Saturday, 10 October 2015

Mild Moringa Drumsticks and Raw Plantain Curry



Mild Moringa Drumsticks and Raw Plantain Curry
Mild Moringa Drumsticks and Raw Plantain Curry

This is mild curry suitable for children and those who cannot take spicy (hot) food. Neither curry powder nor chill powder is used in this recipe. Plantain is used in this recipe. Some people use the words ‘banana’ and ‘plantain’ interchangeably. In this recipe I am using the word plantain to refer to the fruit that needs to be cooked and the word banana is used for the fruit that is consumed without any cooking. The plantain that is cooked is a different variety from banana that is consumed as a fruit.


 Moringa Drumsticks


Drumsticks skin removed and cut into pieces
Drumsticks skin removed and cut into pieces




                                  Recipe summary
                                               For
            Mild Moringa Drumsticks and Raw Plantain Curry

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

This is an interesting vegetable as it is not eaten whole. You don’t eat the skin.  You eat only the flesh of the vegetable. Scoop the flesh including the pod, with a spoon and eat. The skin is too hard to be eaten.
 Moringa Drumsticks


Preparation

1. Wash 4 moringa drumsticks and cut them into 3” long pieces.
 You have to pull out fibrous outer skin. So when you cut, do not cut all the way down but leave the skin at the end and pull away the cut piece from the main stick. Part of the outer skin will come apart from the stick. Do the same for all the sticks. 

Removing the skin of a drumstick
Removing the skin of a drumstick

Anther form of peeling is shown in the picture.  


2. Then split the moringa pieces lengthwise into two halves. It is not possible to peel the drumsticks with a potato peeler. However a thin layer of the outer skin can be scrapped with a sharp knife.

Drumstick pieces slit into halves
Drumstick pieces 
slit into halves

3. Wash and peel the skin of the 1 raw green plantain with the potato peeler. Use gloves while peeling as  plantain will stain your hand. Your hands will also be sticky. But this will not cause any irritation or harm to your hand. Cut into 1/2 “cubes and put into a 
bowl of water and keep aside. Keeping immersed in the water will prevent the plantain from discoloring.

4. Chop 1 onion, 2 green chilly,  4 cloves garlic and grate 1/2 teaspoon ginger.

5. Cut 1 stalk of curry leaf into small pieces.


Method 

Place all ingredients including the spices; 1 tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp fenugreek, 1/2 tsp pepper powder and  2 cups water except the coconut milk in a wok or a saucepan.
Mild Moringa Drumsticks and Raw Plantain Curry
Mild Moringa Drumsticks
 and Raw Plantain Curry


Cover and bring to boil. At this point lower the flame and let it cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally .If you don’t stir, the banana will stick to the pan.

When done add 4 tbsp of coconut milk or cow’s milk  do not cover leave for 2 minutes and remove.


Mild Moringa Drumsticks and Raw Plantain Curry is ready.

                                                                                  

    Recipe follows in detail with pictures.                 
                                     

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Coking time : 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main
4 moringa drumsticks
1 raw green plantain
Others
1 onion
2 green chilly
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

Drumstick pieces slit into halves
Drumstick pieces slit into halves

Spices
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 stalk of curry leaf
2 cups water
4 tbsp of coconut milk or cow’s milk
 
Removing the skin of a drumstick
Removing the skin of a drumstick

Curry being cooked
Curry being cooked
Curry being cooked


Method

  1. Wash moringa drumsticks and cut them into 3” long pieces.  You have to pull out fibrous outer skin. So when you cut, do not cut all the way down but leave the skin at the end and pull away the cut piece from the main stick. Part of the outer skin will come apart from the stick. Do the same for all the sticks. Another form of peeling is shown in the picture.  Then split the moringa pieces lengthwise into two halves. It is not possible to peel the drumsticks with a potato peeler. However a thin layer of the outer skin can be scrapped with a sharp knife,
 

Drumstick curry close up


  1. Wash and peel the skin of the plantain with the potato peeler. Use gloves while peeling as  plantain will stain your hand. Your hands will also be sticky. But this will not cause any irritation or harm to your hand. Cut into 1/2 “cubes and put into a bowl of water and keep aside. Keeping immersed in the water will prevent the plantain from discoloring.
Drumstick curry another version

Drumstick curry another version

 3.
Chop onion, green chilly, garlic and ginger.

4.Cut curry leaves into small pieces.

5.Place all ingredients including the spices and seasoning except the coconut milk in a wok or a saucepan.

6.Cover and bring to boil. At this point lower the flame and let it cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally .If you don’t stir, the banana will stick to the pan.

7. When done add milk do not cover leave for 2 minutes and remove.
 Serve this curry with rice.



This is an interesting vegetable as it is not eaten whole. You don’t eat the skin.  You eat only the flesh of the vegetable. Scoop the flesh including the pod, with a spoon and eat. The skin is too hard to be eaten. Chewing the hard skin will release juices that are not only delicious but also nutritious. But it is improper to do this when you are at a dining table and sharing a meal with others. It is perfectly all right to try this out in privacy. Throw the skin after chewing and do not eat it.


You can substitute plantain with peeled potato and coconut milk or with cow’s milk.

 
Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking.



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