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Mor kali
Buttermilk rice flour cake
மோர் களி: rice flour cooked in sour buttermilk with fried mor milagai chillies into a soft, tangy cake
Mor kali is a quick Tamil tiffin of the old style, made in Tirunelveli and Chennai Brahmin homes when there's sour buttermilk to use up. Rice flour is stirred into tempered buttermilk until it turns glossy and leaves the pan, then cut into squares, soft and wobbly with the salty, smoky crunch of fried mor milagai (curd chillies). The mistake is stopping too early: undercooked kali tastes raw and sticks to the teeth, so cook until it rolls into a ball that doesn't stick to a wet finger. Chef's tip: use buttermilk that is properly sour, a day or two old; fresh buttermilk tastes flat here.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the batter
- 4 oz rice flour
- 1 ¾ cups sour buttermilkthin
- ¾ tsp salt
For the tempering
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 10 curry leaves
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 4 oz rice flour into 1 ¾ cups sour buttermilk with ¾ tsp salt to a smooth, thin batter with no lumps.
3 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp sesame oil in a heavy non-stick or cast-iron pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and, when it pops, 1 tsp urad dal, then 4 mor milagai (dried curd chillies). Fry until the chillies turn dark and smell smoky, a few seconds. Add 10 curry leaves and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing).
2 minStep 3: Lower the heat and pour in the batter, stirring constantly with a flat spatula.
2 minStep 4: Keep stirring over low heat for 10–12 minutes. It thickens, turns glossy and translucent and finally leaves the sides of the pan as one soft mass. A bit pressed between wet fingers should not stick.
12 minStep 5: Spread on an oiled plate about 2 cm thick, cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Eat warm.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mor kali take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sour buttermilk?
- Milk with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tbsp per 240ml (1 cup) milk, left for 5 minutes.
- What can I use instead of mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
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