MURUNGAI KEERAI PARUPPU CURRY | DRUMSTICK LEAVES DAL CURRY

Murungai Keerai / Drumstick leaves, easily available for cooking at our backyards. Rich in iron, and consumed for its health benefits. Most of the time, my mother prepares murungai keerai thoran, or add the leaves in coconut based curry or puliserry / curd coconut curry. 

When it comes to health benefits, these leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, being a significant source of B vitamins, vitamin C, provitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese, and protein, among other essential nutrients. This Paruppu curry is a bit spicy and can be served with steamed rice/roti. 

Most of them avoid this leaf in cooking because of the cleaning and separation process. It needs so much patience to do this. 

Pluck each stem and hold the leaf at the tip. From top towards downwards, strip the leaves. Finally pluck out the top leaf as well. From the stripped leaves, for each smaller branch, repeat the same process until all leaves are separated from stems. Separate flowers and buds from stems. Pour water and wash well. Leaves will float in water. Try to push down to rinse away the dirt. Then transfer the leaves from water-washed vessel to another vessel filled with water. Repeat this twice or thrice until the washed water has no visible dirt/sand.

If you want to refrigerate the leaves, don’t wash in water. Store it in airtight container or ziplock. When you use the leaves for cooking that time pour water and do the cleaning process. 

• Soak moong dal for 20 minutes 

• Pressure cook the dal with turmeric powder for 3 whistles and keep aside 

• Add a tablespoon of coconut oil in a heavy bottomed pan, roast chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli 

• Roast for few minutes and add chopped onion 
  

• Cook onion until soft 

• Add chopped tomatoes, and cook till soft (Press the tomatoes with back side of the spoon) 
  

• Add Turmeric powder, chilli and cumin powder, and salt required for the curry 
  

• Roast till oil separates 
  

• Add the cooked dal and water required for the curry 
  

• Boil for 2-3 minutes 
  

• Add cleaned murungai keerai / drumstick leaves and mix well 
  

• Slow cook the curry in low flame for 5 minutes and remove from heat 
  

• Temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilli, curry leaves and hing in coconut oil 
  

• Add the tempering to the curry 
  

• Serve hot 

NELLAI MEEN KUZHAMBHU | NELLAI STYLE FISH CURRY

Every community in Southern India has their unique style of cooking Meen Kuzhambhu / Fish Curry. I grew up by eating a lot of seafood which is mostly cooked with coconut. Key ingredients of this Nellai / Tirunelveli Meen Kuzhambhu is Coconut, Cumin and Red Chillies that's the main reason to try this recipe. Some traditional recipes need to be carried from one generation to the next. 

Whole spices are used in this recipe, very less spice powder. That's the secret behind this recipe. Cooking fish traditionally with the key ingredient - fresh coconut is always delicious. The colour of the curry comes from the dried chillies. I like to have my fish curry spicier if you don’t like to have it too spicy reduce the quantity of dry red chilli as per your taste. 

The original recipe is cooking with gingelly oil, but I tried preparing it with coconut oil for the first time. And again tried with gingelly oil to know the original taste of the curry. I like both ways of cooking, but I suggest you prepare with gingelly oil. 

Method : 

• Roast cumin seeds in a 1/4 tsp of gingelly oil in a pan for couple of minutes 
  
• Add dry red chilli and roast for another 5 minutes in low flame 
  
• Remove from heat and let it cool down 
• In a mixer, add the roasted cumin and dry red chilli, shallots and freshly grated coconut ( mentioned in coconut paste) 
  
• Made into a fine paste with little water 
• Coconut paste is ready, and keep it aside 
  

• To the tamarind juice, add the turmeric powder and mix well 
  
• Add coriander powder and mix well 
  
• Keep this tamarind mixture separate 
  
• In a manchatti / earthenware pot, added gingerly oil, temper with mustard and fenugreek seeds 
  
• Add curry leaves 
  
• Add half cut shallots to the tempering and roast for couple of minutes 
  
• Onion should get golden brown
  
• Add the coconut paste to the onion and mix well 
  
• Add the tamarind mixture and salt required for the curry 
  
• Add water required for the curry, and bring it to boil 
  
• After 5 minutes of cooking, add the fish pieces and slow cook in medium flame for 5-8 minutes 
• Once the fish is cooked, add some curry leaves to the curry and remove from heat 
  
  (This adding of extra curry leaves is my way of finishing the meen Kuzhambhu, not in original recipe) 
  
• Serve hot 

This Meen Kuzhambhu is really spicy and tangy. Can be served with steamed rice, idli or dosa. The bright red colour of the curry can be achieved by the dry red chilli you are using. 

If you are not a coconut loving person, can reduce the usage of the grated coconut in the curry and make it as a spicy curry. 

GOOSEBERRY PICKLE / NELLIKAI OORUGAI RECIPE

Indian Pickles have a wide range of flavours and textures. They are generally pickled with oil, vinegar, lemon juice or water. Indian pickles are often made into fresh relish and chutney, which provides additional flavours to food. Mangoes, gooseberries and lemons are commonly pickled in Indian cuisine.

Indian gooseberry /Amla / Nellikai pickle is a popular pickle in South Asia and India. Gooseberry enhances food absorption, balances stomach acids, fortifies the liver, nourishes the brain and mental functioning, and supports the heart. It also strengthens the lungs, regulates elimination of free radicals, enhances fertility, helps the urinary system, improves skin quality, and promotes healthier hair. This fruit acts as a body coolant, flushes out toxins, increases vitality, aids in vision care, improves muscle tone, and acts as an antioxidant.

When it comes to pickles my mother is best. She makes delicious and super spicy pickles with almost all vegetables. I don’t actually try making pickles when my mother and my husband are expert in that. But this time, I wanted to give a try and it came out well. 

Ingredients : 

• Gooseberry / Nellikai - 20 nos 
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp 
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp + 1/2 Tsp 
• Red chilli powder - 5 Tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Dry red chilli - 2 nos 
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp 
• Gingelly oil - 1/4 cup 
• Salt for taste 

For Roasted Powder : 

• Dry roast fenugreek seeds till golden brown in low flame 
  
  
  
• Add mustard seeds (1 tsp) and roast for few minutes 
  

Ground into fine powder and keep aside 

Roasted Powder for Pickle 

For Pickle : 

• Wash the gooseberry. 
  
• Boil enough water and add the washed gooseberry to it. 
• Bring to boil again and cook for 5 mins.
  
• Drain, cool down and pit the seeds, and keep aside 
  
  
  
• Heat gingelly oil in a pan, temper mustard and fenugreek seeds 
  
  
  
• Add dry red chillies asafoetida powder to the tempering
  
• Add the gooseberry pieces and roast for few minutes. 
  
• Fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add salt required for the pickle
  
   
• Add red chilli powder, turmeric, salt and mix in low flame
  

• Wait till oil coats the gooseberry completely and fry in low flame 
• Add the roasted powder and mix well
  
  
  
• Remove from heat 

For Storing : 

• Add a tablespoon of gingelly oil in the glass jar and apply thoroughly 
• Place the pickle and add 2-3 tsp of gingelly oil over the pickle and mix well with a dry spoon 
• Store it for 15 days