Black and White Wednesdays: Why you shouldn't be 'surprised' at fermented foods

Not just a " an eloquent protest against the homogenization of flavours and food now rolling like a great undifferentiated lawn across the globe..."

We often come across articles educating us lesser mortals on which food is good for us and why it is good for us. Most of them in the tone of a new discovery, of something we might have been too ignorant to know for our uninitiated, bad-eating-habit selves. After  one starts reading, one realizes that it is yet another 'American' / western discovery. One that many, 'looked-down-upon'  parts of the world take for fresh, normal, healthy, seasonal,  usually sustainable, locally sourced  food and eating habits. Since 'ancient times'.

Idli with a touch of seasoned Tomato and Onion Chutney

Of course, the implication here is that nobody should wrinkle up their noses on foods like Bread, Cheese, Beer, Wine, Chocolate, Coffee and Yogurt. These being gourmet foods that powerful nations and cultures have exalted to an elite status. Plus this food is so good that there is not even a tiny whiff of 'fermentation', and it is far  removed from the important word which is implied here. The very dirty one, 'rotten'. You  will and should however be pardoned for wrinkling your nose and sniffing at foods,  that are fermented and that do not belong to above seven categories and the cuisines they represent in the popular consciousness.

Mostly, food with an entirely different flavour profile, one which has  nourished very different cultures. What comes to your mind? 

Fresh batter poured into idli moulds and a batch of steamed idli's.

This goes to the Black and White Wednesdays # 78 originally created by The Well Seasoned Cook  and hosted this week by My Diverse Kitchen.

For me, it is the humble Idli, made from a ground paste of soaked rice  and black gram. In the hot, tropical, humid climate of the monsoons, our palate quickly adapted to fresh  food, fermented ground pastes steamed into nutritious vegetarian entrees, buttermilk and yogurt  whisked into easily digestible curries, chutneys and cooling summer drinks. It is  unsurprising then that,

We do not have to 'try to bring back' fermentation

We do not have to 'try to revive' an ancient tradition.

It is part of our living culture and tradition.

And it is alive.
And we are not afraid.

And no pun intended.

Plus,  we perhaps do not need a 'Guru' to teach us that!

Again, no pun intended.

In many ways, this reminds me of the  underlying humour regarding Kerala cuisine which touches on the traditional, Malayalee comfort food of sour, coconut-buttermilk chutneys like the Kaalan, Moru Curries and pulisseri's. The Kaalan would never go bad, it would only turn more sour. To balance out the sourness, one just added fresh coconut paste and vice-versa. This back and forth process would end  only when with the curry got over!

So  while experts foment and flog whatever is current and trendy, there are many food traditions and recipes that have  survived the onslaught of over processed, homogenized, frozen, left-over, cliched, fizz and foam! They could perhaps look at something like the Idli... to rise up and leaven, gently ripen to a perfect, tart, sourness and then  be steamed into something truly piquant. Effortlessly. It need not be contrived and unsavoury. The magic is alive. Just check.

Vellarikka Moru Ozhicha Curry: Yellow Cucumber Buttermilk Curry

Vellarikka Moru Ozhicha Kootan

Catching the late afternoon light...

Known also as Moru Ozhicha Kootan /Moru Kootan/ Moru Paarna Curry.....

This dish is made on Vishu day, with the Yelllow Cucumber kept in the Vishu Kani. The recipe follows the traditional method used in the Winter Melon/Elavan Moru Kootan.

However I have used sour buttermilk paste here; black pepper powder has been omitted from the Kurukku [ reduced paste] used for Kaalan. This is pure buttermilk paste with just turmeric, home-made one from-you-know-where! ;-), without black pepper and one tiny teaspoon was enough for this dish. You can follow the tradtional substitute with 1 Cup of sour buttermilk.

Ingredients

I small yellow cucumber, which will yield about 1 and half cups of small cubes,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 Cup grated coconut
1/4 tsp cummin seeds
2 finger hot green chillies
1 tsp of reduced sour buttermilk paste plus one tsp water/
or 1 Cup of sour buttermilk
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 dried red chillies
1 stem curry leaves
1 pinch of coarsely crushed fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil/ vegetable oil.

Method

Cook the cucumber in 1 cup of water with turmeric and salt.

Meanwhile grind the coconut, green chillies,  and cummin with  1/2 to 3/4 cup of water into a smooth paste.
Keep aside.
Mix the buttermilk paste with water.
Add this paste to the cooked cucumbers and mix well.
Add the coconut paste and bring to a gentle simmer.
Take off the heat.
Heat the coconut oil to a smoking point and temper the mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds.
Pour immediately over the cooked curry.
Check for salt  and adjust accordingly.

Traditional Valluvanad Moru Curry

Lunch: Rice, Mango Pickle in Brine, Moru Curry, Chena Payaru Upperi, Leftover Avial Curry

Moru Curry: Ash Gourd/Winter Melon cubes in a coconut yogurt cummin base.

Chena Payaru Upperi: Elephant Yams and Chinese Long Beans

Avial Curry: Mixed Vegetables in a Green Chilli, Coconut Yogurt base.

A traditonal combination with Moru Curry is this Chena Payaru Upperi, the other being the spicy Vazhuthinanga Upperi/ Spicy Eggplant. As always to complete the flavour combination,  Mulagu Manga or Mango Pickle in Brine.

The present greenish hued Moru curry was a surprise from the long green chillies. The flavours were traditional but the colours were a surprise! Had given a brief sketch in a previous post for Moru Kootan but not the precise measurements.

The Avial was made the traditional way but with a 'curry' consistency = neenda avial!...and available ingredients: Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, Green peas, Drumsticks, Butternut Squash, Carrots and Green Beans.

Moru Curry

Ingredients

2 Cups cubed skinned Winter Melon

2 green chillies [ option: one can use one finger hot chilli]

1/4 tsp Cummin seeds

1 Cup grated coconut

1 Cup sour buttermilk

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

I stem Curry leaves for garnish

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 dried red chilli

1/8 tsp crushed fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp Coconut Oil for tempering

Water

Method

Grind the coconut, 2 green chillies,  cummin seeds alongwith the sour buttermilk into a smooth paste,

Boil the cubed Winter Melon in just enough water, salt and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder until done: cooked and still holding its shape/not mushy.

Turn the heat down and add the ground coconut  paste,

At this stage add water or more buttermilk according to your prefered consistency and the desired level of consistency.

Bring to a genlte simmer and take it off the heat immediately.

Tempering

Heat  1 tbsp of coconut oil,

Temper mustard seeds, broken red chilli and the curry leaves,

Add the pinch of crushed fenugreek seeds,

Immediately pour over the cooked curry.

Chena Payaru Upperi: Elephant Yams and Chinese Long Beans

Ingredients

1 Cup Cubed Elephant Yams

2 Cups Inch long pieces of Chinese Long Beans

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

3/4  tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 stem curry leaves

Salt

Vegetable oil or Coconut Oil for lightly frying the yams

1 tbsp Coconut Oil for drizzling/garnish

Method

Heat about 1/2 cup of water  and cook the beans  uncovered adding turmeric powder and salt, until just about done,

At this point there should be little or just a couple of tbsps of water left. Keep aside.

Meanwhile heat the Vegetable oil  and  saute the onions until soft,

Add the cubed yams [ frozen variety used here]

Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder,  red chilli powder and salt to coat the pieces well.

Cook on medium high heat, stirring the pieces for about 4 minutes, 

Turn to medium low, cover and cook for another 4 minutes.

Add the beans and  the curry leaves,

Mix well and cook until done.

Drizzle with coconut oil and serve.

Traditional Valluvanad-Moru Kootan

The Moru Kootan, is also known as Moru Curry, Moru Ozhicha Kootan, Moru Paarna Kootan  accross the culinary terrain in Kerala. 

The variation of this yogurt curry start with the basic sour beaten buttermilk and in its basic 'cooked' version starts with a Pulisseri. Buttermilk, cooked with turmeric and salt with a tempering of cummin, mustard, fenugreek, chillies, garlic, curry leaves and ayamodakam/ajwain.

Moru Kootan starts with additions ranging from the cumin seed, coriander, grated coconut, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, Fenugreek seeds .... and from a plain curry to one with ash gourd, okra, taro roots, cucumber and mangoes. The basic tempering  is : mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves with a pinch of asafoetida. Additional variations include finely chopped small red onions/shallots, finely chopped garlic, and cumin seeds.

This curry would contain vegetables, especially Ash Gourd and Pumpkin. Others with vegetables like Chinese Long beans/Indian Long beans, flat blean, drumsticks, drumstick leaves etc. will have specific names. Kachiya Moru, Pulisseri is the base, which involves heating sour buttermilk with turmeric and tempering it with spices. This is used both as a soothing soup, summertime drink and as a curry. The word, Kuzhambu is used in Tamil cuisine. The Northern varieties include the Kadhi,  with the addition of besan [chickpea flour] to thicken the curry and the one's like the Curry Burry that travelled the migrant route.

A traditional accompaniment to this curry would be a spicy dry vegetable dish- upperi [ thoran in other parts] like Brinjal, Okra, Taro root, Jackfruit seeds, Elephant Yams, several varieties of dried legumes cooked with chillies and spicy wild mushroom curry during thunderstorms. A fried curd-chilli [kondatta-mulagu] Urad dal pappadums and the traditional mango pickle-in-brine Mulagu Manga  round up a satisfying lunch or dinner during a hot summer day!

Dinner Tonight: Rice, Moru Kootan, Okra fry, Mulagu Manga, Fried Curd-Chillies!

The traditional  Valluvanad version uses:

Kumbalan/ Kumbalanga/Elavan/ Ash Gourd/Winter Melon

Turmeric powder

Salt

The Paste

Grated Coconut

Cumin Seeds

Green Chillies/ Red Chillies

Sour Buttermilk

Tempering

Mustard Seeds

Dried Red Chillies

Curry Leaves

Pinch of roasted fengreek powder

Method

Cube the Winter melon, Boil with turmeric powder and salt until cooked, not mushy.

Grind the coconut, cumin and green chillies/ red chillies into a fine paste. If you have one of the Indian 'mixie's', then nothing like it! Go ahead and grind it to the consistency you like

Moi ground the paste on a North-Indian pink sandstone grind-stone, added the buttermilk to the paste and gave it a turn in my Cuisinart blender. The American blenders do not grind the coconut well. Grating the coconut, instead of cutting the pieces and prior-grinding on the stone, made the gravy smooth.

Add this paste to the boiled winter melon  on a simmer and then let it come up to a genlte simmer. Immediately take off the heat.

Heat the oil, temper with mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of fenugreek powder.