Murungai Keerai Paal Saaru

#MurungaiKeeraiPaalSaaru : #Murungaikeerai is nothing but the leaves of drumstick tree.
The scientific name is Moringa oleifera.

Drumstick tree finds a place in the back yard of each and every house in my native place, Tamil Nadu.
I brought some stem cuttings from my place and planted around my home in Raipur. Green shoots came out two or three times but withered away within a week. Then planted three small saplings given by one of our friends during last monsoon. Those three trees have grown up so well and I use the leaves regularly in my food.

The most nutritious part of drumstick tree is its leaves. The leaves are packed with the most valuable vitamins such as Vitamin B, C and A and minerals like Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium. The point to be noted is that Murungai keerai retains its nutritional value even after cooking.
These leaves are very good for mouth & stomach ulcers and also to get rid off other skin diseases.
Fresh leaves as well as dried powder of these leaves are being recommended to combat malnutrition among children and nursing mothers.

These leaves should be used in our regular diet at least twice a week in any form. Murungai keerai can be used for garnishing sambar [ when hot ] just like coriander leaves which makes it more tasty and gives a nice flavour to it. Koottu [ lentil ] can be prepared with green gram or thuvar dal. One more delicious and tasty recipe is paal saaru. Paal saru is prepared using coconut milk, a great remedy for mouth and stomach ulcers just like manathakkali keerai paal saaru.

Here let me present a very simple but nutritious recipe called paal saaru using murungai keerai.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup                                          Tender murungai keerai
1/3 cup                                          Coconut scrapping
1/2 Tsp                                          Cumin
1/4 Tsp                                          Salt [ adjust ]

To Temper :
1/2 Tsp                                         Cumin
2 Tsp                                            Small onion nicely chopped
1/2 Tsp                                         Gingelly oil [ Till oil ]

Method :
Wash the leaves and chop nicely.
Take 1/2 cup of water in a vessel and heat over a slow flame.
Add cumin, salt and chopped leaves.

Cook until the leaves become soft.
The leaves should retain its color but well cooked.
Turn off the stove.

Now keep a kadai over a slow flame.
Crackle cumin and then add onion.
Saute until onion gives out nice aroma.
Pour over the cooked leaves.

Take coconut scrapping in a mixie jar.
Run the mixie without adding water for a second only.

Add 1/8 cup of lukewarm water and again run for a second only.

Strain the milk through a filter into the vessel containing cooked murungai keerai.

Press the coconut using a back of a spoon / ladle to get the milk.

Put the coconut scrap settled over the filter again into the mixie jar.
Add 1/8 cup of water.

Run the mixie for a second and again strain through the filter into the same vessel containing cooked leaves.

In the same way take milk third time also.
Finally discard the coconut scrap.

Mix well. Adjust salt.
Murungai keerai paal saaru is ready.

Take hot white rice in a plate.
Add paal saaru liberally and mix well with hand.
Relish with murungaikai sambar or with any curry of your choice.

You may also like to try

Murungai keerai Rice

Manathakkali keerai Paal Saru

Vazhaipoo Koottu

noolkhol leaf lentil

vegetable pulillacurry

venthayakeerai thakkali koottu

venthayakeerai dhal

For other tasty dishes

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