Muringa ila Thoran/Drumstick leaves stir fry Kerala style

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.

           

 In case you missed two other drumstick recipes - Drumstick leaves and potato stir fry and Drumstick leaves kerala curry

My dear Moringa oleifera ...sweet good bye for now ...Till we meet again..:P

Drumstick leaves curry|Muringa ila curry-A Mallu speciality

 
Last week,for three days straight,I was dating "Moringa Oleifera".Shhhhh between me and YOU ...Don't tell Honey P ,otherwise he'll be like....Doesn't it sound like the male version of the beautiful actress Sofia Vergara ? .Actually,I meant drumstick leaves and Moringa Oleifera is as a matter of fact, the botanical name of the mighty tree and you also thought . Ha..Got ya !


Did you notice (Mallus), the Malayalam word for drumstick tree is "Muringa" ,almost similar to the botanical name,Moringa? Interesting right !


When these leaves are (almost) available in every household back in India in abundant ,here in US,it is exotic ,very rarely available and the very sight of them will make your stuck jaw simply drop or droop and your eyeballs fall out and mouth wide open ,as if you just saw a magical vegetable item in the grocery shop ...Well,that's exactly what happens to me ,even though I am not a big fan of these leaves but yes, it's like every leaves, have some kind of memories attached to it.

The most memorable one is, as I said in my last post ,my amma darling roaring like a lioness and then lecturing all the multi-benefits of this leaves ,which I never dared to listen.

However,guess what, I was googling the correct word for drumstick leaves in Malayalam and my jaws again dropped ,this time almost touching the ground  ,when I read ,this humble common tree in every (almost) home in India is not something that usual ,it is in fact quite unusual.

Moringa trees also known as the horseradish tree ,is actually called ,"The tree of life/The miracle tree".Experts all over the world believe the drumstick leaves are loaded with a variety of vitamins,minerals,proteins and amino acids with less carbs and calories than any other leafy vegetables and so, is considered to be an ideal plant that can play a significant role to eradicate "Malnutrition" all over the word.

The drumstick leaves contain -

• 4 times the vitamin A of carrots
• 7 times the vitamin C of oranges
• 4 times the calcium of milk
• 3 times the potassium of bananas
• 2 times the protein of yogurt

It is also a rich source of iron having almost 3/4th of the amount present in spinach leaves and has 18 of the 20 amino acids required by the human body including all 8 of the essential amino acids found in meat products.

As per Ayurveda,about "300" diseases are curable using this very humble drumstick leaves.Believe it or not !! (Credit:Medindia)

Phew.....now I know what made my mom,to roar like a lioness and why the lecture of how awesome these leaves are, used to be little longer comparatively?

Like Peepal tree that Hindus worship in India,this tree sounds like equally eligible to be worshipped !JAI HO!!

 Unlike my first drumstick leaves recipe which is my hubby's favorite ,today's recipe is almost every Mallu's favorite back in Kerala.

Drumstick leaves aka muringa illa (in Malayalam)  curry.A very simple and quick to make curry made with of course our drumstick leaves and a ground paste of Kerala's own coconut ,cumin and garlic.It goes so well with hot rice and any side dish.A simple Kerala delight.

Here is how I make drumstick leaves curry a.k.a (as always my mom's version) muringa illa curry.

Muringa illa curry

Ingredients

Drumstick leaves,(destalked,washed & cleaned well) - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Water- 1& 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

To Grind:

Coconut,grated - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Garlic cloves,medium -1-2
Water - 1/4 cup

For Tempering:

Coconut oil/cooking oil - 1-2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Dry red chillies,broken - 2 nos.

Shallots,chopped - 1 tablespoon

Curry leaves - One stalk

Method:

• Grind the coconut,cumin,garlic,water into a very fine paste.Keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds.Add the shallots and saute till they become translucent followed by broken red chillies.Finally add the curry leaves and saute everything well for a few seconds.
• Now add the drumstick leaves to it and saute until it wilts .
• Now, add in the ground paste of coconut mixture.
• Saute for a second.Add water till the desired gravy consistency is reached (little by little).
• Add salt to taste.
• Let it simmer on medium-low heat BUT don't allow it to ever boil .
• When it reaches the boiling point,switch off the heat.Serve immediately with hot rice.

Note:

• Pluck the leaves properly without any tiny stems.The leaves should look fresh and should not be wilted or with spots otherwise it will taste bitter.
• Adjust the curry consistency by adding more or less water.
• Coconut oil gives it a Mallu special flavor to it.

I love this curry for its simplicity and yet the amazing Kerala flavor it carries .Love having it with rice and fried fish and any thorans by side.How yummy !...Man ..I am drooling.....Time for my pettpuja (time to fill my stomach:P)......

“Blog to Feed a Child” - my third post

 

Charity begins at home.

There are a lot of ways Government plays a significant and wider role in preventing the problems faced by our country and then there are NGO's who also do the same in their own way and then there also many ways we as an individual or family can assist our country in solving a problem in our own little ways and it all can start from our humble home and heart.

As children in any family look up to their parents as role models and inspirations,I believe the parents should take the apt action to help any worthy cause as much as they can and there by setting example and inspiring their kid to do so in present and their future.

As I said in my previous two posts(1,2),the first step to eradicate child room hunger should be empowering women especially from rural,slum areas of our countries.

It can be as simple as making sure the house maid is treated well ,paid well . Occasionally, giving them used clothes or toys ,study materials ,left over good foods.If possible ,one can even sponsor or help her(maid's) kid's education.Or, even encourage her to get some education or go for some vocational trainings like tailoring,embroidery works,other arts that will help her to get a better job in future .

A woman can only understand another woman's pain better.So,we as a woman should take initiative even on a smaller level by supporting any programs that enriches a woman in any way . Within housing colonies,women can come together and make a generous donation whenever it is possible and later accumulate those contributions and submit it to any organization dealing with women empowerment.

When we get old,we lose the urge to celebrate our B'day,may be we can, if not frequently at least on our b'day make a ritual to do a humble donation for helping another helpless woman somewhere in need.How blessed that B'day will be ?

If one is financially sound or big-hearted to risk with pleasure,one can sponsor any girl child through many NGO's supporting that cause.That means one is not only sponsoring the girl but also making sure her next generation will be not as helpless as she is. I am sponsoring by the way.May almighty allow me and my family to continue doing so.

All the woman entrepreneurs especially,must play a vital role by hook or crook in empowering women for sure ,I hope !

In rural/slum areas,woman face a silent physical,mental toll especially during her menstrual days.They use dirty rags and clothes in unhygienic ways that can lead to other grave diseases that has the potential to affect her fertility or pregnancy or delivery and the child born and even may become a factor responsible for her death.

All the sanitary pad manufacturers in India should come up with ways to make sure the pads are available even to the slum dwellers .I wish they would come up with options like "Buy one and Give one" scheme meaning any woman who buys any sanitary pads, will give an equal number of pads as a donation by default to some rural woman via some organization that would support such welfare scheme.I hope !

By the way,I take this opportunity to salute Mr.Arunachalam Muruganatham ,known as the "Menstrual man" for his path breaking innovation in menstrual hygiene management. He once worked in a cycle repair shop and was heartbroken to see his wife using a filthiest rag to use for her periods to save money for food and he eventually , endeavored to create a low-cost sanitary production unit.

Today, this machine is available in 1300 villages across 23 states in India. Women Self-help groups achieved employment by working in units that produce these sanitary pads.Such a great contribution from someone who didn't have it all ,but struggled much harder to give his best to uplift humanity especially the weaker section of the rural society,the woman.His story is so heart touching and inspiring.Hats off to him !

When a man can understand a woman's discomfort,how can we as a woman do nothing about it.We can even donate sanitary pads to orphanages or any programs that supports the same concept.

I really wish many more organizations or scientist ,innovators ,should come up with creative ways to provide very affordable sanitary pads to each and  every rural/slum women across the country. I hope!

Many healthcare practitioners especially retired ones should take utmost interest in providing free health care services in rural/slum areas and creating one to one awareness among ladies.I hope!

I recently read an article about an environment cum fuel efficient cooking stove designed by Guatemalan scientists and social workers that requires only 25% of woods to cook and through a stovepipe it emits the smoke out of the house ,it reduces carbon monoxide by 80% and is quite safe and easy to use.Moreover stove recipients in return commits to plant more trees in the area .

I wish we had something like this as well,because like the rural women in Guatemala,Belize, Hondura,Mexico,Pakistan etc ,our rural women also faces the exact problem of going to forest to collect woods and burdening their heads or cutting trees /deforestation,during cooking for hours ,they(she and her family) inhale all the dangerous smoke that can cause many respiratory issues and even death.This fuel and environmental friendly stove option would be a boon to our rural ladies as well.Hope it is already implemented or is in the pipeline.I hope !

Women face lots of challenges compared to men . It is multi-faceted and inter-related.Even if we can't do big things, even small step will do.A drop can cause a ripple ! It's all about taking that first small step and then together we all can make a huge difference.

These are some of my ideas that I believe and I am and I'll personally do as well and if it makes sense to others,hope we all can come out with options to implement it through different mediums ASAP.

More the women are empowered,less will be any under-nourished kids and so will be any child hunger or classroom hunger . We woman especially should come forward to extend our full cooperation to make sure, we do our bit to uplift a helpless woman and thereby help in combating child/classroom hunger.

"There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies." -- Sir Winston Churchill

P.S.This is a part of Blogadda and Akshaya Patra's collaborative effort “Blog to Feed a Child” theme where any blog post contributed for the same cause, BlogAdda will sponsor meals for an Akshaya Patra beneficiary for an entire year.Kudos Akshaya Patra and Blogadda!

So,

I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.