About Murungaikeerai Poriyal :
Murungai keerai poriyal is a healthy and nutritious South Indian stir-fry recipe made by cooking drumstick leaves with some mild spices and topped with moong dal and grated coconut. Murungai keerai / drumstick leaves / moringa leaves are considered a superfood because of their numerous health benefits and medicinal values. In my previous post about Moringa soup, I also would have mentioned how Moringa leaves helped me personally recover from anaemia. Rich in iron content, these moringa leaves are effective in increasing the haemoglobin level and also helpful in boosting immunity. During the covid times, we used to consume moringa either as a soup or poriyal daily, and it helped us a lot to fight off the virus by boosting the immunity. Like many others, even I am not a fan of Moringa, but after trying this recipe, even I started making it often. This Murungai keerai poriyal is a great way to add moringa leaves to your daily diet. Let’s see how to prepare this Murungai keerai poriyal easily at home.
Ingredients for Murungaikeerai poriyal:
- 2 cups cleaned Moringa leaves tightly packed
- Shallots – 4 to 5 (chopped to medium-sized pieces)
- Green chilly – 1
- Cooked moong dal – ¼ cup
- Grated coconut – 3 tablespoons
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.
- Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste.
Instructions for making Murungai keerai poriyal
- Clean the Moringa / Murungai keerai leaves:
- Remove the moringa leaves from the stem and discard the stem .
- Wash the moringa leaves thoroughly in water and drain the leaves .
- Cook the moong dal
- Wash 3 tablespoons of moong dal thoroughly and cook them in a pressure cooker or pan until they are soft and set them aside.
- Prepare the Murungai keerai poriyal/moringa leaves poriyal.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add urad dal, cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle.
- Add chopped shallots and green chillies and sauté them.
- Add cleaned moringa leaves and stir-fry them over low flame until the leaves start to wilt and combine well.
- At this stage add cooked moong dal , the required amount of salt and mix well.
- Add grated coconut a few minutes before switching off the stove and stir well.
Delicious and healthy moringa leaves poriyal is ready to serve. Serve this poriyal as a side dish for sambar/rasam/curd rice.
Tips for perfect Murungaikeerai poriyal:
- Always use fresh tender leaves (light green ones) for a tastier poriyal. The hard leaves (dark green ones) will be very tough to chew , fibrous and bitter in taste , so avoid using them.
- Do not overcook the moringa leaves, else it will reduce its nutritional value. Normally the leaves get cooked within 5-7 minutes on low flame.
- Cook the moringa leaves only on a low flame, or else the leaves may get burnt quickly.
Serving suggestions:
- Serve this Murungaikeerai poriyal along with Sambar / Rasam / Curd rice
Benefits of Murungaikeerai / Moringa leaves
- Beneficial for pregnant women and lactating mothers:
Pregnant and lactating women should incorporate Moringa in their daily diet since it is rich in various nutrients like calcium, iron and vitamins A, C and E, and it helps prevent anaemia, which is a very common issue during pregnancy. It is beneficial for lactating mothers since it helps in increasing milk secretion , overcoming postpartum fatigue and regaining strength.
- Helps in regulating blood sugar level:
Moringa leaves help in controlling blood sugar levels, making them beneficial for diabetic patients.
- Helps in boosting immunity :
Rich in vitamin C, which helps in boosting immunity by fighting the infections.
- Helps in improving the bone strength:
Rich in calcium, which supports the bones and improves strength.
Try this nutritious Murungai keerai poriyal at home and enjoy its numerous health benefits.
Murungai keerai poriyal
Ingredients
- 2 cups cleaned Moringa leaves tightly packed
- Shallots – 4 to 5 chopped to medium-sized pieces
- Green chilly – 1
- Cooked moong dal – ¼ cup
- Grated coconut – 3 tablespoons
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.
- Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste.
Instructions
Clean the Moringa / Murungai keerai leaves:
- · Remove the moringa leaves from the stem and discard the stem .
- · Wash the moringa leaves thoroughly in water and drain the leaves .
Cook the moong dal
- · Wash 3 tablespoons of moong dal thoroughly and cook them in a pressure cooker or pan until they are soft and set them aside.
- Prepare the Murungai keerai poriyal/moringa leaves poriyal.
- · Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
- · Add urad dal, cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle.
- · Add chopped shallots and green chillies and sauté them.
- · Add cleaned moringa leaves and stir-fry them over low flame until the leaves start to wilt and combine well.
- · At this stage add cooked moong dal , the required amount of salt and mix well.
- · Add grated coconut a few minutes before switching off the stove and stir well.
- Delicious and healthy moringa leaves poriyal is ready to serve. Serve this poriyal as a side dish for sambar/rasam/curd rice.
Tips for perfect Murungaikeerai poriyal:
- Always use fresh tender leaves (light green ones) for a tastier poriyal. The hard leaves (dark green ones) will be very tough to chew , fibrous and bitter in taste , so avoid using them.
- Do not overcook the moringa leaves, else it will reduce its nutritional value. Normally the leaves get cooked within 5-7 minutes on low flame.
- Cook the moringa leaves only on a low flame, or else the leaves may get burnt quickly.