In the summer, moringa drumsticks hang from moringa trees around town – moringa, being the planet’s most nutritiously dense plant has gained popularity among the health conscious folks. This soup uses moringa in the traditional Indian way, stewed in a soup. The mango adds a nice contrast of sweetness to the savory soup.
ingredients
1 cup moong dal
Generous pinch of saffron
1 serrano pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons grated unpeeled ginger
2 long stalks moringa drumsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 to 12 kari leaves
1 small ripe mango, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
Herbs for garnish
Serves 4
instructions
Rinse the moong dal 2 to 3 times in cold tap water then soak for an hour or two. Drain.Combine with three cups fresh water, saffron, salt, and ginger and bring to a boil. If any scum rises to the top, using a slotted spoon discard the scum.
Lower the heat, cover the stockpot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Mix thoroughly so the lentils are smooth and almost creamy looking.
Cut the drumsticks into 3 to 4-inch pieces and drop them into the dal soup and continue simmering for 5 to 7 minutes. Add more water if needed.
In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil and pop the cumin seeds and kari leaves. Turn the heat off immediately and add the diced mango. Stir and add to the soup. Garnish with herbs and serve.
notes & variations
The only and best way to eat the drumsticks is to suck the meat off the sticks – the outer shell is not edible.
Moringa drumsticks can be added to any soup or stew – in any case, they will have to be eaten in the same way.
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