Drumstick – 1 or if you are using frozen 10 to 12 pieces.
Moong Dal – ¼ cup
Tomatoes – 2
Sambar Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Water – 1.5 cups + 1 cup + 3 tbsps
Salt – 1.5 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 strand
Cilantro for garnishing.
For tempering
Oil – 2 tsps
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Hing – ½ tsp
To Grind
Grated Coconut – ½ cup
Red Chillies – 3
Cumin Seeds – 1 tbsp
Pottu Kadalai / Dalia / Roast gram dal – 1 tsp
Instructions
Prep Work
Chop the tomatoes into halves. It easier to remove the skin after pressure cooking.
Pressure cook moong dal and chopped tomatoes along with turmeric powder by adding 1.5 cups of water.
Let it cool and remove the tomato skin and mash it well.
Grind everything given under “To grind” by adding 3 tbsps of water and set aside.
Chop the drumsticks into small pieces or if you are using frozen soak them up in water for 10 minutes to remove the ice crystals.
Method
Heat the kadai or pan and oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing.
As they start to splutter add the chopped drumsticks and curry leaves. Mix them well and add 1 cup of water.
Add salt and the sambar podi and let it simmer till the drumsticks become tender.
Now add the ground masala and let it cook for 5 more minutes.
Finally add the moong dal- tomato mix and cook till it thickens (approx. 7-8 minutes).
That’s it. Murungai kai kootu is ready.
Notes
If you want thin consistency, skip the addition of roasted gram dal while grinding and add more water according to your preference. Just bring to boil once after adding water.
Also, you can microwave the drumsticks to make the process faster. I just prefer this way because the taste gets infused well inside the pods also. Adjust the spice and salt according to your taste preference.