Murungai Keerai Adai Recipe – Sharmis Passion

Murungai Keerai Adai is a protein-rich South Indian crepe made using rice, mixed lentils and fresh drumstick leaves. This is one of those dishes that is both delicious and healthy in the same plate. The flavor is homey and comforting, yet something you’ll want again and again. Murungai Keerai Adai is a healthy option and must be tried at home for breakfast during weekends and is eaten with jaggery and chutney.

This adai is mostly made for breakfast or sometimes for dinner when you want a nutritious meal but not heavy. The drumstick leaves give a nice earthy flavour, a little bitter but in a good way, and the pulses make it more flavourful. I think this is a dish that you can enjoy with chutney, butter or even a dollop of jaggery.

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About Murungai Keerai Adai

Murungai Keerai Adai is a traditional Tamil style recipe in which rice and lentils are soaked, then ground with spices, later mixed with drumstick leaves and cooked like a thick dosa. It is not very soft like dosa and not very thick like utthappam, it stays somewhere in between with a good bite.

The texture comes out rustic, you get the crunch from the onions, the slight bitterness from the murungai keerai, and the crunchy edges from being cooked on a cast iron pan. There are a lot of variations, some people add coconut to make it spicy, some people add ginger, some people add more red chillies. Each version tastes slightly different but all are good in their own way.

Drumstick leaves, also known as Moringa leaves, are rich in iron, calcium and many nutrients. These are considered good for health, especially for boosting immunity. Adding these to adai is a good way to include vegetables in the diet without feeling like you are just eating plain healthy food.

I usually make it for weekend breakfast when I get more time for soaking and grinding. This is one dish that I don’t mind making a little thicker as my family likes to eat it hot with jaggery and butter. Really nothing can beat that taste.

I love adai – during my pregnancy with Gugu I was advised to eat lots of green vegetables, especially drumstick leaves, to increase iron intake, so I made it Ragi Adai Or Poriyal mostly and it was. Once Amma suggested to make this Adai so I can also make a new post, ah she knows me well.

Murungai Keerai Adai Ingredients

• Drumstick leaves (Murungai Keerai) – This is the main ingredient, it gives a slightly bitter taste and that is what makes this adai different. You need to thoroughly clean and remove the leaves from the stem.
• Raw Rice and Idli Rice – I have used both together as raw rice gives hardness while idli rice makes the adai a little soft. You can also just use raw rice if that’s what you have, it will still turn out good.
• Mixed pulses (Toor dal, Chana dal, Moong dal, Urad dal) These pulses together provide protein, nutrition and a filling texture. I like gram dal because of its crunch and moong dal because of its softness. You can skip one dal if not available but using a mixture of dals gives the best taste.
• Spices (red chilli, fennel, asafoetida, turmeric powder) – For medium spice I have used only 2 red chillies. Fennel seeds give mild sweetness and nice aroma. Asafoetida helps in digestion and turmeric gives earthy taste and light yellow color. If you want, you can also add a small piece of ginger to it.
• small onion – I usually add finely chopped shallots, they add sweetness and tiny crunch. If you don’t have it, regular onion can also work.
• Curry leaf – I added it to the batter, which gives a strong South Indian flavour.

Why does this recipe work

• This recipe is extremely easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
• This dish contains a good amount of protein and fiber, so it keeps you satiated for a long time.
• The flavor is balanced – crunchy edges, soft inside and earthy from the greens.
• You can also enjoy with chutney, jaggery, butter or podi – very versatile.
• It is traditional but still suitable for modern cooking, you can even make it as thin as dosa if you want.

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How to make Murungai Keerai Adai step by step

1. Take all the ingredients listed under ‘For soaking’ in a mixing bowl, soak it in water till it dissolves. Soak for at least 3-4 hours. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. Clean the drumstick leaves, separate them from the stalk, wash them thoroughly and keep aside. Make a slightly coarse paste by grinding red chilli, fennel and soaked lentils, add a pinch of asafoetida, mix and keep aside.

3. Fry the drumstick leaves until they shrink. Add this to the batter along with chopped onion, turmeric powder, add some water and mix well. Add salt as required. The batter should be slightly thin, somewhere between the consistency of idli and dosa batter.

4.Heat the dosa pan, apply some oil, pour a ladle full of batter and spread it evenly a little thick. Spray oil on the edges and let it cook, flip to the other side and cook until it becomes golden brown and crisp on the edges.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Expert Tips

• soaking and grinding – I usually soak rice and dal together for 3 to 4 hours. The grinding should be a little coarse, not very fine, this gives a better texture. Don’t rush this step.
• Batter consistency – I have used water little by little while grinding. The batter should be thicker than dosa but not like idli. If you make it too thick it will become difficult to spread. If it is too thin it will not cook well.
• cooking leaves – I usually fry the drumstick leaves quickly before adding them to the batter. This removes its raw taste and makes it soft. If the leaves are very tender then you can also add them directly.
• PAN selection – I have used cast iron dosa tawa, it gives nice crispy edges and golden brown spots. Non-stick pans also work but cast iron tastes better.
• adding flavor – You can add grated coconut for more flavor or a small piece of ginger for a little spiciness. I have tried both versions and both are good.
• make thin or thick – You can pour the batter a little thick for uttapam style or spread it thin like dosa. I generally make medium thick as it gives crisp edges and soft centre.

serving and storage

Serve Murungai Keerai Adai with coconut chutney, onion chutney or plain butter and jaggery. This makes a great weekend breakfast or even a light dinner. Leftover batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, but since green vegetables are added to it, I prefer to use it fresh. Warm it on a hot pan before serving, this gives it the best taste.

general questions and answers

1.Can I skip the drumstick leaves?

Yes, you can, but then it just becomes a routine payment. Its special taste is due to the leaves of drumstick.

2.Can I make it in advance?

You can grind the batter and keep it in the fridge, but add the onions and green vegetables before cooking.

3.Can I add coconut?

Yes, the grated coconut adds a nice richness, I sometimes add it when I want extra flavor.

4.Can I make it without fennel?

Yes, you can skip the fennel seeds, but I like its mild sweetness so I usually add it.

5.How long does the batter stay fresh?

Maximum 1 to 2 days in the fridge, but once the greens are added it is best to use them within a day.

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