Mor Kali

No, this is not a photo of a plate of mashed potatoes, though the texture of the dish is quite similar to fried mashed potatoes. What you are seeing is my attempt to make a popular South Indian breakfast dish called Mor Kali. I was inspired to try it after reading this post at Soups and Souffles.

Usually, a kadai is used to cook this dish, but I used a wok, which is similarly shaped. I didn't manage to produce the thick brown crust I was hoping for, but the result was a fragrant treat that I enjoyed for dinner with a bowl of Yellow-Split Pea Soup.

This is my contribution to Eat Healthy, a monthly event hosted by Sangeeth. The challenge this month is to come up with a dish that is protein rich.

Mor Kali

2 cups of rice flour
2 cups of yogurt or buttermilk (I used a combination of goat yogurt and buttermilk)
roughly 1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon of kalonji seeds
1 tablespoon of urad dal, rinsed
a generous pinch of asafoetida
2 - 3 finely chopped green chilies
a small handful of curry leaves
3 - 4 dried red chilies
a few teaspoons of oil for frying

Mix the rice flour, buttermilk and/or yogurt together. Pour in enough water to make a batter that is a bit thinner than a pancake batter. In a large wok, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, stir and fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, kalonji seeds and urad dal for a few minutes. Now add the asafoetia, green chilies and curry leaves and cook for another minute or so. Add the dried red chilies to the pan, stir and fry for another few minutes and then pour in the batter. Stir the mixture continuously until it thickens. Cover and cook for another few minutes, until a golden crust forms on the bottom. Serve warm.

Serves 4.