With a drumstick / Moringa tree in the backyard, I often make one dish or the other with the leaves. It is hubby’s favorite greens and so I try to include it in many dishes as well as make it the hero of the dish when ever possible.
We are in the Week 3 of the Mega Blogging Marathon #68 themed Cooking Carnival ,where I am doing dishes with one ingredient a week. And as you have correctly figured out, this healthy green is my choice of ingredient for this week,
Though I have been using these leaves regularly, I have never blogged any other than a soup.Hence it became the ingredient of the week. I have complied a list of recipes with drumstick leaves and hope to add more to that collection.
This simple dry curry / stir fry is very easy to prepare and not to mention very healthy as well. .It can be served as a part of lunch or you can have it as a mid morning snack just like we did!
I used:
Moringa leaves/ Murungai keerai– 2 packed cups
Moong dal- 1/8 cup
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
White split urad dal-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Red chili- 1 , broken
Salt to taste
Grated Coconut – 2 tablespoons
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Separate the leaves from the stalks. Put them in a colander and rinse well.Drain.
Soak the moong dal in warm water for 15 minutes.Meanwhile,heat a pan with water .Drain the water used to soak the dal and add the moong dal to the pan.Let it cook it you can mash a few dal between your fingers. It should not get mushy. Drain and reserve the water used to cook the dal.Keep the cooked dal aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, cumin, urad dal and red chilies. As soon as the mustard pops and the dal turns brown, add the greens and give it a mix. Now add a little of the water used to cook the dal that we have reserved.Add salt and mix.
Cook for a few minutes till the leaves are soft.Add the reserved dal water / water to cook it. Stir once or twice in between. Cover and cook if it takes a long time.
Add the cooked dal and grated coconut. Mix well. If there is some moisture / wter left over in the pan, cook till it dries up.
Simple drumstick leaves stir fry is ready to be served.
Note:
- Choose tender leaves as the mature ones don’t cook easily and also not easy to digest.
- To retain the nutrients, it is best to cover and cook .
Bon Appetit…
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68
My uncle had a drumsticks tree in the backyard and wish they still had it. I would have tried cooking with these leaves next time I am in India
Perfect side dish for rasam rice. My fav..
That is a very simple yet interesting side dish with drum stick leaves. I have yet to experiment with these leaves, we use only the flowers and drum sticks.
You are lucky to have a drumstick tree in your backyard. Tender leaves taste better as you mention. But we take what we get, right? Lovely stir fry.
I simply love this healthy and nutritious stir fry served along with rice, lipsmacking here
very healthy poriyal.. Drumstick in backyard.. missing it
Healthy stir fry.
So healthy and a simple recipe.
Simple and healthy. Love it.
Wow the dish looks so healthy and yummy. Simple to make too!
I've recently started seeing these drumstick leaves at local Indian grocery, they are ridiculously expensive, but I think I'll buy them once to try your recipes.
That is a simple and delicious stir fry.
Love this poriyal pj!! amma makes it often when i m there in chennai. i do miss them here, though we get it here sometimes, the taste of the leaves doesn't match that of our town!!!
We normally add toor dal, must try with moong dal sometime..such an healthy greens..looking forward to your collection PJ..