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Murungai Keerai Kootu (Drumstick Leaves Kootu)
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Murungai Keerai Kootu (Drumstick Leaves Kootu)

Murungai Keerai Kootu or Drumstick Leaves Kootu is a wholesome, No Onion No Garlic South Indian Vegetarian Side Dish Recipe made with Murungai Keerai, Drumstick Leaves or Moringa. A Tamil Brahmin Style kootu recipe with lentils and a coconut gravy makes it a best accompaniment to chapati, rice and dosai.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine South Indian, Tamil Nadu Recipes
Keyword Drumstick Leaves Kootu, Murungai Keerai Kootu, Side dish for chapati, South Indian Kootu Recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 people
Author Vidya Narayan

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Mixer Grinder

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Murungai Keerai or Drumstick Leaves 2 tightly packed cups of leaves
  • 1/4 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Pasi Paruppu) 1 cup is 250 ml measurement
  • 1/4 cup Toor Dal (Thuravaram Paruppu)
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp is 5 ml measurement
  • 2 cups Water Read Notes below in detail
  • salt to taste

For the Coconut Gravy

  • 3/4 cup Freshly grated coconut
  • 3 nos. Whole red chillies (Byadgi)
  • 1 tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds
  • 1/2 cup Water to grind

For the tempering

  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil 1 tbsp is 15 ml measurement
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp Urad Dal
  • 1 tsp Chana Dal
  • 3-4 nos. Whole red chillies (small pieces)
  • Curry Leaves as required

Instructions

  • Wash and soak the lentils (Yellow Moong dal and Toor Dal) for atleast 30 minutes.
  • Pressure cook the dal, paruppu or lentils until they are mushy. Whisk well and keep aside.
  • While the dal is pressure cooking, measure and keep the murungai keerai or drumstick leaves aside on to a plate (should be washed and drained well).
  • For the Kootu gravy, in a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, cumin seeds and whole red chillies. Note - I have used byadgi red chillies for the colour.
  • Grind using 1/2 cup of water into a semi thick paste. Keep aside.
  • Heat a pan, add coconut oil, urad dal, mustard seeds, chana dal, whole red chillies (broken into two pieces) and curry leaves.
  • Once the mustard splutters, add the murungai keerai. The leaves will wilt within few seconds.
  • Add some water (1/2 cup) and turmeric powder, cook this for a couple of minutes.
  • Once the leaves have cooked, add the pressure cooked and mashed dal along with the coconut gravy.
  • Mix well and add salt to taste. At this stage, you can add water to achieve desired consistency. If serving for chapati, keep it thick and for rice, you can add a little water.

Notes

  • 2 cups of Water - 1 cup for pressure cooking the lentils (extra as required for soaking, not included) + 1/2 cup water for cooking murungai keerai + 1/2 cup to adjust consistency of the kootu. 
  • If you are using frozen grated coconut, grind using hot water, else it will split. 
  • I have used two types of lentils. You can use any one or a combination of your choice. 
  • The recipe is Gluten Free and Vegan.