Growing up, my mom always served a simple dish made of greens at both main meals. Palak (Spinach), Methi (Fenugreek), Sarson (Mustard Greens), Thotakura (Amaranthus), Bachali Kura (Malabar Spinach) and Moringa (Drumstick Leaves) and a host of other varieties took their turns to show up on the table in different avatars. Sometimes in the form of a simple curry, or as a raita, or even mixed in dal or sambar. Mom would even added the leaves into parathas or akki rotti (rice pancakes) dough before kneading.
Once I arrived in the United States, I started incorporating additional greens into our diet. In came kale, Swiss chard, arugula, lettuce, mizuna, water cress, bok choi, and many others. Daily salads became a part of our lunch lifestyle. When I started to grow my own veggies and herbs, I started using the green tops on beets, carrots, radish, sweet potatoes (yes, the tender leaves are edible!) into my diet.
For the past couple of months, I’ve been spending a considerable amount of my time in India, helping care for an unwell parent. As I walk along the market streets, I am astonished at the wide variety of greens on sale. The vendors bring their fresh produce on push carts and do brisk business until they are sold out.
Moringa (Drumstick) Leaf Curry with Roasted Peanuts
Moringa (Drumstick) Leaf Curry With Roasted Peanuts
On one occasion, we purchased a large quantity of moringa (drumstick) leaves. I was looking for a new recipe – and it came from my sister’s help Navanitha. She instructed me step-by-step as she multitasked with her daily house chores of sweeping, washing and mopping.
The only painful part about cooking moringa (drumstick) leaves is the separation of the leaves from the stalks. This is where podcasts, music, chit-chat, standing yoga provide the distractions. You also need to develop your own technique to minimize fatigue from the monotony (for me, performing mundane tasks provides peace of mind). I’ve found it easy to gently pry the leaves by holding one end of the stalk/stem and running my fingers from the top of the stalk to the bottom.
This Moringa (Drumstick) Leaf Curry with Roasted Peanuts is easy to make after the initial work. An aromatic tempering to start off. Add the leaves and allow them to wilt (the more the you cook, the more you lose nutrients, so find your Goldilocks Point). Roast raw peanuts (or buy them roasted), coarsely powder and add to the greens. The leaves are a tad bitter, so if you want to please palates that are unused to this, add a dash of lime juice, freshly grated coconut and/or grated jaggery. Make changes and make this recipe your own!
Moringa (drumstick) leaves, considered a modern day “superfood” has been used in Ayurvedic healing for thousands of years. Filled with iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and riboflavin with notable amounts of potassium, vitamin A, vitamin E, and magnesium, these delicate leaves pack in a punch. These nutrients contribute towards better vision, immunity, muscle repair, bone health and skin radiance.
Delicious Leafy Green Recipes
We LOVE green leafy veggies! And we have a ton of recipes to offer you – both from the West and the East. Take your pick!
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Colorfully Crunchy Strawberry Grape Kale Salad
- Rainbow Chard & Red Lentil Stew
- Beets (Root & Greens) Palya
- Fresh Fenugreek-Eggplant Sauté
- Yard-to-Table Beet Leaf Thoran
- Hearty Sarson Panchratna Dal
- Doddapatre Tambuli (Karpooravalli Thayir Pachadi)
- Healthy Mung-Radish Greens Dal
- Aloo Palak
- Harvest Salad with Spinach-Apple-Pomegranate
- Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) Dal
- Vegan Palak-Tofu Recipe
- Garlicky Amaranth Curry (Thotakura Vellulli Karam)
- Andhra Gongura Pappu – Sorrel Leaves Dal
- Bachali Kura Pappu: Malabar Spinach Dal
- Dantina Soppu Majjige Huli | Thotakura Majjiga Pulusu
- Sarson ka Saag
Moringa Recipes
If you want to introduce moringa into your diet, check out a few of our favorites:
- Homemade Moringa-Curry Leaf Spice Powder
- Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
- Instant Pot Moringa Leaf Dal
- Drumstick (Moringa) Mustard Curry
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Moringa Leaf Curry With Roasted Peanuts
Equipment
- 1 Preethi Blender Dry Grind Jar
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Moringa Leaves - Tightly packed tender leaves
- 2 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
- 3 Dry Red Chili - Or to taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Optional
- 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 3/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Or to taste
- 2 Tablespoon Peanuts - Raw or Roasted
Instructions
- Separate moringa leaves from their stalks and wash under running water. Allow water to drain completely. You can lay the leaves over a clean towel and pat dry.
- Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard and cumin seeds. Add chana dal and dry red chili, mix until they slightly brown.
- Add curry leaves and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent.
- Add turmeric powder, salt, and red chili powder (optional) and mix everything well.
- Add moringa leaves. Mix well again, set the lid allow the leaves to wilt. Open the lid and mix well every couple of minutes. Do this until the moringa leaves are cooked to your preference. If the leaves are sticking to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat and add a couple of teaspoons of water. Do not overcook the leaves lest they lose their valuable nutrients and turn bitter!
- In another pan, roast raw peanuts on a low-medium flame until they are crunchy. Skip this step if your peanuts are already roasted.
- Add peanuts to a dry grinder and grind them coarsely.
- Add roasted peanut powder to the moringa curry. You can add 1 tablespoon freshly grated coconut, 1 teaspoon lime juice and/or a bit of grated jaggery to this dish if you prefer to avoid the slight bitterness of moringa leaves.
- Mix well and serve hot with steaming rice, ghee, crunchy baked plantain chips and garlic-tomato rasam.
