Drumsick Leaves Powder or Murungai Keerai Podi or Moringha podi is the easiest way to include the health benefits of drumstick leaves in our diet.
Moringha leaves are dried and then used in this recipe for long shelf life.Other lentils and spices are dry roasted without oil for the same reason.
Moringa leaves trees are widely grown in Asia and hence it is found abundantly in southern part of India. The leaves, drumsticks and its flower are edible and used for making various South Indian gravies and curries. This is also called as a Miracle tree. Due to its health benefits, the powdered form of this leaves are now widely used worldwide. Those who can’t get moringa leaves near their stay can use this powder and use it as a supplement in their diet to gain its health benefits.
Instead of dried moringha leaves, plain moringha powder which is available in supermarkets can be substituted proportionately to this recipe.
Cleaning of moringa leaves takes long time when the leaves are fresh and tender. For easy cleaning, roll the drumstick leaves in a newspaper or any kind of paper and keep it inside the refrigerator for sometime before cleaning. After that sightly shake the drumstick leaves with the stem and you can see the leaves withering out of the stem easily. After this you can check and remove any stuck leaves to the stem.
Other Recipes using Drumstick Leaves:
Drumstick Leaves Stirfry with peanuts
Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Makes: approximately 1 and 1/2 cup
Ingredients:
2 Heaped cups Drumstick Leaves(Gives 1 cup after drying)
1/2 cup channa dal
2 tbsp urad dal
3 tbsp coriander seeds
10 dry redchillies
3 big garlic cloves, chopped
salt to taste
Video Recipe:
Method with step by step pictures:
1. Clean and pluck the drumstick leaves from stems. Wash it well in water two or three times.
2. Pat dry it in a kitchen cloth. Then dry it under the sun till it is dry and crisp. Or you can keep it in microwave for 2 minutes in high temperature. Microwave temperature vary depends on the model. so microwave it till the leaves are dry and becomes coarse powder when you touch it.
3. Dry roast the channadal, urad dal and coriander seeds one by one until they releases nice aroma and changes in its colour.
4. Add dry red chillie and slightly warm it up. make sure not to change it’s colour.
5. Cool down all the ingredients in a wide plate.
6. Once cool down, add all the ingredients in a mixie jar and blend it to a smooth powder.
7. Towards the end, add the dried drumstick leaves, garlic cloves and salt to taste.
8. Blend again and make a powder.
9. The powder should be slightly coarse in consistency.
10. Spread it in a wide plate and cool down. Store it in an air tight container.
Serving Suggestons:
1. Serve it as a chutney powder for idly, dosa and rice.
2. For a cup of cooked rice, sprinkle 2 tsp of this powder along with melted ghee. Mix it well and serve.
3. For idly and dosa, mix a tbsp of gingelly or sesame seeds oil with 2 tsp drumstick leaves powder and serve it.
Notes:
1. Sometimes drying the drumstick leaves in the sun changes its colour. Shadow drying gives a nice green colour to the dried leaves.
2. Adjust the red chillies according to the spicy leaves.
3. You can add asafoetida if you like towards the end of the grinding the powder.
4. The powder stays good in room temperature for two weeks if the drumstick leaves are dried well. Other wise you can keep it refrigerator till it gets over.
