Muringa ila moru curry/ Drumstick leaves curry

 

 

My amma is so fond of muringa illa thoran and moru curry/drum stick leaves Kadi that, twice a week she used to include both these dishes in the menu list but my brother and I never used to like it, so poor amma had to prepare another curries /dishes of our liking and slowly the frequency of dishes using Muringa ila/Drumstick leaves reduced in our house. 

Amma used to preach us about the nutritious benefits of this Miraculous, Multipurpose tree  and we used to smile at her thinking that its another way to make us eat something we cant even stand. But I was surprised when I read the same benefits being written in one of the health magazine and then realised how correct she was and how bad amma must have felt when we avoided her muringa ila dishes.

 

Ever since then I too have started to use the drumstick leaves in either dal, kadhi/moru curry or as thoran so that my kids start liking it very young and do not miss on the nutritional benefits of this wonderful leaves.

It seems one can use the leaves, pods, fruits, flowers, roots and even the bark of the Drumstick tree in some or the other form in the diet.  Drumstick leaves/Muringa illa are known to be nutritional powerhouse and can cure almost 300 diseases.

Drumstick leaf moru curry /Kadhi is a typical Kerala style moru curry where in, instead of using white pumpkin, Drum stick leaves are used. It tastes really yummy and delicious and goes very well with rice.

 

Serves : 3    



Ingredients                                      Quantity                                                    
Drumstick leaves                                 :-1/2 cup
Beaten Curd                                          : 500ml
Coconut                                                 : 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder                                 : 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds:                                        : 1/4 tsp
Green Chilli                                          : 1-2
Salt

 

For Seasoning :

Onion or kunjulli chopped                 : 2-3 tsp
Mustard seeds                                      : 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds                                  :  1/4 tsp
Dry red chillies                                     :  1-2
Curry leaves                                          : a few
oil

 

Preparation Method :                                                                          

 

• Remove the drumstick leaves from the stem.
• Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan and sauté the Drumstick leaves for 2-3 mins , add a pinch of turmeric powder and then add 1/4 cup water to the pan and cook it on medium flame for 7-8 mins.
• Meanwhile grind the green chilli, coconut, cumin seeds and turmeric together to a fine paste .Keep aside.
• Add this coconut paste to the cooked drumstick leaves and lower the flame. Add the beaten curd, salt and another pinch of turmeric and mix well. cook on low flame for 6-7 mins by stirring in between .
• Just warm it, don't bring it to boil as the curd or the coconut may curdle.
• In a tadka pan, heat 1 tsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds, then fenugreek seeds, add the red chilli and sauté for a min, now add the curry leaves and then the chopped shallots, fry them till they turn golden brown.
• Pour this on the moru curry and cover it with a lids.
• Mix well before serving it . 

 

 

 .Sending this to http://nivedhanams.blogspot.in/2013/08/sicsouth-indian-cooking.html and http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.in/2012/07/south-indian-kitchen-series-event-1.html