8 Comments

So, planned to try it. Bought some lovely-looking okra at the farmer's market. A week races by (it's that time of year in English Ed.) A weekend races by. Half of a second week passes, there's not a lot in the vegetable drawer except the now-somewhat-aged okra, and Brian says, "It's time to try the okra morekozhambu." (Well, he didn't quite put it that way, but that was the gist.) Shall I? I say. But the dog needs a walk. "I will make this while you walk the dog," says Brian, and sets to work. A creek dip and a couple of dominance interactions later, I get a phone call: "um, so I made the paste, and I blended the yogurt...and then I took the okra out of the fridge. That was the wrong order." Yes: the okra had gone over, heartbroken from neglect. "I could go to Ingles and try for more okra, "I say, "OR..." "Or?" "Or, there's a nice mild-flavored cauliflower in there that would just beautifully take up any flavor you cook it with." "Hmm." "Yes...hmmm." The result was cauliflower morekozhambu, and while it's a bit of a jugaad, it was still pretty awesome, and will be even more so tomorrow lunchtime over rice in the fourth-floor Coulter lounge. Great recipe! :-)

Expand full comment

I SO love this! Now I have never ever seen cauliflower morekozhambu in India - but why the heck not?!! We make it with many other veggies - including white pumpkin. So glad it turned out, and so glad it turned out well!

Expand full comment

My rallying cry: JUGAAD! :-)

Expand full comment

And it was maybe the first time my yogurt sauce didn't split. Maybe the chick pea flor rather than wheat flour? Quite yummiest, but now I want to try it with pumpkin!

Expand full comment

PS So, the toor dal...really just boiled? No spices?

Expand full comment

Yes. Plain, boiled. No spices at all. We mix it with hot rice, a fat dollop of ghee, and some salt in the rice-dhal mixture. Every kid in South India grows up on this.

Expand full comment

Sounds...yummy. Like maybe-tomorrow-night yummy.

Expand full comment

Brings back fond memories of Oman. I lived there for 9 years. Many thought I was my child’s nanny because my son was very fair and because I had dark skin 😂🤣

Expand full comment