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.

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

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

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

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

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/murungai-keerai-paruppu-usili-murungai-keerai-lentil-fry-recipe/

I have a confession to make. I don’t eat yogurt. I can never touch that stuff. Its a childhood aversion that continues to this day. So no curd rice and no pickle for me. I am happy I told it to you. But, but do not judge me ok. I know you wont. Thank you! This Green Peppercorn Pickle made with young peppercorn is marinated in a brine. Its sour, hot and delicious. I love to chop them and use it in omelettes and sandwiches. Its perfect with curd rice too. This is Vinodh’s sister Padma Akka’s favorite pickle. This is her recipe. This recipe is very popular in the Palakkad region near Coimbatore. This is a very simple recipe with just 3 ingredients. Green peppercorns, lemon juice and salt. That is it. You mix everything and wait for it to mature. Waiting is the hardest part and as with any pickle, it gets better as they age.

Here is to how to do an awesome green peppercorn pickle. Use only a glass or a ceramic jar for making this recipe. Metals and plastic containers tend to react to the pickle and hence using them is not recommended.

Wash and dry the green peppercorn.

Cut the pepper into small strips. Cut them along with the stem. Do not remove the stem. Cut them about 1 to 1.5 inch in size. I used about 150 grams of green peppercorn today.

Add in the juice of 10 Indian Lemons. The juice should cover all the peppercorn in the bottle.

Add in 1/4 cup of salt.

Cover the bottle with a lid and shake well. Set aside. Shake the bottle once everyday for the next 10 days. You can start consuming the pickle after that. Its yum!

Use it as an accompaniment for curd rice. Chop them coarsely and add it to your salads, omelettes, sandwiches etc…

• 150 grams green peppercorn with stem
• 10 Indian Lemons
• 1/4 cup Salt

1. Wash and dry the green peppercorn.
2. Cut the pepper into small strips.Cut them about 1 to 1.5 inch in size.
3. Add in the juice of 10 Indian Lemons. The juice should cover all the peppercorn in the bottle.
4. Add in 1/4 cup of salt.
5. Cover the bottle with a lid and shake well. Set aside. Shake the bottle once everyday for the next 10 days. You can start consuming the pickle after that. Its yum!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 240 hours
• Category: Pickles
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu - Kongunad