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Murungai ilai varai
Drumstick leaf stir-fry
முருங்கை இலை வறை (murungai ilai varai): Jaffna stir-fry of drumstick leaves with crushed coconut, garlic and cumin
Nearly every compound in Jaffna has a murungai tree by the well, and its tiny, feathery leaves are stripped and cooked into varai, a dry, fluffy stir-fry that turns up with rice and kulambu several times a week. Varai simply means a dry dish with coconut, and this one is earthy and faintly peppery from the moringa leaves, with grated coconut crushed with garlic, cumin and turmeric, and a tempering of mustard seed and dried chilli. It is healthy everyday food, prized for iron and calcium, and it partners well with a fiery Jaffna curry and plain rice. Many cooks go wrong by adding water, which makes it steam into a soggy mass; the leaves have enough moisture of their own. Chef's tip: strip the leaves by running your pinched fingers down each stem towards the tip, and throw away any yellow leaves and the thicker stalks, which stay stringy.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the varai
- 5 ½ oz drumstick (moringa) leavespicked from the stems, rinsed and drained; or frozen and thawed
- 2 ⅞ oz grated coconutfresh or frozen and thawed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 /2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 green chillieschopped
- 1 /2 tsp salt
For the tempering
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or gingelly oil
- 1 /2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chillibroken in half
- 1 sprig curry leavesleaves picked
- 1 onionsmall, finely chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pound or pulse 2 ⅞ oz grated coconut with 2 cloves garlic, 1 /2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 /4 tsp ground turmeric, 2 green chillies and 1 /2 tsp salt until coarsely crushed and evenly yellow.
Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil or gingelly oil in a wok over a medium heat, add 1 /2 tsp black mustard seeds and, once it pops, 1 dried red chilli and 1 sprig curry leaves.
1 minStep 3: Add 1 onion and cook for 2 minutes until soft.
2 minStep 4: Add 5 ½ oz drumstick (moringa) leaves and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until they wilt and turn a darker green.
4 minStep 5: Scatter in the coconut mixture and keep stirring for 2–3 minutes until the varai looks dry and fluffy. Taste for salt and serve warm with rice.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does murungai ilai varai take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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