The scientific name of Murungaikai also starts with M. Drumstick tree a tropical plant is known as Moringa Olifera and the drumsticks are known as Moringa Pods. According to this site, drumstick tree is called the “Powerhouse of Minerals”. Basically, the drumsticks are fruits but used as vegetables. When it comes to Tamil Nadu cuisine, I cannot skip Murungai or Drumstick. It is one of the staples of Tamil Nadu and it’s a very common backyard tree. Their leaves, their flowers and the drumstick itself are loaded with vitamins and iron makes them very healthy. I have already posted Murungai keerai curry and also soup. So I wanted to try something with drumsticks. I already posted the drumstick sambar. So kootu or rasam were my only two options. It’s been a long time since I tried Murungai kootu, so I thought of preparing it now and posting the same.

Ingredients:

Drumstick – 1 or if you are using frozen 10 to 12 pieces. Moong Dal – ¼ cup Tomatoes – 2 Sambar Powder – 1 tsp Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp Water – 1.5 cups + 1 cup + 3 tbsps Salt – 1.5 tsp Curry leaves – 1 strand Cilantro for garnishing. For tempering: Oil – 2 tsps Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp Hing – ½ tsp To Grind: Grated Coconut – ½ cup Red Chillies – 3 Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp Pottu Kadalai / Dalia / Roast gram dal – 1 tsp

Prep Work:

Chop the tomatoes into halves. It easier to remove the skin after pressure cooking. Pressure cook moong dal and chopped tomatoes along with turmeric powder by adding 1.5 cups of water. Let it cool and remove the tomato skin and mash it well.

Grind everything given under “To grind” by adding 3 tbsps of water and set aside. Chop the drumsticks into small pieces or if you are using frozen soak them up in water for 10 minutes to remove the ice crystals.

Method:

Heat the kadai or pan and oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and hing. As they start to splutter add the chopped drumsticks and curry leaves. Mix them well and add 1 cup of water. Add salt and the sambar podi and let it simmer till the drumsticks become tender.

Now add the ground masala and let it cook for 5 more minutes.

Finally, add the moong dal- tomato mix and cook till it thickens (approx. 7-8 minutes).

That’s it. Murungai kai kootu is ready.

Notes:

If you want thin consistency, skip the addition of roasted gram dal while grinding and add more water according to your preference. Just bring to boil once after adding water. Also, you can microwave the drumsticks to make the process faster. I just prefer this way because the taste gets infused well inside the pods also. Adjust the spice and salt according to your taste preference.

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📖 Recipe

 

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