FRIED MURUNGAKKAI
There was once a time when each and every house in the city - be it big or small - was enveloped by a lush green garden. Trees like mango, coconut, banana, sapota, curry leaf, murungakkai/drumstick, flowering plants like jasmine, champaka, nandi battalu and many more were not uncommon in home gardens. A morning visit to the garden ensured one of the day's vegetable supply for the family. Murungakkai was always sought after when there were special guests at home. The sight of the Murungakkais swaying like long green whips in the tall murungai tree is a beautiful sight to behold. To pluck them using a long cane with a split end avoiding a shower of the hairy caterpillars/ kambali poochi/hula at the same time, one needed an amazing acrobatic skill! Araichu vitta murungakkai sambar and Potato/urulaikizhangu curry always topped a special menu plan. They make a deadly combination along with fried appalams. Nowadays with the drastic shrinking of open space, with the rise of apartment buildings, and the reckless felling of trees to accommodate the ever expanding city, forget the fresh home grown vegetables, we are petrified at the depleting level of the most important life giving element - Oxygen - in the atmosphere. The Bengaluru citizens have come together in an effort to put a stop to the exploitation of trees. The City is all set to celebrate the annual Bengaluru Tree Festival which is aptly called Neralu. Honouring trees and preserving and conserving the green cover of the city is its first and foremost aim.
Coming back to Murungakkai! When my maid bought a couple of huge and fleshy Murungakkais from the market (it was difficult to fit them in my camera frame!)I remembered the delicious fried Murungakkai which our Konkani neighbour had once shared with us. And here is how I prepared it for today's lunch.
INGREDIENTS
Murungakkais/Drumsticks( tender and fleshy) - 2 long ones
Besan ( Chana dal flour) - 1 tbsp
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Plain flour ( Maida) - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sambar Powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Cooking oil - for shallow frying
METHOD
1. Wash the murungakkais and cut them into 2 inch long pieces.
2. Cover with water, add a pinch of salt and cook till they are just done. Take care not to over cook as the murungakkai pieces will split.
3. Drain the cooked pieces and spread them on a plate.
4. Mix all the dry ingredients together and add the mixture to the cooked pieces.
5. Gently apply the masala mix on to the cooked pieces using your hand. The moisture in the cooked vegetable is enough for the masala to stick on.
6. Let the murungakkai pieces with masala stand for a while before frying. It can also be refrigerated.
7. Heat the oil in a broad based kadai and arrange all the masala coated murungakkai pieces in the oil.
8. Cook for a while till the masala becomes firm and then turn them using a spatula so that all the other sides get similarly cooked.
9. Since the vegetable is already cooked, cook only till the masala coating becomes crisp.
When done remove the Fried Murungakkai pieces using a slotted ladle on to a plate. Hold a piece with your fingers and scrape the murungakkai using your bite, suck the pulp along with the masala and discard the hard fibrous peel. Enjoy the Fried Murungakkai! Enjoy the eating technique!
Comments