Murungai Keerai Kootu is a South Indian style Moringa Dal. Made with fresh coconut, moong dal and spices like cumin, this easy lentil curry comes together in a jiffy in the Instant Pot.
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Lentils with moringa leaves
is nothing short of divine. Even though there are umpteen ways to include lentils in my daily diet, my go-to recipe will be Kootu. In short, Kootu is a melange of lentils with any vegetable.
Rich with freshly grated coconut, this humble recipe is a surefire way to elevate any average South Indian meal. This moringa leaves and lentil medley is packed with flavor and nutrition.
Instant Pot Kootu
My mantra these days is- when you have an Instant Pot, why bother with a regular stove top pressure cooker. And the same applies to this recipe as well.
While you can easily convert this into a stove top recipe, I prefer this method because it is a one-pot concept and it involves minimal dish washing.
Make this Kootu recipe simpler
- Simply by making the spice paste ahead of time and freezing it.
- Soaking the lentils.
- Using frozen fresh coconut.
- Buying frozen Moringa leaves instead of fresh ones (will save you so much time!)
Ingredients
Since this is a typical South Indian Tambrahm recipe, it calls for no onion and garlic. I have gone ahead and added a list of variations possible with this recipe. Please check them out if you are interested.
I like to break down any recipe into blocks. And so, in this recipe, for
- the fat – you will need good quality coconut oil.
- the tempering- a mix of mustard seeds
- spice & heat- a mix of cumin, green chilies
- thickening – fresh coconut
- lentil base- moong lentils
Apart from these, you will need moringa leaves, salt and water along with ground turmeric.
Moringa leaves or Murungai Keerai
Before I go ahead and share the actual recipe, I must share that moringa is something that is very common in a south Indian household.
We consume this in the form of moringa pods or moringa leaves. As a child, I have seen my grandma add some tender moringa leaves while she made ghee.
The aroma was enchanting! Even before moringa became a superfood, it has existed in Indian households and is a staple. Murungai Keerai Kootu is just one of the many ways in which we include this in our diets.
Recipe Notes
On the whole, this is a simple and straight forward recipe. Just like my other Kootu recipes including Keerai Kootu, this one also calls for moong lentils and coconut. For a stellar moringa leaves kootu, I recommend
- using fresh coconut for the best results.
- following the water measurements as mentioned here in the recipe.
Frozen Moringa Leaves
You can spot frozen moringa leaves in Indian groceries or at Sri Lankan stores. I have seen them in Asian supermarkets as well.
Variations
- Add chopped shallots, garlic and tomatoes to this curry for a flavor that is very similar to Sambar. This tastes heavenly with Chapatis too.
- Use a mix of lentils. You can try Masoor Dal (red lentils) , toor dal (pigeon peas) and Chana Dal.
- If you are using a mix of lentils, I recommend using equal parts moong, Toor and red lentils. This is by far, my favorite combination.
- You may also add black pepper or red chili powder in place of the green chilis. 1/2 tsp of black pepper corns or 1 tsp red chili powder will give you a mild yet flavorful result.
- You can swap the Moringa leaves here with any other vegetable to make Kootu as well. Veggies that work well include but are not limited to cabbage, ridge gourd, chayote squash (chow chow) and pumpkin.
- In case you are interested, here is the regular Keerai Kootu.
Serving suggestions
To make this a complete meal, I recommend serving this with Instant Pot Brown Rice and any South Indian style stir fry like beans poriyal.
You can also enjoy this Kootu with Ragi Chapati.
Shelf life, storage and freezing
Fresh coconut is a big ingredient in this Kootu. So, I strongly recommend refrigerating any leftovers in a clean air tight container.
Refrigerated moringa leaves dal keeps well for 2 days. Make sure you handle it with a clean dry spoon and reheat only the portion required for a longer shelf life.
Can I freeze Kootu?
The thing about Kootu is that it freezes excellently. Allow it to cool completely. Divide into 1 cup portion, transfer to a freezer safe container or bag, seal, label and freeze for up to 6 weeks.
Thaw frozen Kootu over the counter, reheat gently and serve.
Recipe Notes
Soaking the moong dal here ensures quick and even cooking. Since we add salt before the dal is cooked, I highly recommend soaking the lentils.
The water measurements mentioned here are crucial to getting this recipe right. More water means a runny Kootu.
To fix runny or watery Kootu, make a lump free slurry with 1.5 tsp rice flour and 1/4 cup water. Add this to the kootu, stir well and simmer for 2 to 3 mins on medium flame.
Method
Our preparatory steps for this recipe begin with washing and soaking the moong dal (moong lentils). In this recipe, I am using whole but husked yellow lentils. Often referred to as Sabut Moong in Hindi, this can easily be replaced with split yellow mung lentils.
Place the lentils in a bowl. Rinse in water twice or thrice until water runs clear. Drain all the water used for washing.
In a bowl, combine the washed lentils with 1.5 cups hot water and let it soak for 20 mins. Soaking the lentils ensures quick and even cooking. This step is optional but highly recommended.
Pick and sort the moringa leaves
While the lentils soak, pick and clean the moringa leaves. I tend to leave any tender stalks intact but if you are particular, you can just pick the leaves out.
Place them in a colander and wash them thoroughly. Let the water drain for a couple minutes. When done, chop the leaves roughly and set aside.
Making fresh coconut spice paste
To a blender, add fresh coconut, cumin seeds, green chilis and 1/3 cup water. Grind this to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Instant Pot Moringa Leaves Kootu
Place the inner pot into your Instant Pot. Plug in and press Saute and set the timer for 10 mins. When the display reads HOT, add coconut oil and allow it to heat up for 1 min.
Once the oil has heated up, add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Immediately, tip in the white Urad dal along with the dried red chilies. Wait for the Urad dal to begin to brown.
At this stage, add the chopped moringa leaves and saute them for 2 to 3 mins until they reduce half in volume.
Next, drain the soaked dal in a colander. Add the dal along with water, salt and turmeric powder to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine and deglaze the pot.
Now, stir in the ground spice paste. Mix well. Press CANCEL. Close the Instant Pot, turn the valve to SEALING.
Instant Pot Kootu timings
Press PRESSURE COOK (MANUAL in older Instant Pots) and choose HIGH PRESSURE. Set the timer to 10 minutes. Wait for the cooking cycle to complete.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow pressure to release naturally. As soon as pressure releases, open and mix the Kootu up.
Pressure cooker drumstick leaves kootu
Follow all the preparatory steps as mentioned in the Instant Pot version.
Heat a 3 liter deep pressure pan or cooker with coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle.
Tip in the white urad dal and dry red chilis. Once the dal begins to brown, add the moringa leaves and saute them till they begin to wilt.
Drain the soaked lentils in a colander. Add them to the pressure cooker along with the turmeric powder, salt, water and spice paste. Stir to combine.
Cook on medium heat for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally. When the pressure releases, open the lid, mix well and serve.
Murungai Keerai Kootu
Equipment
- 1 Colander
- 1 Instant Pot 6 quart
- 1 high speed blender
- 1 set measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Yellow moong lentils (split and whole yellow lentils work equally well here)
- 2 cups hot water
Spice paste
- 3/4 cup fresh coconut frozen or fresh grated coconut work great.
- 4 green chilis Add more or less according to desired spice levels
- 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/3 cup water
For the kootu
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp white Urad dal
- 2 dry red chilis
- 2.5 cups roughly chopped moringa leaves (measured after picking and sorting)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt or add to taste
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a bowl. Rinse in water twice or thrice until water runs clear. Drain all the water used for washing.
- In a bowl, combine the washed lentils with 1.5 cups hot water and let it soak for 20 mins. Soaking the lentils ensures quick and even cooking. This step is optional but highly recommended.
Pick and sort the moringa leaves
- While the lentils soak, pick and clean the moringa leaves. I tend to leave any tender stems intact but if you are particular, you can just pick the leaves out.
- Place them in a colander and wash them thoroughly. Let the water drain for a couple minutes. When done, chop the leaves roughly and set aside.
Making fresh coconut spice paste
- To a blender, add fresh coconut, cumin seeds, green chilis and water. Grind this to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Instant Pot Moringa Leaves Kootu
- Place the inner pot into your Instant Pot. Plug in and press Saute and set the timer for 10 mins. When the display reads HOT, add coconut oil and allow it to heat up for 1 min.
- Once the oil has heated up, add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Immediately, tip in the white Urad dal along with the dried red chilies. Wait for the Urad dal to begin to brown.
- At this stage, add the chopped moringa leaves and saute them for 2 to 3 mins until they reduce half in volume.
- Next, drain the soaked dal in a colander. Add the dal plus 1 cup water, salt and turmeric powder to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine and deglaze the pot.
- Now, stir in the ground spice paste. Mix well. Press CANCEL. Close the Instant Pot, turn the valve to SEALING.
Instant Pot Kootu timings
- Press PRESSURE COOK (MANUAL in older Instant Pots) and choose HIGH PRESSURE. Set the timer to 10 minutes. Wait for the cooking cycle to complete.
- Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow pressure to release naturally. As soon as pressure releases, open and mix the Kootu up.
Notes
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Thank you so
Much ! Cannot wait to try this !