As it is the inner seed, the shelf life is comparatively less than the black ones. Here is how we make this pathiya mor kuzhambu,
Ingredients required
Buttermilk – 2 cups (not too sour)Turmeric – ½ tspSpinach – 1 bunch (Roughly 2 cups)Salt – 1.5tsp (as per the taste of the buttermilk)For Seasoning:Oil – 1 tspMustard seeds – 1tspMethi seeds (vendiyam) – 1tspHing – ½ tspCurry leaves – 1 strandTo Grind:White pepper – 1 tbspCumin Seeds – ½ tspKadalai paruppu / channa dal – 1 tspCoriander Seeds – ½ tsp (Just for aroma)Daliya – 1 tbsp
Prep-work
Wash and chop the spinach roughly and set aside.Grind all the ingredients given under “To Grind” into a smooth paste by adding ¼ cup of water.Now add this fresh ground paste to the buttermilk along with salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and set it aside.
Keerai mor kuzhambu | pathiya mor kuzhambu recipe
Heat the kadai and add oil.When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, methi seeds, hing, and few curry leaves.When the tempering starts to splutter, then add the spinach and cook until it wilts.Now add the buttermilk mixture and remaining curry leaves.Allow it to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes over medium flame.Once it becomes frothy, turn off the heat — no need to boil the sambar.
That’s it. Buttermilk Sambar is ready. Serve hot with rice.
Recipe notes
As always, adjust the spices as per your preference.Do not cook over high heat, as buttermilk might churn. Do not let the sambar boil.Instead of spinach, you can use other veggies like ash gourd, chowchow, etc.If you are not following the postpartum diet, but looking for no coconut recipes, this is one of the best bets. In that case, you can use black pepper instead of white one.
PS – Check out my instant mor kuzhambu recipe too.
Check out my other pathiya/postpartum recipes-
📖 Recipe
Update Notes: Posted this recipe in 2014. Now updated with fresh content and new pictures. If you try this pathiya mor kuzhambu, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
