Superfood Moringa Dal Drumstick Leaves Lentils Carve Your Craving

Including leafy greens in your daily meal is always a good idea. Kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, fenugreek leaves, there are so many to choose from. If you need some delicious vegetarian dinner ideas with them then try my kale saag tofu & chickpeas or this Spinach Chana masala. Or may be you want to go for a lighter meal like this beta carotene booster soup or this Instant Pot Curried Quinoa, spinach & sweet potato.

If you have never tried or heard about Moringa then let me share some interesting facts about it.

What is Moringa?

Moringa also known as drumstick leaves are leafy greens found commonly parts of India & Africa. Now Moringa trees are planted all over the world for its medicinal properties and benefits. Moringa tree is a powerhouse of essential vitamins and minerals. Each part of the moringa tree has proven nutritional and medical advantages. The seeds, flowers, leaves and the drumsticks are very good for your body and delicious too.

Moringa leaves are tiny like fenugreek leaves. However, it has no fragrance as methi leaves do. Moringa leaves are naturally Vegan and Gluten free too.

Other names for Moringa –

Botanical name of Moringa is Moringa Oleifera. It is also as drumstick tree. In Tamil it is called “Murungai” , in Hindi, it’ called “Shajna”. For all the other languages read here.

Moringa Tree – A Superfood everyone is talking about.

Moringa Oleifera is an Indian tree that has been used in traditional medicines for many years now. It has been recognized as a Superfood all over the world. Some even call it as a “Miracle Tree.” Why so? Read further.

Moringa Nutrition-

Moringa tree has over 92 nutrients and 46 antioxidants. A serving of 100 grams of Moringa has-

over 8g protein over 400mg potassium nearly 450mg calcium 164mg vitamin C 738 ¼g of vitamin A

(To know about all these nutrients in detail read here)

Comparison of Moringa Oleifera with other produce-

Moringa is said to provide –

7 times more Vitamin C than oranges, 25 times more iron than Spinach, 10 times more Vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk, 9 times more protein than yogurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas.

Credit Science Direct.

What are the health benefits from Moringa-

Consuming Moringa may lower blood sugar levels. Moringa is high in fiber that keeps you full for a longer time, hence aids weight management Moringa leaves can lower cholesterol too. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Every part of Moringa/ Drumstick tree is great for maintaining healthy skin and hair. Benefit information credit- Read about recent research here –

What are the side effects of taking Moringa-

It’s common sense, not to consume anything too much. You won’t eat 5 cups of moringa at a time right! A little goes a long way. Thousands of people in India and other parts of the world eat moringa on a daily basis. I have grown up eating moringa in my diet too. We have never experienced any side effects by consuming fresh moringa. But there are theories that prove it has side effects especially if you are on a blood pressure medication, breast-feeding or trying to conceive. If you are on medications check with our doctor before including Moringa in your diet.

Here is a good read if you are interested to know more about Moringa.

What does Moringa taste like?

I grew up eating moringa leaves. When I told my friends (in America) about its benefits they were intrigued. The first question they asked was “How does Moringa taste like?” Well, it’s less bitter than fenugreek leaves. But not very bitter like matcha. When added to recipes with other spices or sweetener you can hardly notice the bitterness. While Moringa has got world recognition recently, it has been used in Indian cooking for years. I have grown up eating moringa chutney, moringa dal , moringa subzi. Not only the leaves but also the drumsticks that we call “sing” in Hindi. My mom made South Indian drumstick sambar for us and Rajasthani style sing ki subzi too. Let me know if you would like to have those recipes on the blog. Today I am happy to share an Indian recipe using Moringa leaves. I call is as Superfood Moringa Dal.

Ingredients of moringa dal recipe –

2 cups fresh moringa leaves I have used two types of dal – Chana dal & moong dal. ( You can use either or both). Some onion, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes to make it tasty. Seasoning for the dal- Basic Indian spices like turmeric, red chili powder and cumin go in the dal. I have used Garam masala (a blend of warm spices) for good flavor. A generous squeeze of lemon towards the end brightens up this dal.

Method of making dal with moringa leaves –

I suggest using a stovetop or an electric pressure cooker to make lentils. I have used a 6 quart instant pot to make this dal. You can make moringa dal two ways- Pot in pot method by cooking rice and dal at the same time. OR Just the Dal and eat it with rotis, parathas or even like a soup.

How to make Instant Pot Moringa dal aka drumstick leaves dal –

For pot in pot method I soak the chana dal overnight or for 6-8 hours to match up it’s cooking time with the rice. See how fluffy the rice has turned out (pip cooking) with the dal. Pot in pot method saves me time and gets dinner ready with ease.

If you do not intend to eat the dal with rice then no need to soak chana dal. It will just take more time to cook in the Instant Pot. I have mentioned the steps on how to cook Instant Pot moringa dal in detail in the recipe card.

Expert Notes-

You can use any kind of dal or beans instead of chana & moong dal. (whatever your preference is.) Toor dal, red lentil, chickpea, rajma, green lentil goes well with moringa. (Note that the cooking time will vary depending on which lentil or bean used). Important thing is to include Moringa in your diet effortlessly.

Some frequently asked questions about Moringa leaves –

Where to find fresh Moringa leaves? Drumstick leaves are readily available in India. Most of them grow in house backyard in South India. I stay in the USA. Luckily the Indian grocery stores near me carry moringa leaves. I like to switch from spinach or kale to moringa in our diet for more nutrition.

Substitute for Moringa leaves – No other leafy greens can come close to moringa nutrition-wise. But in general, you can swap moringa with Spinach, kale, methi leaves or any other leafy greens that you eat on a regular basis. Many health stores across the world carry moringa powder. You may add that to the dal towards the end and simmer for a minute. The dal won’t look appetizing with dark green specs. But it is still nutritious.

How to substitute Moringa Powder for leaves? 1 tablespoon of Moringa Powder = 1 cup packed fresh Moringa leaves. Does Moringa make you lose weight? Moringa is full of fiber. It speeds up your metabolism and keeps you full for a longer time. It is very effective to reduce belly fat as well. Read more here. Can Kids consume moringa/ drumstick leaves? My 7 year old loves Moringa dal. But my toddler didn’t like it that much. I haven’t given Moringa powder to my kids yet. It’s always cooked fresh Moringa leaves or drumsticks ki subzi for them. Now a days people are adding moringa to porridge, pasta, paratha and rice dishes to increase the nutrition value of kids diet. “For a child aged 1–3, a 100g serving of fresh cooked leaves would provide all his/her daily requirements of calcium, about 75% of his iron, and half his protein needs, as well as important amounts of potassium, B vitamins, copper, and all the essential amino acids. As little as 20 grams of leaves would provide a child with all the vitamins A and C he needs.” – read more in this research paper.