Drum stick Leaf fry / Munaga aaku fry

Drumstick Leaf Fry

Drumstick plant is one of the world’s most useful plants. As the name sounds, this tree has long bean-fruit like Drumsticks. It is mostly grown as a backyard tree in most of the South Indian homes

This tree is a perennial, an extremely fast growing tree and drought tolerant (If thinking of having it in your garden, check with your zone areas, it’s a certain hit in Texas). Leaves and pods are of high nutritional value. It is commonly consumed in curries and contributes to a cheap and highly nutritious meal. Drumstick leaves are full of essential disease-preventing nutrients, they contain:

• 7 times more Vitamin C than oranges
  to fight many illnesses including colds and flu
• 4 times more Vitamin A than carrots
  against eye disease, skin disease, heart ailments, diarrhoea
• 4 times more Calcium than milk
  to build strong bones and teeth
• 3 times more Potassium than bananas
  essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves
• nearly equal amount of Protein as in eggs
  basic building blocks of all our body cells

The tender fruit is used in sambar and most dishes in South Indian homes.

For more information of health tips visit- http://www.health-care-tips.org/herbal-medicines/drumstick.htm

Research has shown the drumstick tree to be of exceptional nutritional value. The leaves are 38% protein with the 8 essential amino acids, which will be of interest to vegetarians, or people who wish to cut back on meat and dairy products.

I have no clue of using drumstick leaves in cooking until my MIL made this one day, it is unbelievably good and extremely nutritious. One has to taste this dish to believe it.

My friend sandeepa has this in her garden and I’m looking forward to plant this tree in my garden for the next season.

Adding Garlic and crushed groundnut powder enhances the dish even more.

Drumstick Plant

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of drumstick leaves (the bunch might look bigger, but when boiled and cooked it reduces considerably, like other leafy vegetables)
• 6 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 small onion ( about the size of a golf ball serves the purpose)
• 3 tbsp crushed peanuts (dry roast peanuts till they change color and blend them to a coarse powder)
• 1 tbsp red chili powder or to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2dry red chilies
• 1 small stalk of curry leaves (optional)

Directions-

1. Pick the drum stick leaves from the stems, clean them thoroughly and give them a rough chop.
2. Boil these leaves in a pressure cooker with ¼ cup of water and a pinch of salt for 3 whistles. (drum stick leaves are little tough, so we have to boil them)
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add cumin seeds, dry red chilies, turmeric and crushed garlic.
4. When the garlic is sautéed, add onions and let them sauté until they turn transparent.
5. Add boiled drum stick leaves and sauté for 2 mins.
6. Add red chili powder and salt to taste. Mix all of them together and sauté until all the spices and leaves are cooked together.
7. Add crushed peanut powder and mix well to coat the leaves and sauté it for another min or so.
8. Adjust the taste if needed and serve it with hot rice.

Munaga aaku fry