Murungai Keerai Adai Recipe (Drumstick Leaves Adai)

Murungai Keerai Adai is a protein rich South Indian crepe made using rice, mixed dals and fresh drumstick leaves. It is one of those dishes that is both healthy and tasty in same plate. The flavor is homely and comforting, yet something you will want again and again. Murungai Keerai Adai is a healthy choice & a must try at home during weekends for breakfast and is relished with jaggery & chutney. 

This adai is mostly made for breakfast or sometimes for dinner when you want a meal that is wholesome but not heavy. The drumstick leaves gives a nice earthy taste, slightly bitter but in a good way, and the dals make it more filling. I feel this is a dish you can enjoy with chutney, butter or even just a small piece of jaggery on side.

Jump to:

• About Murungai Keerai Adai
• Murungai Keerai Adai Ingredients
• How to make Murungai Keerai Adai Step by Step
• Expert Tips
• Serving and Storage
• FAQS
• 📖 Recipe Card

About Murungai Keerai Adai

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

The texture comes rustic, you get crunch from onions, mild bitterness from murungai keerai, and crisp edges when cooked on cast iron pan. Variations are plenty, some people add coconut, some add ginger, few add more red chillies to make it spicy. Each version tastes little different but all are good in their own way.

Drumstick leaves, which is also called moringa leaves, are very rich in iron, calcium and many nutrients. They are known to be good for health, specially to boost immunity. Adding them in adai is a nice way to include greens in diet without feeling like you are eating just plain healthy food.

I usually make this for weekend breakfast when I get more time to soak and grind. This is one dish I don't mind making little thick because my family likes to eat it hot with jaggery and butter. Really nothing can beat that taste.

I love adai soo much - During my pregnancy with gugu I was advised to take a lot of greens specifically this drumstick leaves to increase iron intake, so I made ragi adai or poriyal mostly and had it. Once amma suggested to make this adai so that I can make a new post too ahh she knows me well.

Murungai Keerai Adai Ingredients

• Drumstick leaves (murungai keerai) - This is the key ingredient, t gives that slight bitter taste and that's what makes this adai stand out. You must clean and remove leaves from stem properly.
• Raw rice and Idli rice - I have used both together because raw rice gives firmness while idli rice makes the adai a little soft. You can use only raw rice too if that's what you have, it will still come out nice.
• Mixed dals (toor dal, chana dal, moong dal, urad dal) - These dals together give protein, nuttiness and a filling texture. I like chana dal for its crunch and moong dal for softness. You can skip one dal if not available but using mix of dals gives best flavor.
• Spices (red chillies, fennel seeds, hing, turmeric powder) - I have used just 2 red chillies for medium spice. Fennel seeds add a mild sweetness and nice smell. Hing helps with digestion and turmeric gives that earthy taste and slight yellow color. You can add a small piece of ginger if you like.
• Small onion - I usually add small onions chopped finely, they give sweetness and small crunchy bites. If you don't have, regular onion also works.
• Curry leaves - I added it to batter gives a strong South Indian flavor.

Why This Recipe Works

• This recipe super easy to make with just some simple ingredients.
• The dish got good amount of protein and fiber, so it keep you full for long time.
• The flavor is balanced - crispy edges, soft inside and earthy from greens.
• You can enjoy with chutney, jaggery, butter or even podi - very versatile.
• It is traditional but still suits modern cooking, you can even make thin like dosa if you prefer.

Similar Recipes

• Adai
• Millet adai
• Ragi adai
• Karthigai adai
• Toor dal dosa

How to make Murungai Keerai Adai Step by Step

1.Take all the ingredients listed under 'to soak' in a mixing bowl, soak it in water till immersing level. Soak for at least 3-4 hours. Drain water and set aside.

2.Clean drumstick leaves, separate from stem, rinse it well and set aside. Grind red chilies, fennel seeds along with soaked dal to a slightly coarse paste, Add a pinch of hing, mix and Set aside.

3.Saute drumstick leaves till it shrinks. Add it along with chopped onion , turmeric powder to the batter ,Add little water and Mix well. Add required salt. The batter should be slightly runny in between idli and dosa batter consistency.

4.Heat the dosa pan,grease with little oil, pour a laddle full of batter and spread it evenly a bit thick. Drizzle oil over the sides and let it cook, flip over other side and cook till golden brown and crisp at the edges.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Expert Tips

• Soaking and grinding - I usually soak rice and dals together for 3 to 4 hours. Grinding should be slightly coarse, not too fine, as that gives better texture. Don't rush this step.
• Consistency of batter - I have used water little by little while grinding. Batter should be thicker than dosa but not like idli. If you make it too thick, spreading will be difficult. If too thin, it will not cook well.
• Cooking leaves - I usually sauté the drumstick leaves quickly before adding to batter. This takes away raw taste and makes it soft. You can also add directly if leaves are very tender.
• Pan choice - I have used cast iron dosa tawa, it gives nice crisp edges and golden brown spots. Non-stick pan works too but the taste from cast iron is better.
• Flavor addition - You can add grated coconut for richer taste or a small piece of ginger for slight sharpness. I have tried both versions and both are good.
• Making thin or thick - You can pour batter little thick for uthappam style or spread thin like dosa. I usually make medium thick because that gives crisp edges and soft center.

Serving and Storage

Serve Murungai Keerai Adai with coconut chutney, onion chutney or even plain butter and jaggery. It makes a good weekend breakfast or even light dinner. Leftover batter can be stored in fridge for 1 day but since greens are added, I prefer using it fresh. Warm up on hot pan before serving, that way it tastes best.

FAQS

1.Can I skip drumstick leaves?

Yes you can, but then it becomes just regular adai. The taste is special only with drumstick leaves.

2.Can I make this in advance?

You can grind and keep batter in fridge, but add onions and greens only before cooking.

3.Can I add coconut?

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

4.Can I make without fennel seeds?

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

5.How long does batter stay fresh?

Maximum 1 to 2 days in fridge, but once greens are added it's better to use within a day.

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