Drumstick leaves stir-fry

Drumstrick leaves and drumstick in trees – Image from Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Drumstick leaves (Moringa oleifera ) are full of essential disease-preventing nutrients, they contain:

• 7 times more Vitamin C than oranges to fight many illnesses including colds and flu
• 4 times more Vitamin A than carrots against eye disease, skin disease, heart ailments, diarrhoea
• 4 times more Calcium than milkto build strong bones and teeth
• 3 times more Potassium than bananas essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves
• nearly equal amount of Protein as in eggsbasic building blocks of all our body cells

Details of drumstick courtesy : Integrated Food Security Programme, Srilanka

Preparing drumstick leaves – Murungai-keerai in tamil, a stir-fry out of it is very easy. The only step that will take some time is to separate the leaves from its stalks. Wash two to three fistfulls of the separated leaves and drain. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan or kadai. Season the oil with a teaspoon of each – mustard, cumin, urad dal, channa dal, two chopped green chillies. After the mustard splutters, add the leaves. Add half a tsp of salt and half a cup water. Close and cook for 10 minutes in low simmer. Open and let it cook for another 10 minutes until all the water has evaporated. Add two tablespoons grated coconut. Serve with rice.

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