Drumsticks (the vegetable)

[Amira]

Any advice for cooking drumsticks? I have recipes calling for them, but the cookbook assumes I'm familiar with them and I'm not. Are they tangy? Bitter? Sweet? Savory? Tender? Chewy?

[quark]

You can cook them Indian style with lentils, e.g. in dal curry. They should be soft (slightly chewy) when well cooked. The skins won't be edible but the insides will be a kind of lightly mushy lentil taste.

[poppy]

Isn't that another name for okra in Indian cooking ?

[redsquirrel]

I don't know what vegetable that is? I am familiar with most vegetable names in the US and the UK, but this one is a mystery to me.  I am really curious!

[ThursdayNext]

For those that have never heard of them: http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/drumstick-or-moringa-3-recipes-for-cooking-this-south-indian-favourite-1289268?desktop=true

 

I've never cooked them, and only had them once, when my younger sister who had lived in India made them. From what I remember, a savory veggie that should be cooked quite soft in some sort of curry.

 

I'm not clear on whether the peel should be eaten or not.

[mominco]

Amira, What quark and Thrusday next  said.

They are Moringa oleifera 

They are quite tough so pressure cook for 20-30 minutes.

I am assuming you have the fresh ones and you can even cook(cut1st) them with lentils. 

if that is what you are making.

So after you cook them they open up and then you can use a scoop to eat the flesh and seed,no the peel is not eaten

[Arcadia]

Hubby and my family call them Ladies Finger. We stir fry them.

 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/3284746/recipe/lady-finger-stir-fry

Edited August 12, 2016 by Arcadia

[Amira]

From my understanding, okra and ladies fingers are the same thing, but they are not drumsticks (both are widely available here and okra is labeled ladies fingers). I've cooked okra before in some Burmese dishes but never drumsticks.

 

Thank you, mominco. I'm working with a cookbook from Kerala and it looked like all I needed to do was trim the ends before cooking, but I wasn't sure how to eat them.

 

Are they viscous like okra?

[quark]

Okra and ladies fingers are not drumsticks. And drumsticks are not viscous like okra. The peel is usually not eaten. We used to have a drumstick tree where I lived when I was younger.

[quark]

And we used to eat them by scooping out the soft cooked flesh with our teeth/ fingers and discarding the peel on the side of the plate! :)

[Amira]

Okay, I'm going to give them a try. Thanks!

[Mabelen]

Drumsticks are one my husband's favorite vegetables. I cook them as any regular curry to accompany rice and other curry dishes. And, yes, they are not okra. The outer layer is too tough to eat. In Sri Lanka you eat them as quark said, using your fingers. In the U.S. you may find them either fresh or frozen in Indian stores.

[mominco]

From my understanding, okra and ladies fingers are the same thing, but they are not drumsticks (both are widely available here and okra is labeled ladies fingers). I've cooked okra before in some Burmese dishes but never drumsticks.

 

Thank you, mominco. I'm working with a cookbook from Kerala and it looked like all I needed to do was trim the ends before cooking, but I wasn't sure how to eat them.

 

Are they viscous like okra?

Sorry Amira 

I did not see this question.if you have not already eaten the drumsticks they are not viscous.

[redsquirrel]

I have never heard of it. And Madhur Jaffrey has even let me down for a recipe with it, and she has NEVER done that before, lol.

 

But when I google it I see all kinds of information, and also it seems the leaves of the tree are edible as well?  But it was more useful to google 'moringa pods recipes'

 

It has a lot of 'the new super food' sites and postings, so I am guessing I will hear more about it in the future.  Now I can look all blaze if it comes up, lol.  Oh, that stuff, yeah I heard about it years ago.

[Amira]

I have recipes for the leaves too, and I'll try them if they're here.

 

I kept finding it as a superfood too, which wasn't all that helpful in trying to figure out how to actually use it in Indian cooking. :)

 

And a sidenote, if any Indian cooking people are still reading, I used cambodge/kodampuli (it's labeled black tamarind here) last night and it was delicious.

[Arcadia]

Okra and ladies fingers are not drumsticks. And drumsticks are not viscous like okra. The peel is usually not eaten. We used to have a drumstick tree where I lived when I was younger.

Finally figured it out from photos :) I'll look for them the next time at the supermarket we go to for Indian spices.

[ebunny]

We cook drumsticks like its shown here:

http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2014/06/murungakkai-sambar-drumstick-sambhar.html?m=1

And this: http://indianhealthyrecipes.com/munaga-kaaya-tomato-kura-drumstick-tomato-curry/

I would describe drumsticks as slightly astringent..maybe even wee bit bitter.

Edited August 15, 2016 by ebunny

[quark]

 

But when I google it I see all kinds of information, and also it seems the leaves of the tree are edible as well?  But it was more useful to google 'moringa pods recipes'

 

Leaves are edible and we were always told when young that it is a superfood so please eat up. Most of my family members love it but I personally am not a fan of the stir fried leaves. :P

 

[ebunny]

The secret to making moringa leave stir fry is to add a little bit of sugar at the end. It cuts down on the astringent-bitter flavor of the leaves. A little sugar goes a long way...about 1/2 tsp or so.

 

Or cook it with moong dal that is naturally slightly sweet; like http://www.savi-ruchi.com/2010/02/nugge-soppu-palya-drumstick-leaves-stir.html?m=1

[Amira]

I'm going to the grocery store today and I'll see if I can get the leaves in addition to the drumsticks. There are still a lot of vegetables there I haven't yet identified. :)

[Lady Marmalade]

I'm going to the grocery store today and I'll see if I can get the leaves in addition to the drumsticks. There are still a lot of vegetables there I haven't yet identified. :)

 

This sounds like a fun ongoing thread opportunity!  What's Amira Eating Today or What Did Amira Find At Market? :)

[Amira]

This sounds like a fun ongoing thread opportunity! What's Amira Eating Today or What Did Amira Find At Market? :)

I just blogged about that. :)

 

Today I got drumsticks and pandan leaves for the first time, plus other things I keep getting, like stuffed grape leaves and banana leaves. That's a lot of leaves. I'm also getting hooked on curry leaves.

[Mabelen]

I just blogged about that. :)

 

Today I got drumsticks and pandan leaves for the first time, plus other things I keep getting, like stuffed grape leaves and banana leaves. That's a lot of leaves. I'm also getting hooked on curry leaves.

In this case, you need to grow your own curry leaf plant. It's a must!