I have just returned from the most relaxing trip to north Kerala, staying at Neeleshwar Hermitage, a stunning Ayurvedic 18 cottage hotel sitting on the shores of the Arabian sea. It was so peaceful, with huge pool overlooking a beach that stretches as far as the eye can see, with only the occasional local going for a stroll. It was without doubt the perfect place to unwind after the very busy months I have had since ‘Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage’ came out in November.

We got to spent some time with the friendly locals, as well as joining in with the new year Malayalam ceremonies that happened to fall over our stay. Lighting 100,000 candles as part of the Lakshadeepam ceremony, was truly mesmerising and an experience we will never forget.

We spent an afternoon on the hotel’s stunning houseboat ‘The Lotus’ where were slowly cruised along the backwaters – slightly wider than the narrower backwaters in the south. We watched life play out in front of us as we sailed by and ate a delicious tea prepared by the onboard chef. You can stay on the boat for up to a couple of nights too, but this time we opted for an afternoon cruise instead.

One afternoon I spent some time with Head Chef Deepu going through recipes that I wanted to cook with him. One was a delicious, tasty and super healthy soup made with moringa leaves and drumstick pods, which are from the same tree. Back in the UK I already make dishes with both the leaves and the pods, but I had a soup one evening that was so tasty and light that I wanted to make it as part of my cooking afternoon with Chef Deepu.

Now for those who have either of my cookbooks ‘Chilli & Mint: Indian Home Cooking from a British Kitchen‘ or ‘Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage‘ (thank you if you do ;o – Please leave a review on Amazon – it really helps others to hear about the books!) you will notice that I have purposely not used vegetables that are not easily found in the UK. So my recipes include vegetables with courgette, beetroot, white cabbage, potato, aubergine, for example, that are easy to find, instead of karela (bitter melon), turiya (ridge gourd), banana stem and flower, bottle gourd etc which need a little bit of time to seek out and are likely not available everywhere.

The moringa leaf and drumstick from the Moringa oleifera tree, most commonly called the Miracle Tree or Tree of Life, are not available in the supermarkets in the UK, BUT are available at many Indian/Asian grocers. If you live in South West London, both ‘Sharon Fruit and Veg’ on 311-313 Mitcham Rd and Bhavins 193-197 Upper Tooting Rd both sell them, as well as many of the Sri Lankan grocers opposite Sainsbury’s near Tooting Broadway. So this recipe is for those who want to try something new and delicious, which does require a bit of ingredient seeking out. You have probably all heard of moringa, as it is a superfood and can be found in tablet/capsule form at a number of the health food shops. It is immunity boosting and nutrient-dense and packed with iron, calcium, potassium, and essential amino acids.

The long slender pods, known as drumstick, are also a nutrient dense vegetable, rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, as well as fibre. Commonly used in South Indian sambar, avail, curries, and stir-fries, the pods have a fibrous exterior and soft interior similar to softened celery. If you have had drumstick in sambar, for example you chew the drumstick to extract the softened centre and then you are left with the fibrous part, which you leave to one side.

This soup is so light and refreshing. I personally love the taste of both the pulp of the drumstick and the moringa leaf. Next time you see them when you visit an Indian/Asian grocers do pick some up and give this a go.

Let me know if you would like me to show you a few more of the recipes I learnt whilst I was out there.

chilliandmint

Moringa Leaf and Drumstick Soup

Keralan moringa leaf and drumstick soup – light, refreshing and packed full of goodnesss

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients

  

• 2-3 drumsticks, cut in half
• 100 g butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds I did not add these in the video
• 3 banana shallots, thinly sliced
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1-2 fresh green chillies, slit
• 1 tsp ginger, grated or finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 900 ml water or vegetable stock use the water that you boiled the drumstick and squash
• 3 tbsp coconut milk
• 4 tbsp fresh moringa leaves, stems removed
• 2 tbsp spinach, chopped
• 1/2 lemon or lime, juice only
• 1/2 tsp fine salt, to taste

Method

 

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and then add the drumstick, which you have broken into thirds and the peeled and cubed butternut squash or pumpkin. Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the squash is soft when pierced with a knife.
2. Whilst the squash and drumstick are softening, prepare your shallots, garlic and ginger.
3. Once the squash is soft, remove and place in a blitzer and blitz until smooth.
4. Using a sharp knife slice the drumstick down the centre and scrap out the pulp. Discard the fibrous outer part.
5. Heat a medium sized pan on a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, followed by the shallots, finely chopped garlic, ginger, sliced chillies and curry leaves. Stir intermittently until golden, this will take around 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the drumstick pulp, butternut squash puree, ground turmeric, black pepper and salt followed by the water or vegetable stock. Simmer and then and then add the moringa leaves and spinach.
7. Add the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes. Check the seasoning and then serve with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Video