Boodu kumbalakai majjige Huli:Type 2(Wintermelon in Yogurt Sauce)

This is one of the oldest posts in my 'drafts' folder. This photo was taken in Jul'09 & the recipe was drafted by my mom-in-law. When she was here, my mom-in-law was so excited about my blog & she wanted her son to publish this recipe (on her behalf) !!!. But, somehow, this activity went on the back-burner. Finally, this recipe is seeing the light of the day. So, here goes the majjige huli (mor kolambu or yogurt curry) from my mom-in-law.

You can see my mom's version here.

Ingredients:
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp
Winter melon: 2 cups (chopped into 1 inch cubes)
Raw rice: 1 tsp (soaked in water)
Grated coconut: 3/4th cup
Buttermilk: 2 cups (do not use thick yogurt)
Green chilli: 3-4nos (adjust according to your family needs)

For tempering:
Oil: 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Broken red chilli: 1 no (optional)
Curry leaves: a string
Asafoetida: a pinch

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp (for garnishing)

Method:

• Soak the fenugreek seeds in warm water for an hour. 
• Add 1 cup water, soaked fenugreek seeds to the chopped winter melon & cook the vegetable on a medium heat. The winter melon must be soft yet crunchy (do not overcook the melon).
• Meantime, make a smooth paste of coconut, green chillies & rice (soaked in water). 
• Add the coconut paste & salt to the cooked melon. Heat it for 2-3mins.
• Now pour the buttermilk to the melon mixture & boil the curry on medium heat.
• Prepare the tempering, Heat oil in a small pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds & cumin seeds. When seeds crackle, add curry leaves, broken red chilli & asafoetida. Pour this tempering to the boiling curry mixture. 
• Finally garnish it with coriander leaves, mix well & serve it hot with rice. 

Tips:

• For preparing the buttermilk, add 1 cup water to 1 cup yogurt (natural yogurt) & whisk well. 2 cups buttermilk is ready.
• Be cautious after adding the buttermilk to the mixture. The buttermilk may spill from the container as it comes up.
• Vegetables like ladies finger, cucumber, chayote squash(chow chow), snake gourd, capsicum can also be used for preparing this dish. 
• Do not boil this dish many times (as we do for normal sambar). It is best to finish it off when it is fresh. If the dish is left over, transfer it to the fridge immediately & just heat it the next day & consume.
• Refer here to know more.