Mor Kootan is a traditional South Indian curry prepared using buttermilk (mor) as the base, gently cooked with vegetables, mild spices, and a simple tempering. It is valued for its light texture, soothing nature, and digestive benefits, making it a staple in everyday home cooking across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. This can be made with vegetables like Ash gourd, Pumpkin, Raw bananas, Carrots, Yam, or Colocassia (Chembu).

Unlike richer gravies, Mor Kootan is not meant to overpower the meal. Its role is to balance the plate, cool the body, and enhance digestion, especially when served with rice. The dish relies on correct handling of buttermilk—never allowing it to boil—to maintain its smooth consistency and gentle flavour.

Varieties of Mor Kootan

Mor Kootan adapts beautifully to regional preferences and seasonal vegetables. Some common and traditional varieties include:

Vegetable Mor Kootan – Prepared with ash gourd, pumpkin, snake gourd, cucumber, or drumstick
Vendakkai Mor Kootan – Made with sautéed okra for added texture
Paruppu urundai Mor Kootan – Includes a small quantity of cooked lentils for body
Sevai Mor Kootan – A special, temple-style or festive variation
Plain Mor Kootan – Minimal vegetables, focusing on the flavour of spiced buttermilk

Each variation maintains the core identity of Mor Kootan while allowing flexibility.

Regional Differences

Tamil Nadu Style

Usually prepared with coconut, toor dal or Channa dal, cumin and green chillies.
Slightly tangy due to well-fermented buttermilk. Thin to medium consistency.
Tempered with gingelly oil or neutral oil.

Karnataka Style

Often includes a small amount of ground coconut, cumin, channa dal, coriander seeds, and green chillies.
Mildly spiced with a smoother texture.
Balanced sourness, less sharp than Tamil Nadu style.

This version lies between Tamil Nadu and Kerala styles in flavour and richness.

Kerala Style

Uses fresh coconut paste as a key ingredient and flavoured with green chillies, cumin seeds.
Tempered exclusively in coconut oil. Creamy, mildly tangy, and aromatic.

Kerala Mor Kootan is richer in mouthfeel but still light, thanks to coconut and fresh curd.

Sevai Mor Kootan

A special preparation often made for Idiyappam or Sevai. Includes ground coconut, cumin, green chillies.
Mildly spiced and less sour

Sevai Mor Kootan is unique and should not be confused with everyday mor curries.

Comparison Table: Mor Kootan & Other Buttermilk / Curd-Based Curries

Dish Name	Region	Base Used	Coconut Used	Spice Profile	Consistency	Key Vegetables / Ingredients
Majjige huli	Karnataka	Buttermilk	Yes	Mild, cumin, Channa dal	Thin to medium	Ash gourd, pumpkin, snake gourd, cucumber
Kerala Moru Kootan	Kerala	Buttermilk / Light curd	Yes	Cumin, green chillies	Medium, creamy	Ash gourd, Raw banana, Colocasia
Sevai Mor Kootan	Tamil Nadu	Buttermilk	Yes	Very mild	Thin	Often without vegetables
Pulissery	Kerala	Thick curd	Yes	Mild, slightly sweet	Medium thick	Ripe mango, pineapple, Nenthra banana
Kalan	Kerala	Thick curd	Yes	Peppery, tangy	Thick	Raw banana, yam
Rasakalan	Kerala	Thick curd and Tamarind	Yes	Spicy, tangy	Medium	Yam, raw banana
Majjiga Pulusu	Andhra Pradesh	Buttermilk	No	Spicy, tangy	Thin	Bottle gourd, brinjal, okra
Mor Kuzhambu	Tamil Nadu	Buttermilk	Optional	Medium spice	Medium	Okra, drumstick, ash gourd

Mor kootan

Niranjana Sankaranarayanan

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Kerala, South Indian

Servings 4

Equipment

1 Mixie

Ingredients

250 ml Buttermilk 1 Glass
few Curry leaves
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
As req Salt
Few pieces Any one Vegetable White pumpkin/potato/plantain/yam - few pieces

To Temper

1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek
few Curry leaves
2 no Red chilli

To grind

1 tsp Cumin seeds
3 no Green chillies
1/2 no Coconut

Instructions

In a vessel add the chopped vegetable, required water, turmeric powder and salt and boil until the vegetable pieces are cooked.
Grind coconut with green chillies, cumin seeds into a paste.
Add the ground paste to the cooked ashgourd. Mix well.
Now whisk the sour curd without any lumps.
Add to the coconut ashgourd mixture. Check for consistency and salt.
Simmer until the kootan froths up. Do not boil after adding curd. Remove from heat.
Temper with Mustard, Red Chillies and Methi seeds. Garnish with curry leaves.
Mor kootan is ready to serve. Serve with hot rice and Appalam.

Keyword Buttermilk based curry, Kerala cuisine, Mor kootan, SOuth Indian gravy

INSTRUCTIONS

In a vessel add the chopped vegetable, required water, turmeric powder and salt and boil until the vegetable pieces are cooked.
Grind coconut with green chillies, cumin seeds into a paste.

Add the ground paste to the cooked ashgourd. Mix well.
Now whisk the sour curd without any lumps.

Add to the coconut ashgourd mixture. Check for consistency and salt.

Simmer until the kootan froths up. Do not boil after adding curd. Remove from heat.
Temper with Mustard, Red Chillies and Methi seeds. Garnish with curry leaves.

Mor kootan is ready to serve. Serve with hot rice and Appalam.

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Mor Kootan

Varieties of Mor Kootan