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    Home » Dry Curries » Murungai Keerai Poriyal | Drumstick Leaves Stir-Fry | Moringa Leaves Stir-Fry

    Murungai Keerai Poriyal | Drumstick Leaves Stir-Fry | Moringa Leaves Stir-Fry

    Posted on February 2, 2021 · Last Updated on February 1, 2021 · By Srividhya G · 21 Comments

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    collage of murungai keerai poriyal served in neem wood bowl with text overlay for pinterest

    A healthy, easy, and delicious drumstick leaves stir-fry/moringa leaves stir-fry /murungai keerai poriyal, a perfect side dish for rice and kuzhambu and sambar varieties.
    Learn how to make this delicious stir-fry with step-wise pictures.

    moringa leaves stirfry served in neem wood bowl placed on maroon towel

    Drumstick leaves | Moringa leaves | Murungai Keerai

    Drumstick leaves or moringa leaves, popularly known as murungai keerai in Tamil, are among the common greens varieties used in Tamil kitchens. 

    Moringa (the botanical name is moringa oleifera) is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. According to science direct, moringa is said to provide seven times more vitamin C than oranges, ten times more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk, nine times more protein than yogurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas, and 25 times more iron than spinach. Amazing right? 

    Back in India, you can find the drumstick tree in the backyard of many households. I have rarely seen people buying it from shops. In the US, Indian grocery stores usually have them imported.

    The moringa pods or the murungai kai, moringa flowers, and the leaves are all edible, and you can prepare different delicious dishes with these ingredients. I have drumstick sambar, kootu, and moringa leaves rasam already on the blog. 

    Cleaning and preparing the moringa leaves for cooking:

    Typically you get moringa leaves in a bunch with stems/stalks. It’s very rare to find moringa leaves with stems removed. 

    The time-consuming process in preparing this stir-fry is destemming the moringa leaves. It’s not a complicated process but a time-consuming one.

    We need to strip the leaves from the stems patiently and discard the thick stems/stalks as they are woody and not edible.

    moringa leaves cleaning in muram

    Here is how I clean my moringa leaves:

    • Strip the leaves from the stems using your fingers in the reverse direction. Doing it in the reverse direction is relatively easy and fast, and in this way, you can easily discard the tiny stems.  
    • After stripping all the leaves, check for small stems and discard as much as you can.
    • Then wash the leaves and let them sit in the water for a minute. If there are tiny stems, they get settled in the bottom. 

    VVK Tip: Wash the moringa leaves after destemming them. It’s hard to strip if you wash the leaves first. 

    Also, I highly recommend destemming the leaves well ahead. 

    Murungai keerai poriyal

    moringa leaves stirfry served in neem wood bowl placed on maroon towel

    While you can make both kootu/gravy and poriyal/stir-fry with moringa leaves, my all-time favorite is the stir-fry or the poriyal. My mom got this recipe from our neighbors when we were in Pannaipuram. 

    It’s a simple stir-fry that gets done in less than 30 minutes. With shallots added, this poriyal is so delicious and healthy as well. If you are getting started with moringa leaves and trying to get acquired to their taste, I recommend trying this poriyal. It pairs well with dal rice, sambar rice, and rasam rice. You can relish it as is also.

    I know moringa capsules and powders are becoming popular these days, but folks, fresh leaves have their unique flavor, and nothing can beat that. 

    Dietary specifications. 

    This murungai keerai poriyal is vegan by nature. It’s a nut-free and gluten-free dish as well. And as I mentioned before, you can serve this poriyal with any rice dishes or relish it as is. 

    How to make murungai keerai poriyal  

    • Heat the kadai or a saucepan and add oil. I used my clay pot for making this poriyal. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the dried red chilies and saute for 20 to 30 seconds.
    tempering for the keerai poriyal in clay pot
    • Then add the chopped shallots.
    adding the chopped shallots
    • Let the shallots turn translucent and soft. Then add the cleaned moringa leaves. Add salt, ground turmeric, and ground pepper. 
    adding the murungai leaves and spices
    • Mix well. If using sugar, add the sugar as well and mix thoroughly.
    murungai keerai step before covering and cooking
    • Cover and cook the moringa leaves over medium-low heat for four to five minutes.
    covering and cooking the spinach
    • Then remove the lid and cook till the oozed out water is all evaporated. 
    drumstick leaves after covered cooking
    • Here it is after the poriyal is thoroughly cooked.  Serve warm. 
    cooking till the moisture is all evaporated

    Recipe Notes:

    • Adding shallots adds a unique flavor to the spinach. If you don’t have shallots, you can use half a cup of chopped red or yellow onion. 
    • Adjust the salt and spices as per your preference. 
    • Sugar is also optional. It helps to balance the flavor, but that’s completely optional. 
    • I usually add ground pepper and turmeric to all my greens and spinach. Adjust the measure according to your preference. 
    • Try to remove the stems as much as you can. Sometimes, even after a thorough cleaning, you might find some small stems here and there, and don’t fret about it. You can discard them as you cook.
    moringa leaves stirfry served in neem wood bowl placed on maroon towel

    More spinach/greens recipes

    • Bihari Dal Sagga
      Instant Pot Dal Sagga | Spinach and Lentils Gravy
    • Instant Pot Spinach Pesto Pasta | Vegan Pesto Pasta
    • square image of millet palak pulao served on a kadai stacked on trays
      Little Millet Palak Corn Pulao | Instant Pot Spinach Pulao with Millet
    • Instant Pot Green Lentils and Spinach Curry - Dal Palak - Beautiful Composition of the Dish with Two Wooden Spoons and Chili Pepper on the Side
      Instant Pot Green Lentils and Spinach Curry | Dal Palak

    PS – If you try this moringa leaves stir-fry, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates.

    📖 Recipe

    square image of murungai keerai poriyal served in neem wood bowl placed on a maroon towel
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    5 from 1 vote

    Murungai Keerai Poriyal | Drumstick Leaves Stir-Fry | Moringa Leaves Stir-Fry

    A healthy, easy, and delicious drumstick leaves stir-fry/moringa leaves stir-fry /murungai keerai poriyal, a perfect side dish for rice!
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Entree, Side Dish
    Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 259kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Equipment

    • Saucepan or kadai

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1tbsp=15ml; 1tsp=5ml;

    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • ½ tsp urad dal
    • ½ tsp chana dal
    • 2 dried red chilies
    • 10 shallots peeled and cut into halves
    • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
    • ½ tsp ground pepper or to taste
    • ¾ tsp salt or to taste
    • ½ tsp sugar optional
    • 3 cups moringa leaves loosely packed. Destemmed and cleaned.

    Instructions

    • Heat the kadai or a saucepan and add oil. I used my clay pot for making this poriyal. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the dried red chilies and saute for 20 to 30 seconds.
      tempering for the keerai poriyal in clay pot
    • Then add the chopped shallots.
      adding the chopped shallots
    • Let the shallots turn translucent and soft. Then add the cleaning moringa leaves. Add salt, ground turmeric, and ground pepper.
      adding the murungai leaves and spices
    • Mix well. If using sugar, add the sugar as well and mix thoroughly.
      murungai keerai step before covering and cooking
    • Cover and cook the moringa leaves over medium-low heat for four to five minutes.
      covering and cooking the spinach
    • Then remove the lid and cook till the oozed out water is all evaporated.
      drumstick leaves after covered cooking
    • Here it is after the poriyal is thoroughly cooked. Serve warm.
      cooking till the moisture is all evaporated

    Notes

    • Adding shallots add a unique flavor to the spinach. If you don’t have shallots, you can use half a cup of chopped red or yellow onion. 
    • Adjust the salt and spices as per your preference. 
    • Sugar is also optional. It helps to balance the flavor, but that’s completely optional. 
    • I usually add ground pepper and turmeric to all my greens and spinach. Adjust the measure according to your preference. 
    • Try to remove the stems as much as you can. Sometimes, even after a thorough cleaning, you might find some small stems here and there, and don’t fret about it. You can discard them as you cook.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 446mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 428mg | Calcium: 812mg | Iron: 3mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: Earlier posted in 2015, updated the recipe now with new pictures, recipe card with nutritional information.

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    Filed Under: Dry Curries Tagged With: Blogging Marathon, Drumstick stick leaves curry - Murungai keerai kai / fry, Moringa Oleifera

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Varada says

      May 07, 2016 at 7:26 am

      Never used these leaves before. Looks delicious.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 08, 2016 at 10:59 pm

        Thanks a lot

        Reply
    2. harini says

      November 21, 2015 at 5:46 pm

      A healthy saute there! Love it.

      Reply
    3. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      November 19, 2015 at 7:51 pm

      I have not eaten murungakeerai much. Must try it next time when I come to India.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 20, 2015 at 7:26 am

        Oh yeah give it a try. Its very healthy.

        Reply
    4. Mullai Madavan says

      November 18, 2015 at 1:07 pm

      Murungai keerai poriyal super, I wish someone could make this for me… prep test my patience, lol but worth for all the nutrition it offers!

      Reply
    5. Chitra Jagadish says

      November 16, 2015 at 11:22 pm

      Healthy and flavorsome sabzi….

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 17, 2015 at 8:10 am

        Thanks Chitra

        Reply
    6. Sowmya:) says

      November 16, 2015 at 6:55 pm

      Wow! Such a lovely dish.

      Reply
    7. Padmaja Thommandra says

      November 16, 2015 at 6:36 pm

      Hot rice and this curry. Yummy. I always love this kind of curry

      Reply
    8. Suma Gandlur says

      November 16, 2015 at 4:10 pm

      Definitely a healthy choice. I get these leaves locally but have held back from buying since I am not sure about the flavor.

      Reply
    9. Rajani says

      November 14, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      Murungakkai in Hawaii!!! Its indeed a small world :-). I am a big fan of this keerai.

      Reply
    10. swapnakarthik says

      November 13, 2015 at 3:34 am

      Looks so delicious!

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 13, 2015 at 7:46 am

        Thanks da

        Reply
    11. Pavani says

      November 12, 2015 at 12:50 pm

      Such a healthy & nutritious dish. Don’t think I’ve ever seen this leaf in our local Indian groceries — will have to check.

      Reply
    12. Priya says

      November 12, 2015 at 1:16 am

      All time favourite curry, can have simply with some rice.

      Reply
    13. CHCooks says

      November 11, 2015 at 9:47 pm

      I have never cooked murungaikeerai in my kitchen Sri. Amma rarely uses it. MIL makes some awesome stir-fry too. Will share her version sometime :) I can so understand how it must have been for you, when you saw these leaves in Hawaii, but couldnt pluck & cook :)

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 13, 2015 at 7:49 am

        Oh yeah.. absolutely share your MIL’s version.. Hawaii thing lol ;-)

        Reply
    14. Traditionally Modern Food says

      November 11, 2015 at 8:15 pm

      Helathy and tasty side

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 13, 2015 at 7:50 am

        Thanks vidya

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

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