Munaga Aaku Charu (Drumstick Leaves Soup)

Drumstick leaf is my favorite leafy vegetable. Mild in taste, easy to grow, and SUPER nutritious. 100g of fresh leaves have 119mg Vitamin A, 440mg of Calcium, 259 mg Potassium, and 220mg Vitamin C. That's over 3 times as much as in carrots, milk, and bananas, and oranges respectively. They also have 6.7 of protein -- twice as much as yogurt. See http://www.treesforlife.org/project/moringa/ for pictures and nutritional info. Recipe source: Sailusfood.com, a great source for the cuisine of Andhra Pradesh, India.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  drumstick leaves (washed thoroughly)
• 3  tablespoons tamarind pulp (Extracted from one lemon sized tamarind. Or equivalent amount of bottled tamarind paste.)
• 1  tomatoes (quartered)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2  baby onions
• 3  green chilies, slit length wise
• 10 -12  curry leaves
• 1  teaspoon jaggery
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2  dried red chilies, deseed and tear
• 1  teaspoon Urad Dal (split black gram dal)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
• 4  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seed

Directions

1. Using the tamarind, make 3 glasses of tamarind water.(See my recipe for tamarinda for the method on this)
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a vessel.
3. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
4. Add the red chillis,urad dal,methi seeds,garlic and cumin seeds and fry till brown.
5. Add the onions and green chillis and stir fry for a few minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, tamarind water, salt, curry leaves, jaggery and the drumstick leaves and let it boil.
7. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes till the rawness of tamarind disappears.
8. Adjust salt and turn off heat.
9. Serve hot as a soup or serve with hot steamed rice.