Murunga Poo Rasam | Drumstick Flowers Rasam

If you are a regular here, you might have noted that I have boasted quite often about the space I have in the backyard where we have a couple of tress and grow a few herbs . A few months back we planted the ‘eye’ of elephant yam and after a long silence, it has taken root and now the leaves are coming out! Lil Angel never fails to run to it every morning to see how much it has grown.Ah…the pleasures of watching your plants grow!!!

Anyways, as I was telling you, one of the prized possession in my garden is this huge drumstick tree. Now the second season has started and the tree is full of blooms. Sadly, due to heavy rains and high velocity winds, the flowers just drop off and we hardly got a drumstick!

One of the branches bends over our balcony so I though I will pluck a handful of these flowers and put them to use in a recipe instead of watching them dry up on the ground.Thus was born this rasam in my kitchen.

As I always say, it is nice to know a thing or two about what we are eating, especially the nutrition part…

The flowers of the wonder plant that has the Scientific name – Moringa Oleifera has the following health benefits….

Drumstick flowers are said to prevent frequent infection of throat and chest.
Rich source of Vitamin and Minerals.

Now to the recipe

You need:

Toor dal – a little less than 1/8 cup
Tomato – 1, large
Tamarind extract – 1 teaspoon, thick. diluted with 1/4 cup warm water
Rasam powder – 1 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder- a pinch
Coriander leaves -to garnish
Curry leaves- a few
Drumstick flowers – a handful, washed
Ghee -1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli-1, broken
Salt to taste

Corinader leaves to garnish

Blanch tomato, remove peel and mash roughly.
Pressure cook dal with enough water and mash well adding another cup of water.
Heat the tamarind extract in a heavy bottom pan.
Add rasam powder, curry leaves and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato ,the dal and salt .Mix well.Add more water if needed.
When it comes to a rolling boil remove from heat and transfer into a serving dish.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Heat a small pan with ghee.
Put in the drumstick flowers and let it saute on low flame till till it wilts. Take care not to burn the flowers.Drain and add to the rasam.
Into the same pan with ghee add the asafoetida powder,cumin and mustard seeds,red chilli.When it splutters pour into the rasam.

Mix and serve along with steamed rice.

Note :

A simpler way to make this rasam is to prepare the rasam as you would usually do- Any method that you are comfortable with. After you prepare the rasam, saute the drumstick flowers in oil. ghee and pour into the rasam!

This is my third post for Blogging Marathon, Week # 2, under the theme ‘Main course dishes’. We had this drumstick flowers soup with steamed rice, mixed veggies sambar, cauliflower curry, curds and pickle.