Murunga Keerai Sambar- Drumstick Leaves Sambar
This is one of my favorite recipes from my grandma that still brings me childhood memories. Growing up in my grandparents house, I remember everyone in the village having a muranga (moringa) tree. Whenever we would run out of vegetables, we wouldn’t have to worry as there would be this tree in the backyard from which we could get both drumsticks and moringa leaves to make sambars and curries. This sambar is great on rice and with rotis.
Desika Products:
Coriander seeds, Seedless tamarind, Peanut Oil, Toor Dal
BENEFITS OF MURANGA KEERAI:
Murunga keerai is 3x more rich in iron compared to spinach
Regular consumption relieves anemia
Stimulates hair growth
RECIPE FOR MURANGA KEERAI SAMBAR
Ingredients:
Serves: 4
Pressure cooked toor dal - 2 cups
Murangakeerai - 1 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilies - 4
Garlic - 2-3
Tomato - half
Oil - 1 tblsp
Tamarind - big gooseberry size
Onion - 1
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt as needed
For Tempering:
Garlic - 2
Medium onion - 1
Oil
Instructions:
Soak the tamarind and extract 3 tblsp tamarind juice from it. Set the extract aside.
Mash the pressure cooked toor dal and keep it aside.
Roughly chop the tomato and crush the garlic in a mortar and pestle.
Heat up oil and add mustard seeds. Once they sputter, add 2 red chilies, crushed garlic and saute for 2 mins.
Now, add the murungakeerai leaves and roast for 2-3 mins, until raw smell goes away.
Add the chopped tomato and mix for 1 min.
Now, add the mashed the toor dal to this and mix well. Add 1 cup water (you may need more) to get it to a sambar consistency.
In a mixie jar, add coriander seeds and remaining 2 red chilies and grind into a fine powder. Add this to the sambar and mix well.
Add tamarind extract and required salt and boil this for 3 mins.
FOR TEMPERING
In a mortar and pestle, roughly crush the garlic and onion that is in the tempering list.
Add some oil to a small kadai. Once it is heated, add crushed garlic and onion. Saute it for 2-3 mins. Add it to the sambar as a finishing touch
Top with coriander leaves, and sambar is ready to serve.
Tips & Tricks:
Since murunga keerai isn’t always available where I live, I usually buy it when it is there, separate leaves from stem, wash, and store it in freezer in a ziploc conatiner. This method doesn’t change the taste in any way, so if the keerai isn’t always available in your place, I recommend you do this.