Murungai Keerai Paruppu Usili / Murungai Keerai Lentil Fry Recipe

I posted the recipe for Beans Usili sometime back. I adapted the recipe to make this murungai keerai usili. It works so well. The addition of shallots adds a nice flavor to the dish. I think garlic and murungai keerai are made for each other. Even though there is no garlic used in traditional usili recipes, I have used it in copious amount for this recipe as it just works so well with the greens. Refer my Murungai Keerai Poriyal recipe to know how to clean and wash the greens. There are a hundreds of ways and variations in which one can make usili. This is my way. Just add or minus whatever you like to adapt the recipe to suit your palette.

We will first make the lentils or the usili part. Soak half a cup of chana dal (kadalai paruppu) in water for one hour. After soaking, add in the cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt and red chillies. Add very little water if necessary while grinding. Pulse it several times.

Oil an idli plate and place the ground mixture on the plate. Fill about half an inch of water in a pressure cooker and place the idli plate on the cooker. Pressure cook the mixture for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Let the mixture cool. Once the mixture is cool, crumble the mixture into small pieces onto a plate. Set aside.

Finely chop the curry leaves, garlic and shallots (small onions). Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, red chillies and urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the shallots, curry leaves and garlic. Fry on low medium flame for 7-8 minutes. Let the garlic and shallots get nicely brown and roasted.

Add in the crumbled lentils and murungai keerai leaves. Add in the salt. Fry on low flame for the next 20 minutes. Keep sauteing so the lentils dont burn. Roasting the lentils until light brown is very important for this recipe. Roasting the lentils gives a very nice flavor to the dish.

Once the mixture is dry and roasted, switch off the flame. Serve hot with rice and curry.

Murungai Keerai Paruppu Usili / Murungai Keerai Lentil Fry Recipe

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Recipe for Murungai Keerai Paruppu Usili.Tamil nadu style moringa leaves in lentils. Dry preparation.

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 persons 1x

Ingredients

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For cooking lentils

• 1/2 cup Chana Dal
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Dried Red Chillies
• Little oil for oiling the idli plate

For the Stir-Fry

• 4 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Urad Dal
• 2 Dried Red Chillies
• 15 Shallots (small onions)
• 15 Cloves Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 250 grams Murungai Keerai leaves / Moringa leaves

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Instructions

For cooking lentils

1. Soak half a cup of chana dal (kadalai paruppu) in water for one hour. After soaking, add in the cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt and red chillies. Add very little water if necessary while grinding. Pulse it several times until coarsely ground.
2. Oil an idli plate and place the ground mixture on the plate. Fill about half an inch of water in a pressure cooker and place the idli plate on the cooker. Pressure cook the mixture for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally. Let the mixture cool. Once the mixture is cool, crumble the mixture into small pieces onto a plate. Set aside.

For the Stir-Fry

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, red chillies and urad dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add in the shallots, curry leaves and garlic. Fry on low medium flame for 7-8 minutes. Let the garlic and shallots get nicely brown and roasted.
2. Add in the crumbled lentils and murungai keerai leaves. Add in the salt. Fry on low flame for the next 20 minutes. Keep sauteing so the lentils dont burn. Roasting the lentils until light brown is very important for this recipe. Roasting the lentils gives a very nice flavor to the dish.
3. Once the mixture is dry and roasted, switch off the flame. Serve hot with rice and curry.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Stir-Fry
• Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu