This one is my favourite! It is a crucial part of the one Indian cuisine that every Indian loves, South Indian! I am yet to meet a client who does not like South Indian food. Idli or Dosa is one of the most popular Sunday breakfasts all over the country. This means that every Sunday, this food sneakily enters all our kitchens and nourishes us all. Besides making our Sambar delicious, however, this humble tree is actually quite the underdog.

I present to you, the next one in my A to Z of Indian Food Series, D for Drumstick!

English Name

Drumstick, Moringa

Common Indian Names

Drumstick, Singaphali, Shenga, Shevaga, Munga, Munagaku, Sahjan, Murungai

How we eat it

1. 1. 1. Drumstick pod is added to soups, dals, and sambar
      2. Drumstick pods are cooked into a stir fry
      3. Drumstick leaves are used as a vegetable, in parathas and added to dals
      4. Murungai Keerai Poriyal (a stir fry recipe made from Drumstick leaves and moong dal)  is a delicious side dish
      5. Drumstick leaves chutney, roti, chutney
      6. Drumstick leaves are dried and powdered. This powder can be added to smoothies, parathas, bakery items, etc.

Claim to fame

The Drumstick tree is known as Miracle Tree as this tree grows very quickly. The tree can also grow from seeds or cuttings of branches of trees within a very short period. Moreover, the tree is sustainable in dry and hot climates and is resistant to drought. Moringa tree is a legume. It is a great nitrogen fixer, improving the overall quality of the soil. In practice, Moringa trees are grown around larger fruit-bearing trees like Mango, Chickoo, etc to keep the soil nourished.

The leaves, fruits, flowers, and immature pods of this tree all are edible.

Health Benefits

1. 1. 1. Drumstick is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world.
      2. The leaves have 7 times more vitamin C than oranges, 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk, 9 times more protein than yoghurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas, and 25 times more iron than spinach.
      3. Drumsticks contain potent antioxidants. This protects literally every cell of the body.
         Drumstick pods help with diarrhoea and joint pain, improve liver & spleen health, lower blood pressure, improve immune health, and much more.
      4. Both the pods and leaves are perfect for pregnant and lactating mothers.
      5. The leaves are consumed during menses to prevent the iron loss, especially for women with PCOS and Endometriosis.
      6. Drumstick leaves powder is also an excellent supplement for vegans or individuals on special diets that tend to be restrictive like keto.

What makes it so special for diabetics

Drumstick is great for diabetics. Both, the leaves and pod have an anti-inflammatory effect. This slows the progress of diabetes in the body. Some researches have also shown improvement in insulin sensitivity and reduction in HbA1c with regular consumption of drumsticks and moringa powder. (Please speak to your nutritionist before starting this)

Research references for fellow nerds

1. 1. 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8373516/#B38″>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8373516/#B38
      2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216463190_Drumstick_The_herbal_gold_to_combat_malnutrition”>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216463190_Drumstick_The_herbal_gold_to_combat_malnutrition
      3. https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/16746/55126_CE[Nik]_F(KR)_PF1(RD_SS)_PFA(RD_KM)_PN(KM).pdf”>https://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/16746/55126_CE[Nik]_F(KR)_PF1(RD_SS)_PFA(RD_KM)_PN(KM).pdf
      4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658077X15301235?via%3Dihub

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, it can get confusing and intimidating to figure out a diet that works. You can start your health journey with these simple changes or you can sign up for my one-on-one diabetes reversal program.