Funny thing about moringa leaves : where available, they grow like weeds – falling off their trees onto the pavements, attractively stacked in enormous bundles on vegetable vendors’ carts. Otherwise, they are an exotic rarity, mostly to be found as capsuled supplements. I am lucky to find fresh moringa leaves (also called drumstick leaves or sahjan ki patti in Hindi) off and on in my neighborhood – this is a simple stir fry I usually make with them.
Drumstick
Sahjan Ajwaini: Drumstick Curry with Carom Seeds
Do you use ajwain in your cooking? My long-standing ritual has been to include ajwain in parathas – I put in a few seeds while kneading the dough and let it work its magic in the finished flatbread. Nowadays I’m feeling an extra fondness for this thyme-like spice and am exploring more ways of incorporating it in my food. I’m happy to report on a few super-successful experiments – sahjan ajwaini is one of them.
Drumstick Raita: Moringa Pods in Chili Yogurt
Boiled drumstick (moringa pods, or sahjan in Hindi) swathed in a chili yogurt base for an unusual drumstick raita. With very few add-on flavors, this recipe lets the drumstick shine.
Aloo Sahjan: Potato Drumstick Curry
A Bihar-style potato drumstick curry (aloo sahjan), in which the fiery flavors of mustard and garlic giving company to drumstick.