Spicy Moringa in Banana Leaves

Ingredients

• 3 moringa pods

• 1 cup split green lentil, soaked overnight

• 4 green chillies

• 1 fresh red chilli, shredded

• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped

• pinch of turmeric

• 1" ginger, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp yogurt

• 4 ice cubes

• Himalayan salt to taste

For tadka (tempering)

• 2 tsp sesame seed oil

• 1 tsp white sesame seeds

• pinch of asafoetida

• 2 fresh red chillies, slit

• 1 tsp candy sugar powder

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 2 tbsp water

• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• pinch of salt

Method

Wash the moringa pods. Take one drumstick and cut it into 4 pcs and peel off its strings.

Now heat a saucepan, add water, drumstick pieces, a drop of oil and a pinch of salt. Let it boil. As it starts boiling, lower the flame and cover it partially with a lid. Boil it till it gets a little soft. As it gets soft, take the pan off the heat and take out the drumsticks from the water. When it gets cool, place the pod on a hard surface and open it with a knife or the hand and scrape the pulp with a spoon. Likewise, take out all the pulp from the rest of the pieces. Moringa pulp is ready to use. Keep it aside.

Now take a mixer grinder jar, add soaked moong dal, moringa pulp, green chillies, ginger, coriander, pinch of turmeric, yogurt, salt as required. Now make a coarse paste and keep it aside.

Take banana leaves and make boat-shaped cups out of it. Then pour the mixture into boat cups and place in the steamer, sprinkle candy sugar powder on each portion and then steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Once it is cooked, then remove it from the steamer and keep aside.

For tempering

Immediately heat a tadka pan, add sesame oil, sesame seeds, red chilli, pinch of asafoetida and a pinch of salt. Give it a nice mix and turn off the flame, add 1 tbsp of water, freshly squeezed lemon juice, stir it and pour this flavoured tadka water evenly on steamed cake and serve.