Muringa keerai Kuzhambu

 I try to incorporate greens in my diet at least 2-3 times a week. We do not get most of the Indian greens (keerai) where I live. So, I was elated when I saw moringa leaves in the Indian store. I make it a  point to buy it whenever I see it. Usually, I add it to adai or cook it with mung dal. Last week I saw a new dish using moringa leaves on YouTube, prepared by the popular Indian chef, Venkatesh Bhat. I followed his recipe and made moringa keerai kuzhambu for lunch today. Moringa leaves, pearl onion, and toor dal, cooked with coconut, peppercorn, cumin, and dried red chili paste. Wow! It was amazing! Thank you Chef Venkatesh. 

Ingredients:

To be powdered:

1 Tablespoon Toor dal

1 Tablespoon rice

To make Curry Paste:

1/2 Cup fresh ground coconut

1 Tablespoon peppercorn

1 Tablespoon cumin seeds

8-10 dried red chili

To make Kuzhambu:

Big lemon size tamarind soaked in 1/4 Cup water 

3 Tablespoons Sesame oil + 1 Tablespoon for garnish

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 dried red chili

10 fresh Curry leaves

15 Pearl onions, peeled

3 pods of garlic, chopped (1 Tablespoon)

salt to taste

3 Cups fresh Moringa leaves, washed

1 Cup cooked Toor dal, mashed

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:

1. Dry roast toor dal and rice until brown. Cool it and blend to make powder. Keep aside.

                                     

2. Blend the ingredients for curry paste with little water to make a paste. Keep aside

                                      

3. Soak tamarind and take extract or mix tamarind paste with water. Keep aside.

                             

4. Heat 3 tablespoons sesame oil in  a large pan on medium heat. Temper mustard seeds and dried red chili. Add curry leaves, and pearl onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.

                                        

5. Add diced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. 

                                               

6. Now add the ground curry paste. Stir and cook until raw smell leaves and is aromatic. Add salt. 

                                                 

7. Next, add tamarind extract, and cook until raw smell of tamarind leaves. Add a cup of water.

                                                    

8. Add washed moringa leaves and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add 1 tablespoon of the dal-rice powder to slightly thicken the curry.

                                                       

                                                        

9. Stir in mashed toor dal, until heated through out, 2 minutes. Check for salt and add water as required.

                                                      

10. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon turmeric to bring out the color of the dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon sesame oil over the dish before removing from the stove.

                                                       

11. Serve over hot rice and ghee. 

                                                       

Notes:

Recipe adapted from Venkatesh Bhat's Idayam thotta samayal