Drumstick Leaves Roti| Murunga Keerai Roti

The fact that moringa aka drumstick leaves are loaded with health benefits is very well known.

• The greens are a rich source of Vitamin A, B6, B12, C and E, apart from possessing a high content of protein and calcium, iron and beta carotene, magnesium and chlorogenic acid.
• Drumstick leaves aid in hair care and skin care, preventing neurological disorders Alzheimer’s Disease, alleviating pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), lowering cholesterol levels and improving one’s vision.
• They also aid slow ageing, lower the risk of cancer, and help the body in fighting against toxins that air pollution throws at us.
• Apart from this, moringa greens also help in fighting inflammation, promoting bone and cardiovascular health, protecting the liver, aid in wound healing, help in keeping anxiety and depression at bay, and also help one in combating diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and asthma.

Any wonder they are being touted as a ‘super food’?

I try to include moringa greens or drumstick leaves (‘Murunga Keerai‘ in Tamil) in our meals at least once every two weeks. There are several things I use these drumstick leaves in – I add them to uttapams and adais, I use them in sambar and dal tadka, or in a South Indian-style poriyal. One of my family’s most favourite ways to consume these greens is in a roti!

Drumstick Leaves Rotis are extremely easy to make, but super delicious, not to forget healthy. I add a lot of ingredients to these rotis, so they can be eaten on their own and don’t really need any accompaniment. This makes the rotis an ideal candidate for busy weekday lunches or dinners.

Ingredients (yields about 15 parathas):

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 tightly packed cup drumstick leaves
3. A fistful of fresh coriander leaves
4. 1 medium-sized onion
5. Salt to taste
6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 2 generous pinches of asafoetida (hing)
8. A 1-inch piece of ginger
9. 3 green chillies
10. 5-6 cloves of garlic
11. 2-3 tablespoons powdered jaggery or to taste (optional)
12. Red chilli powder to taste (optional)
13. 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
14. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (til)
15. 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)
16. 1/4 cup sour curd or 2 tablespoons amchoor powder (optional)
17. 1 tablespoon oil + more to make the rotis

Method:

1. Wash the drumstick leaves well under running water. Chop them roughly and keep aside.

2. Chop the onion finely. Keep aside.

3. Chop the coriander finely. Keep aside.

4. Peel the ginger and chop finely. Peel the garlic cloves and chop finely. Chop the green chillies finely. Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies together to a paste, using a little water. Keep aside.

5. Take the whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder (if using), asafoetida, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, powdered jaggery (if using), 1 tablespoon oil, and amchoor powder or sour curd (if using).

6. Add the finely chopped coriander and onions, the ginger-green chillies-garlic paste, and the chopped drumstick leaves to the mixing bowl.

7. Bind the ingredients in the mixing bowl together into a soft dough, using a little water if needed. Knead for a couple of minutes. Cover, and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

8. Heat a thick dosa pan on high heat. Meanwhile, take one small ball of the dough, place it on a floured work surface, and roll it out into an even roti.

9. When the dosa pan is nice and hot, turn the flame to medium. Place the rolled-out roti on the pan, and spread a little oil all around it. Cook on medium flame till it gets brown on the bottom. Now, flip the roti over, and cook till done on the other side as well. Transfer to a serving plate.

10. Prepare all the Drumstick Leaves Rotis in a similar manner. Serve hot on their own or with raita, pickle, curry or any other accompaniment of your choice.

Notes:

1. For best results, use tender drumstick leaves that aren’t overly mature. Leave the bunch of drumstick greens wrapped in a newspaper or in a paper bag, outside at room temperature, overnight. Most of the leaves would have fallen off by morning – this is an easy way to separate the tiny leaves from the stems.
2. The use of jaggery and curd or amchoor powder is purely optional. You can skip these ingredients too, and keep the parathas really simple. I would personally suggest using them, though, for they add a lovely taste to the rotis.
3. Moringa or drumstick leaves can be a bit difficult to digest, especially for children. This is why it is crucial to use tender greens to make these Drumstick Leaves Rotis. If the leaves you have are a bit tough, you can chop them roughly and saute them a bit, before using them in making these rotis.
4. Use a heavy dosa pan to make these Murunga Keerai Roti. Get the pan nice and hot, till drops of water sprinkled on it dance, then ensure that you turn the flame down to medium. Cook the rotis on medium flame on both sides. This will ensure even cooking, without the rotis getting burnt.
5. Adjust the quantity of green chillies, salt, jaggery and garlic that you use, depending upon personal taste preferences.
6. Add in red chilli powder if you want, if you feel the heat from the green chillies isn’t enough. I usually use only green chillies in making these Murunga Keerai Roti – I skip the red chilli powder entirely.
7. The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky, for best results.

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This post is for the A-Z Recipe Challenge. The A to Z challenge was initiated on a Facebook Group, wherein a group of bloggers come together and choose key ingredients alphabetically to cook and post a dish every alternate month. This month’s Alphabet is ‘D‘, and I chose Drumstick Leaves as my key ingredient. I decided to make these Drumstick Leaves Rotis with them.

I’m sharing this post with Fiesta Friday #249. The co-hosts this week are Diann @ Of Goats and Greens and Jenny @ Apply To Face Blog.

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