I guess I missed the memo a few years ago when moringa leaves were declared superfood! Late last year, I was thrilled to find moringa leaves at our neighborhood Indian grocery. That started my journey of trying recipes with these awesome leaves.
Drumsticks (Moringa Pods)
While I’m not unfamiliar with the moringa plant, I’m sad to say I never had moringa leaves, growing up. In fact, back then, the only part of the plant we used to eat were the drumsticks, or the pods. These are hard on the outside and soft and fleshy inside. They hold the seeds and are somewhat sweet and delicious. My mom would add these to sambar or make a delicious Drumstick (Moringa) Mustard Curry, with mustard seeds.
Drumsticks
Moringa Leaves
For the most part, moringa leaves don’t really have any taste or smell. This made me realize that they could easily take on any flavor you add to them. Or you could simply add to any batter (idli, dosa) or rotis and that will not make a difference to the taste of the dish.
Adding moringa to dal or batter, does not use up many leaves. To incorporate more of this superfood into my diet, I came up with Moringa Leaf Chutney. With the chutney however, I was able to add all the leaves I got from the store.
It is important to peel the leaves off from the stalks as much as possible, so they don’t stick in your teeth. I think this is probably the most annoying part of cooking these leaves.
Separating Moringa Leaves From Stalks
Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
I picked one of my all-time favorite chutneys, Malabar Spinach Chutney to try with these leaves. The concept is very similar, except that Malabar spinach leaves are more succulent and moist, making the chutney somewhat mushy. On the other hand, the moringa leaf chutney turned out drier, but equally delicious. I tried it on a sandwich, with steamed rice and ghee, and on tacos. It turned out perfect each time! I finished the bottle of chutney in 3 days flat – what better way to consume this superfood goodness?!
Moringa leaf is classified as a superfood. Moringa has gained a reputation for fighting inflammation and combating various effects of malnutrition and aging, earning the nickname “the miracle plant.”
Check out our delicious moringa recipes:
Chutney Recipes
Chutneys are versatile. You can smear them on tacos, on toast or eat them with rice or roti. They also work great as a side, with almost any Indian meal. Check out some of our favs:
- Yellow Mung Raw Onion Chutney
- Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
- Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
- Tomato Chutney
- Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
- Ridge Gourd Chutney
- Malabar Chutney
- Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Coconut Chutney
- Flavorful Cilantro Mint Chutney
- Smoky Eggplant Chutney
- Zero Waste Butternut Squash Peel (Sippe) Chutney
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Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Moringa Leaves - De-stemmed
- 3/4 Cup Onion - Fine cut
- 1 Clove Garlic - Large, Fine cut
- 3 Peppers Dry Red Chili - Or to taste
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Tamarind - Concentrate
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil - Cold pressed
Instructions
- Wash moringa leaves, drain out water and set them in a bowl. Also set aside fine cut onion and garlic along with turmeric, salt, tamarind paste, dry chili pepper, mustard and fenugreek seeds.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and add dry chili pepper, mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, set aside to cool.
- Add few more drops of oil to the same pan, cook moringa leaves for about 5 minutes and set aside.
- To the same pan add a few more drops of oil and cook onion and garlic till they turn slightly brown. Set aside.
- Blend spices (dry chili pepper, mustard and fenugreek seeds) to a coarse powder. Add salt, turmeric powder, tamarind paste and cooked moringa leaves to this powder and blend again.
- Transfer this blend to a bowl, add sautéed garlic and onion and mix well. Allow it to cool for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a glass container of appropriate size.
- Seal it airtight and store refrigerator. This can stay good for up to one week.
- Enjoy moringa leaf chutney with your favorite toast.
Where can you get Moringa leaves?
Hi Isabell, many ethnic Indian stores will sell moringa leaves – call and inquire locally. Depending on which part of the world you live it, it is also super easy to grow moringa in a large pot. It is a plant with fast growth and you will have a constant supply of leaves all through summer. If you need info’ on how to grow it, do contact me and I’ll send you some pointers.
I have moringa powder that was suggested to me by my Dr but haven’t used it because I was told it is bitter. Do you have a suggestion for using the powder especially something other than in a shake or smoothy? Thank you!
Hi Linda, thanks for your question. Yes, moringa powder is bitter. It is certainly an acquired taste. You can sprinkle it over your roasted veggies/meats. You can add it to your salad dressing. You can add a bit into your soup just before eating. Start with small quantities until your palate gets used to it. The moringa leaves, on the other hand, are not as bitter as the powder. Remember, the powder is highly concentrated. Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.
Very enlightening, we had a drumstick (Moringa) tree beside my home in Mumbai for years and all we did was to pluck the drumsticks and use it in the Daal. We had little idea about the versatility of this tree and its health benefits. Thanks for this.
Thanks for the comment, Neal. The leaves were mostly consumed in certain parts of India like Tamil Nadu and the coastal parts of Karnataka. The moringa is also being used in many parts of Africa to purify water. It is indeed a super-tree!
With its potential to delay Alzheimer’s symptoms and its global reach across various species, Moringa stands tall as a natural health protector.
You may have a point. I hope research funding is available to explore moringa benefits.