Making Drumstick (Nuggekayi) Curry

When you hear "drumstick" or "moringa," your first thought is likely of a chicken leg! Did you know that there's a drumstick plant? There is, and it makes delicious curry.

Nutritional information of drumstick:

Drumsticks and the leaves of the plant are high in vitamin C. They are a good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.

Drumsticks are edible seed pods of this plant. They are nutritious and fibrous. They are in the form of long sticks with tasty flesh and seeds inside. People can eat the tender sticks. Mature seed pods become hard and turn slightly bitter, leaving them inedible. Still, I have heard of people using mature seeds as dried green peas.

Drumstick curry, also known as "drumstick palya" is made by par boiling them first, and then cooking them with spices. The curry I show you below is very simple.

For making this curry, you have to chop them into 2-3 inch sticks. Par boil them in a cooker or in a vessel. Grind mustard seeds, red chilies, and grated coconut to get a coarse mix.

Heat 2 tea spoon oil in a pan. Throw mustard seeds and curry leaves into it. Let them crackle. Add parboiled drumsticks. If they don't contain water in them, add a little water, just sufficient to cook. Also add salt, turmeric powder, and some jaggery or sugar. Mix well. Cook till they turn soft. Now add tamarind paste and ground coconut mix. Turn and mix the contents. Cook on low fire for a minute. Drumstick curry is ready!!

Serve this curry as a side dish for curd rice or for any type of rice dish or flatbread. These spicy drumsticks taste good on their own. Eat the juicy flesh and discard the hard cover.

1. Wash drumsticks. Cut them in 2 1/2 inch length pieces. Parboil them, adding just sufficient water and a little salt. You can do this using a pressure cooker also. Keep aside.
2. Dry grind grated coconut, mustard seeds, and red chilies. Make a coarse mix. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Throw mustard seeds and curry leaves into it. Let mustard splatter. Pour parboiled drumstick. Lower the fire. Add turmeric powder, jaggery, and salt. Gently turn drumstick and mix. Allow the content to cook. It may take about 3-4 minutes. Cover the pan for fast cooking.
4. Add tamarind pulp. mix well. Cook till the content somewhat dries up.
5. Add coconut mixture. Gently turn and mix the content, so that the drumstick does not break/open. Continue cooking for 30 seconds. Turn off the fire.
6. Drum stick curry is ready to eat. You can eat a few pieces just like that or use it as a side dish for rice, flatbread, or for any main course meal.