Drumstick Curry/ Saragva Nu Shaak

Drumstick Curry/ Saragva Nu Shaak

Drumstick Curry/ Saragva Nu Shaak is a gluten free, delicious, side dish prepared using drumstick pods in a yogurt curry. Notably, this Gujarati style curry or shaak is commonly enjoyed with hot plain parathas. In fact, drumstick curry is a delicious way to enjoy the superfood.

What is Drumstick?

In general, drumstick is a long slender and triangular pod that grows from the branches of a tree whose biological name is Moringa Oleifera. Also known as  moringa tree, drumstick tree, horseradish tree (the roots taste like horseradish) or benzolive tree (named so because of the oil from the seeds). Generally, these trees are commonly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of South Asia, Middle East and some parts of Africa.

Miracle Tree – health benefits of Moringa

As a matter of fact, drumstick tree is known as the miracle tree in Africa. And rightly so as it has so many health benefits right from the roots, bark, the pods (fruits, yes it is a fruit and not a vegetable),seeds, leaves to the flowers. 

• Moringa is a superfood for diabetics as it helps to regulate the blood sugar levels.
• An excellent source of B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B12, which  play a vital role in improving your digestive health. B vitamins help to break down the foods and make it easier to digest. 
• It is high in dietary fibre which aids digestion.
• Rich in calcium and iron, it helps to build strong bones, prevents loss of bone density and increases stamina and overall health.
•  As a matter of fact, drumsticks have blood purifying properties and act like antibiotic agent.
• Rich in Vitamin C and anti inflammatory properties, drumsticks relieve respiratory disorders as it prevents the growth of allergies in the respiratory tract.
• Anti – bacterial properties in drumstick help to ward off colds and coughs during the cold season.
• Helps to reduce bad cholesterol.

Moringa Powder:

Increasingly, the best way to conserve the nutritional value of moringa is by drying the fresh leaves and grinding them into a powder. The nutritional value in the powder form remains high.

• Chlorophyll and anti-aging compound levels are higher in dried leaves than in fresh ones.
• The dried leaves contain more vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk and more protein than yogurt, more vitamin C than oranges, more iron than spinach and more potassium than bananas.
• It’s one of the few plants that contains what is known as the complete protein. It easily can compete with animal based protein. It contains all the essential amino acids.

Drumstick as Food:

• Commonly, the pods are cooked to make a vegetable side dish or sabji(shaak) or is added in soups, lentil curries like sambhar, or vegetable  curries like Santula etc.
• Tender leaves are cooked like other leafy greens. Whenever I manage to get the tender leaves of moringa, I’m definitely going try Sasmita’s Sajana Saga Munga .
• Flowers too are used, like the way Shobha uses them to  make a cooling and healthy Drumstick Flowers Raita or yogurt salad.
• Moringa powder can be sprinkled in your cereal, oats, soups, mixed with smoothies or enjoy it as a herbal tea. I love to drink Moringa and Mint Tea.

Fresh pods and seeds are a rich source of oleic acid. Pods are commonly used in the Indian Cuisine as they rich in minerals like copper, zinc, manganese and magnesium. Best to choose pods that are not dry. If they begin to split at the ends or the middle then they have reached the ripening stage and the seeds will taste bitter. 

Drumstick Curry/ Saragva Nu Shaak:

My all time favorite sabji or side dish, I remember every weekend a huge bundle of drumsticks would be brought home by my Grandfather. His best friend owned a farm so Sunday visits would mean he would come back home with a huge basket of fresh produce, drumsticks being one of them.

The family’s favorite was Saragva Nu Shaak made in a chickpea flour and yogurt curry with hot bhakri (parathas). My siblings and I would sit with my grandfather to enjoy the curry and we would see who could make the highest pile of the pod skins after eating the inner pulp and seeds.

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