The Moringa or drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) is often called the “miracle” tree, as many parts of this prolific plant (leaves, seeds, pods, flowers and roots) are all edible and nutritious and the tree is easily grown in warm climates.  The seed pods are long (up to ~30 cm) and thin with tapered ends, hence the name “drumsticks”.  The pods have a delicious taste, somewhat like mild asparagus, and are cooked in a similar ways to green beans.  They are especially delicious cooked with lentils (see picture above and recipe below), vegetable curries or mince (for non-vegetarians), enhancing the flavour of the whole dish. When young, the pods can be eaten whole, but when older the outside skin becomes a bit woody, so they are best cut into short pieces prior to cooking.  The insides can then be eaten after cooking—like artichoke leaves—scraping out the delicious soft insides with one’s teeth (discard the outer parts)!   The inside flesh can also be scraped out from the pods and then cooked with onion, garlic and spices for a delicious vegetarian dish which is eaten with rice. The leaves are small and are cooked in a similar way to spinach or kale (they taste similar to spinach), often best steamed or cooked with a little olive oil, onion and spices.

The leaves contain high concentrations of essential vitamins like C and A, minerals, amino acids and protein, with the pods being very high in vitamin C (USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28, 2015). They are a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids and so help to reduce inflammation, improve insulin response and so on.  The seed pods are reportedly used to treat internal worms and parasites and can be crushed and applied topically to treat minor skin inflammations. The oil in the seed pods has also been used to treat arthritis, rheumatism and gout.

Moringa trees are originally from India and are well known in the southern parts of the Asian continent for their health-giving and medicinal properties. They grow well in warm to hot climates being a tropical to sub-tropical plant, doing best in well drained soils. They can grow in arid regions with little water but respond to moderate watering and will produce more leaf. The trees need regular pruning as the wood is not strong, breaking easily, and the pods will grow out of reach for picking. The tree can be easily grown from seed or even a cut branch. Cut off about one metre from the end of the branch, just below a node, then remove the leaves and end of the branch. Prepare a hole with compost on the bottom covered by a layer of sand. Push the branch upright into the sand and backfill with soil. Water regularly and the cutting should start to sprout new growth. The trees can bear pods after only one to two year’s growth.

Want to know more about looking after trees - try our Arboriculture courses Arboriculture I or Home-propagation-for-beginners  or read  our ebook  Trees-and-shrubs-for-warm-places

Drumsticks and lentil (dhal) curry recipe

Ingredients

Method

Cover the lentils with 4 cups of water (1 L) in a saucepan, add the turmeric, ginger, garlic and dried whole chilli and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 20 minutes and then add the drumsticks. Simmer until lentils are cooked and drumsticks soften (can be easily pushed open with finger pressure, usually after ~15-20 minutes).  In a frying pan, heat the ghee/oil, add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin and cook until the seeds pop. Add onion and fry gently for ~5 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes, green chilli and salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes to form the tarka.

Stir the tarka into the cooked lentil mixture and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Check the seasoning and consistency–it should be creamy and not too thick. Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves and chopped red chilli. Best eaten with a roti or rice.