Murungai Keerai Podi
Murungai keerai podi - Moringa leaves spice mix that can be had with idly, dosa or mixed with rice.
Ingredients
- 4 cups picked moringa leaves (murungai keerai)
- 1 tablespoon bengal gram (channa dhal)
- 2 tablespoons split husked black gram (urad dhal)
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (dhaniya)
- 10 no's red chillies (vatha milagai)
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida powder (perungayam thool) Omit if you are gluten allergic or use a pinch of whole asafoetida dissolved in water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
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Wash the leaves and pat them dry with a towel. Spread them on a plate and let it air dry for at least one hour.
Then heat a pan and roast these leaves until they turn crisp. When you press them it should crush and you should hear the crushing sound. Keep them aside.
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In the same pan, roast the remaining ingredients one by one until they turn golden brown in colour. Keep them aside.
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Once it cools, grind the leaves first. If you want some texture, grind them coarsely. But the smoothness is your own preference. Put them in a bowl.
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Then grind the rest of the ingredients together until they are smooth. In batches mix these with the powdered leaf and add salt.
Taste and see after each mix until you get the prefered taste. Please refer notes (2) to know why.
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Store them in an airtight container and it will last up to two weeks.
Recipe Notes
- Roasting is basically removing moisture content from the leaves. It is very important that these be completely dried before grinding. Else the spice mix will lose its shelf life.
- Sometimes the leaves can be very pungent and strongly aromatic or vice versa. So adding the lentils in batches will ensure that you don't overdo the lentils and leaf ratio. It is easier to adjust if the leaves overpower rather than the lentils. Else you might have to pick and clean some more!
- If you feel it has become more bitter, roast some more red chillies, urad dhal & coriander seeds and mix it with them. This is easier to adjust rather than having to add more leaves.