Drumstick Leaf Soup, a Warm Greens Bowl
Fresh moringa leaves wilted into a light soup of dal water, garlic and pepper. A vegetable soup, not a cure.
A leaf from the backyard tree
Drumstick leaves, from the moringa or sahjan tree, are cooked as a green vegetable across India, in dal, thoran and soups. They provide iron, calcium and vitamin A like other dark greens. This soup is a warm, light way to eat them. It is a vegetable and not a cure for anaemia, diabetes or any condition.
Simmer a cup of leaves in about two cups of thin dal water with garlic, pepper and salt for five to seven minutes. Leaves cooked this way lose their slight bitterness. Wash the leaves well. Skip it in pregnancy in large amounts, and ask your doctor if you take thyroid, diabetes or blood pressure medicine. Do not rely on it to treat any condition.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh drumstick leaves, stripped from stalks
- 2 cups thin dal water
- Garlic, pepper, cumin and salt
How to prepare
- Strip the leaves from the stalks and wash well.
- Boil the dal water with garlic, pepper and cumin.
How to use
- Add the leaves and simmer for five to seven minutes.
- Serve hot as a small bowl with a meal.
Helpful habits
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon.
- Do not overcook, to keep the colour.
Precautions
- Skip large amounts in pregnancy, and ask a doctor if you take thyroid, diabetes or blood pressure medicine.
- Wash leaves well.
- A vegetable soup, not a treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Is moringa soup a cure for anaemia?
- No. It is a vegetable, not a treatment.
Can I use dried leaf powder?
- This recipe uses fresh leaves.
How often?
- Now and then as a green vegetable.
