Monday, October 12, 2020

Moringa Pod/Drumstick Curry


Moringa Pod Eggplant Curry

I ran across these in a market and brought a heap home with no idea how to cook them, the washing machine repairman and his wife showed us their favorite recipe, they're delicious! 

Ingredients

  • 1 heap Moringa Pods "drumsticks", cut into 3" pieces and stripped of fiber (technique at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-buO5rfp7M
  • 2 eggplants, roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • pinch Jeera/cumin
  • pinch methi/fenugreek seed
  • pinch sarson/mustard seed
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1 small chili pepper
  • 1 tsp haldi masala (turmeric spice mix) 
  • 1 tsp hot masala (chile spice mix) 
  • pinch tamarind paste
  • oil for frying
  • water for the pan 
Method

  1. Cut the moringa pods into 3" pieces and strip them of their fiber. Roughly chop two eggplants and the onion. 
  2. Fry the onion, jeera (cumin) methi (fenugreek seed), and sarso. While this is cooking use a mortar and pestle to make a paste with two cloves of garlic and one chile pepper, add as needed to make the paste.  
  3. When the onion is translucent, add in the garlic chile paste along with the haldi masala and hot masala. Stir. 
  4. Add the chopped moringa pods and eggplant, cover with water and bring to a boil then lower to a steady simmer. 
  5. Let cook until the eggplant breaks down, about 15 minutes. 
  6. Add in turmeric paste to taste, stir to combine.
  7. Serve hot with rice or fresh roti.  
The story! 

I was helping out with a charity booth at the Rakiraki market, at the end of the day I wanted to buy some vegetables for dinner that night. As I walked through the market I came across this interesting looking vegetable and asked what they were, a customer at the stall was so excited to tell me about them and convinced me to buy them. My Canadian friend and I had no idea what to do with them, so they sat on the counter until her washing repairman came by. While the washing machine ran through its cycles he and his wife showed us how to prepare the moringa pods and fix their favorite drumstick recipe. At the end of the night we had clean clothes and full bellies, it was so much fun!