Mor Kali (Savory Fried Rice Flour and Buttermilk Porridge)

No, this is not a photo of a plate of mashed potatoes, although 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 savory breakfast porridge called "Mor Kali". 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.

Mor Kali (Savory Fried Rice Flour and Buttermilk Porridge)

Recipe by Lisa Turner> Cuisine: Indian Published on July 22, 2008 A classic south Indian savory breakfast porridge made with rice flour and buttermilk — equally delicious as a "mashed potato" style dinner side Preparation: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 cups rice flour 2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon kalonji (nigella or black onion) seeds 1 tablespoon skinned urad dal, rinsed generous pinch of asafetida 2 to 3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped small handful of fresh or dried curry leaves 3 dried whole red chilies Instructions: Mix the rice flour and buttermilk or yogurt together. Pour in enough water to make a batter that is a bit thinner than a pancake batter. Heat a few teaspoons of ghee or oil in a large wok over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, kalonji seeds and urad dal, and stir for a few minutes. Now add the asafetida, green chilies and curry leaves and cook for another minute or so. Add the dried red chilies to the pan, stir 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. Makes 4 servings