Drumstick Leaf Kichdi / Moringa Leaf Lentil Rice

Drumstick Leaf Kichdi / Moringa Leaf Rice

When my girls were growing up, the only way to get them to eat vegetables and greens was to throw it in to every dish I made. From rice to pasta to curries to soups to breads and much more. Believe me, I had to be very ingenuous in creating delicious recipes. In India, we had a drumstick tree in my garden that I absolutely loved. I could go out anytime and help myself to drumsticks, leaves and flowers and I even made a vegetable dish from the tender drumsticks that was absolutely delicious. It was the same with Drumstick Leaf Kichdi / Moringa Leaf Rice. When cooked together, it was eaten without a murmur and even liked.

The Western world knows it as Moringa and it is said to be a miracle tree and it has been used for centuries due to its medicinal properties and health benefits. It also has anti fungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is native to India but also grows in Asia, Africa, and South America and contains a variety of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. And in India we cook it practically everyday and is one of my favourite ingredients to use in cooking. So when I came to Malaysia, I was very happy to that it was available easily. And I also prefer to call it Drumstick as the word itself conjures up nostalgic memories of comforting food.

So today I will be sharing a recipe Drumstick Leaf Kichdi / Moringa Leaf Rice that includes the drumstick leaves in a comforting rice dish called Kichdi. This was a staple in our house and my Dad always made it with Kidney beans which we absolutely loved.

Kichdi is  a South Asian preparation made from rice and lentils (dal).  It  is commonly considered to be a comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish kedgeree.

Drumstick Leaves/ Moringa Leaves

The Recipe:

The Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice, wash 3 times or until water runs clear and drain.

1 onion sliced; ½ cup green gram dhal ( moong dhal lentils) wash and drain

1 tsp pepper corns coarsely powdered

1 tbsp ghee/ oil / butter; salt to taste

2 cups hot water

1 tsp salt to taste

a handful of moringa leaves ( do not add too much, as it is rather bitter and is an acquired taste).

Method:

Place all ingredients in rice cooker. Cook till done.

If using pressure cooker keep for 5 minutes after pressure.  Rest for 10 minutes. Open, fluff and serve hot .

For stove top, boil water and add rice and all ingredients, except salt. Lower flame to medium, cover and cook till done. Open add salt and gently fluff . Serve hot.

NB: (the advent of the pressure cooker and other devices made cooking dhal so much easier with or without salt).

Here is another version of Kichdi that is equally delicious.

Vindaloo is a recipe that goes well with Kichdi and pretty easy to make.

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