Welcome to the finale ! Today is the last show of the drumstick leaves .
<- That's my husband -dancing and yelling at the top of his lungs ,"FINALLY"!!Kandille,ee manushyandey oru kaaryam ...Huhhhh :P ...Not to mention,my 3 days long affair with Moringa oleifera certainly irked him a lot.Before he would become violent and turn me silent,I had to finish this edible affair ASAP.
I can't blame him ,I do confess ,I did push honey P aside and grinned big at the very sight of Moringa oleifera as if he was the prince charming of my dreams.An eligible edible doctor full of medicinal qualities !
Well,you know what I loved most about them here,these leaves were already plucked,neatly packed and ready to use ! Unlike in India, I remember the other strong reason why I hated these leaves,mom would delegate me the task of plucking those small leaves from not big but teeny weeny stems full of infinite leaves and de-stalk them carefully ,which would take time for ever. It was like a never ending finger exercise.Meanwhile,my clever mom would start boring me with stories with life lessons .What an idea mom g!! ..I named it drumstick torture !
It's amazing how a torture has now become a rare treasure here.However,these leaves do come with an expiry date.The sooner it is used ,more fresher it will be.So,that sums up my three days affair with Moringa oleifera.
The last recipe I made was Muringa ila thoran(in my mother tongue,Malyalam) aka drumstick leaves stir fry with coconut mixture ,Kerala style.
So,here is how I make Muringa ila Thoran:
Muringa Ila Thoran
Ingredients
Drumstick leaves - 3 cups
Mixed beans(lima beans,pinto beans,peas,green gram mix)- 1/4 cup (Optional)
Shallots/Small onions,chopped - 1/2 cup
Green chillies ,chopped - 3-4 nos.
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Coconut,grated - 1 cup
Salt to taste
To temper:
Coconut oil - 1-2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chillies - 1-2 nos.
A sprig of curry leaves
Method:
- Soak the mixed beans overnight.Next day, pressure cook it with enough water (covering the beans) for one whistle or until cooked.Keep it aside.
- Wash and clean the drumstick leaves well ,drain and keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan,splutter mustard seeds,followed by dry red chillies.
- Add the chopped shallots and green chillies ,stir well for a few minutes until the shallots become pink.(Low-medium flame)
- Now,lower the flame, add the curry leaves and drumstick leaves to it and saute for a minute with turmeric powder added to it.
- Cover the leaves with a lid and let the leaves get cooked well and tender.
- Remove the lid and add the grated coconut to it and salt to taste.
- Muringa ila thoran is ready to serve hot with steaming rice and curry.
Note:
- Adding the boiled beans mix is quite optional but it certainly gives it a distinct flavor.Even any boiled lentil can be used instead,makes it more tastier.
- Leaves should not be wilted or with any discoloration and avoid any stems even if it is small as it can make the dish bitter and tasteless.
My dear Moringa oleifera ...sweet good bye for now ...Till we meet again..:P
