Moringa dal - wholesome and nutritious curry prepared with toor dal, moringa leaves and a few basic Indian spices. This vegan one pot curry is ideal to pair with rice and makes a pleasant weekday meal.
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Are you looking to incorporate superfood moringa leaves into your diet? Then you must definitely try this Indian curry packed with nutrients. Nothing could be as simple yet delicious and healthy as this dal. Protein-rich lentils combined with highly nutritious leaves and aromatic spices make it a wholesome delight.
This healthy well balanced drumstick leaves recipe also termed drumstick leaves dal, munagaku pappu, drumstick subji, nuggekayi saaru is a typical Andhra version. Check out the south Indian vegetable sambar recipe on the blog made with seed pod and drumstick leaves curry.
What is moringa?
Moringa Oleifera, often named ‘Moringa’ or ‘Drumstick’, is a tree native to India. It has been present for centuries. The leaves and young seed pods are predominantly used in Indian culinary preparations. Drumstick leaves are available in most Indian grocery stores.
Ingredients
- Moringa leaves: I use fresh young moringa leaves for the best taste.
- Lentils and vegetables: toor dal (split pigeon peas), fresh garlic and curry leaves.
- Whole and dry spices: mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, asafoetida (hing) and turmeric powder.
Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make moringa leaves dal?
Place toor dal in a bowl and wash dal 2-3 times with cold water and keep it aside.
Remove drumstick leaves from the stem and wash them in a colander with plenty of cold water and keep them aside.
Pour water into a casserole dish or in a pot and bring it to boil over medium heat.
Add washed toor dal, oil and turmeric powder, stir well and close the pot with a lid.
Cook for 15 minutes or until dal is 90% cooked, stirring regularly.
Now stir in moringa leaves, close the pot with the lid and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the dal is soft.
Switch the heat off and blend the dal with a stick blender.
For tadka, heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add mustard, cumin seeds and urad dal, and let them splutter.
Now stir in red chillies, asafoetida and cook for a minute or until red chillies release a pungent aroma.
Add crushed garlic, curry leaves and stir well.
Switch the heat off. Pour the tadka into the pot of dal and stir well to combine.
Relish piping hot drumstick dal with steamed rice and any side dish of your choice.
Hint: After adding leaves cook the dal just until the leaves are tender to retain the bright green colour.
Substitutions and Variations
Ghee imparts a lovely flavour and elevates the taste of moringa dal. Either substitute oil with ghee or use both half quantities each. However, it will not be a vegan curry anymore.
Vegetable stock could be used instead of water for added flavour.
Lentils: Moong dal or masoor dal could be used instead of toor dal.
Lemon juice: A dash of lemon juice adds zing to the curry.
Gluten-free: Although asafoetida is naturally gluten-free, the powder is mostly manufactured by diluting with gluten flour, so check the label for gluten free powder or skip it.
Red Chili: I have used a combination of small round spicy and long mild varieties. But you can use just one type of red chillies. Alternatively, you could use red chili powder instead of chillies.
Serving Suggestions
Munagaku pappu served with plain rice, cabbage poriyal/sorakaya curry, vankaya pachadi, rasam and papad makes a classic south Indian meal.
Serve moringa sabji with rice, papad and kosambari or mango thokku when you are pressed for time or on sluggish days.
Make it slightly thin and enjoy it as a soup with roast potatoes or maple roast carrots.
Storage
Fridge: This green dal stays good for 3-4 days in the fridge if stored in a clean airtight container.
Freezer: Leftover moringa curry could be stored in the freezer for future use. If there is a considerable amount, divide the curry into the required portions into freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags and store them in the freezer.
Defrost: Thaw the drumstick dal the night before you plan to consume it. Take a portion out of the freezer and pop it in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop until hot.
Tips and Tricks
Leaves: Pick young leaves as they have a better texture and taste.
Stem: Toss out all the stems that are inedible and wash these leaves 2-3 times in plenty of water to get rid of dust and dirt.
Ratio: For 1 cup of dal, 4 cups water is required. However, the ratio might vary depending on your desired consistency. You might have to add more water to get dal with thin flowing consistency. Reduce water slightly to get a thick dal.
Pot: Use a pot of considerable size as the lentils double or triple while cooking.
Lid: Do not keep the pot closed with a lid for a long period as the liquid in the dal bubbles up while boiling and might overflow, resulting in spillage. So it is essential to take the lid off and stir the dal regularly.
Cooking Time: The time drumstick leaves dal takes to cook depends on the burner settings and the quality of the dal.
Oil: I use olive oil for everyday cooking and so in this recipe. But you could use any cooking oil such as sunflower, peanut or vegetable oil instead.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this nutritious drumstick leaves recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Moringa Dal Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Ceramic Pot
- 1 Steel Ladle
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 250 gms (or) 1¼ cup Toor Dal
- 5 cups Water adjust to get desired consistency
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 100 gms (or) 2½ cups Moringa leaves (drumstick leaves)
- 2 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Urad dal
- Curry leaves handful
- 5 cloves Garlic peeled and slightly crushed
- 1 big pinch Asafoetida
- 6 Byadgi dry red chillies bronken into 2 or 3pieces
- 6 Small spicydry red chillies
- 1 Teaspoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Place toor dal in a bowl and wash dal 2-3 times with cold water and keep it aside.250 gms (or) 1¼ cup Toor Dal
- Wash drumstick leaves in a bowl with plenty of water and keep them aside.100 gms (or) 2½ cups Moringa leaves (drumstick leaves)
- Pour water into a casserole dish or in a pot and bring it to boil over medium heat.5 cups Water
- Add washed toor dal, oil and turmeric powder, stir well and close the pot with a lid.250 gms (or) 1¼ cup Toor Dal, ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder, 1 Teaspoon Olive oil
- Cook for 15 minutes or until dal is 90% cooked, stirring regularly.
- Now stir in moringa leaves, close the pot with the lid and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the dal is soft.100 gms (or) 2½ cups Moringa leaves (drumstick leaves)
- Switch the heat off and blend the dal with a stick blender.
- For tadka, heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.2 Tablespoon Olive oil
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard, cumin seeds and urad dal, and let them splutter.1 Teaspoon Mustard, 1 Teaspoon Cumin, 1 Teaspoon Urad dal
- Now stir in red chillies, asafoetida and cook for a minute or until red chillies release a pungent aroma.1 big pinch Asafoetida, 6 Byadgi dry red chillies, 6 Small spicydry red chillies
- Add crushed garlic, curry leaves and stir well.Curry leaves, 5 cloves Garlic
- Switch the heat off. Pour the tadka into the pot of dal, add salt and stir well to combine.
- Serve dal with rice and side dish of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
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