Daal with Drumstick leaves / Munagaaku pappu

No greens area exceptional to prepare daal. Drumstick leaves is one among them which has got lots of nutritional values. Also mentioned by the Scientists as potential life saver. The leaves are high in protein and contain essential amino acids and also Vitamin A and C. So why not add these nutrients to our meal.

Ingredients:
Toor Daal – 1 cup
Drumstick leaves – 1 cup
Tomato – 2 large
Green chili – 6-8 (break them into small pieces)
Onion – 1 chopped
Turmeric
Salt
Tamarind – ½ lemon size. Soak in hot water.

For Seasoning
Oil – 1 tbsp
Garlic pods – 2 to 3
Mustard + Cumin – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds roughly ground– 2 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander
Red Chili – 1 or 2

Drumstick leaves and Toor daal

Method:

Wash and pressure cook / boil toor daal, drumstick leaves, green chili and tomatoes by adding pinch of turmeric.

When the daal is cooked thoroughly and is soft, add tamarind puree and salt and mash the daal mixture.

Heat a sauce pan with oil and do the seasonings by adding red chili, pounded garlic pods, curry leaves, mustard + cumin and ground coriander seeds.

When the mustard starts spattering, add chopped onions and fry them until they become transparent.

Add the daal mixture to the seasoning and add chopped coriander, close the lid and cook the daal for another 5 minutes on low flame and turn of the heat.

Daal is served with warm rice.

Drumstick leaves / Munagaaku Rasam

There are lots of nutritional values in drumstick leaves. Drumstick leaves have Seven times more vitamin C than oranges to fight against many illnesses including cold and flu as it helps in congestion. and four times more vitamin A than in carrots to protect against our eye diseases, skin diseases, and heart diseases. It has four times more calcium than present in milk to build strong bones and teeth. It is three times more rich in potassium than bananas,which is essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves.

Few other benefits of Drumstick:

- The leaves have twice the amount of the protein than in milk and almost equal amounts of protein present in eggs.

- Medicinal uses

- The seeds are generally used to clean and purify dirty or hazy drinking water. It is pounded and wrapped in a muslin cloth, and dipped in jars or containers that has water in it.

-The bark of the drumstick plant contains a gum that is used for the treatment of various stomach ailments such as :---

- Seeds are found to be highly beneficial as they helps a person when there is loss of appetite, colic pain and flatulence ,it removes gas from our stomatch.

- A hot infusion of the leaves provides relief in the case of skin diseases.The same kind of infusion can be bought to use in fevers to reduce temperature.

Ingredients:

Toor Daal – ½ cup
Drumstick leaves – 1 cup
Tomato – 2 large
Rasam powder (any variety)
Turmeric
Salt
Tamarind – ½ lemon size
For Seasoning
Oil – 1 tbsp
Garlic pods – 2 to 3
Mustard + Cumin – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander
Red Chili – 1 or 2

Drumstick leaves and toor daal

Method:

Wash and pressure cook / boil toor dall, drumstick leaves and tomatoes by adding pinch of turmeric. When the daal mixture is still hot add tamarind and salt and pulse it slightly or mash it with wooden masher. Heat a sauce pan with oil and do the seasonings by adding red chilli, pounded garlic pods, curry leaves, mustard and cumin. Add the daal mixture to the seasoning and add rasam powder and chopped coriander and bring the rasam to boil.

Munagaaku rasam

Serve warm with rice or can be served on its own as soup.

Munagaaku podi / Spicy drumstick leaves powder

This spicy powder gives a vibrant flavor to the palate and nutrition to the body.It is a rare combination of greens with the spices and added nutty taste of the roasted urad daal, which gives the unusual flavour.

The leaves are highly nutritious, being a significant source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium. The leaves are used in Siddha medicine. The tree is a good source for calcium and phosphorus.

Moringa leaves and pods are helpful in increasing breast milk in the breastfeeding months. One tablespoon of leaf powder provide 14% of the protein, 40% of the calcium, 23% of the iron and most of the vitamin A needs of a child aged one to three. Six tablespoons of leaf powder will provide nearly all of the woman's daily iron and calcium needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Ingredients:
Munagaaku leaves– 2 cups
Urad daal – ½ cup
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Cumin / Jeera – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli – 8-10
Salt
Tamarind – marble size
Garlic – 3-4 pods

Drumstick leaves, Red chili, Coriander seeds, Urad daal, garlic pods, Cumin and Tamarind

 

Method:

Dry roast all the above ingredients except Munagaaku. Always roast the ingredients individually and under low medium flame. Make sure the leaves are clean and absolutely moisture free. If they are not dry, you can dry them in shade by spreading them on kitchen towels or cotton cloth. Dry roast the leaves separately until they reduced to half the amount and becomes dry.

Roasted leaves and other ingredients

Allow all the ingredients to cool down. Grind every thing coarsely except the roasted leaves. When they are half done, add salt and roasted leaves and grind every thing again into powder.

Munagaku podi

Can be served along with hot rice and ghee or with idlys.

Munagaaku Thalimpu / Drumstick leaves stir fry

This recipe is enriched with the unique taste of drumstick leaves with added flavour of spicy coconut powder  and toor daal.

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves - 1 cup

Toor daal - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 chopped into small pieces

Mustard + Cumin - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 1 or 2

Oil

Salt

For Spicy Coconut Powder

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Garlic pods - 2

Grind them into powder and keep it ready.

Wash and drain the drumstick leaves. Cook the leaves until they are tender. As the leaves are bit harder than the usual greens, you can also pressure cook the drumstick leaves using just enough water. Drain the excess water and keep the boiled leaves aside.

Drumstick leaves

Seperately cook toor dall until they are just done. Drain the excess water.

 

Cooked Toor Daal

Heat a sauce pan with 2 tbsp of oil. Add the seasoning ingredients, stir for few seconds and add chopped onion. When the onion turns transparent, add salt, boiled toor daal and drumstick leaves and stir for few minutes until all the moisture evaporates. At the end sprinkle the coconut powder, mix every thing and remove from the fire.

 

Roti with Drumstick leaves stir fry 

Note: You don't need to throw the excess water, instead use it in mixing the roti dough or add it in curries.