A-Z Ingredient Guide: Drumstick – The Green Gold Of Indian Kitchens

The miracles of moringa revealed themselves long after I had their supply cut off to me. These long, green pods, nutrient powerhouses, didn’t look appealing, or even slightly edible, the first time I encountered them. At 13, my family moved from one part of Delhi, filled with concrete rows, to a greener area with sprawling gardens.

I remember walking with my father and noticing the lush garden below our balcony. Hundreds of curry leaf plants caught my eye, though we barely used them beyond a tadka in kadhi. Then my gaze fell on a bunch of long green pods. I wondered what they were, but like any teenager, vegetables were far from my priority. After moving to Mumbai, I no longer have the easy access to this superfood that was once so readily available, almost at arm's reach. 

Over time, I got to know the area’s South Indian cultural influences, reflected in the flora around us. The huge moringa tree in a neighbour’s garden had been planted to feel more like home. They used to give us dishes made with it and tell us all about the benefits of including it in our diet. My mother, the curious cook, quickly learned how to use it, steaming pieces for sambhar. I hated it at first; the taste was foreign, the process unfamiliar. Years of gentle coercion later, I finally got used to it, but it wasn’t until I had sambhar in Pondicherry at a local restaurant that I fell completely in love with drumsticks.

A Kitchen Hero Across India

Native to India, moringa thrives in tropical and subtropical regions, including the southern foothills of the Himalayas. It is widely grown in semi-arid areas, tropical gardens, and backyards across the subcontinent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drumsticks outside our balcony became a local star, people clamouring for bundles for soups and home remedies. 

Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) wears many hats: shevga in Marathi, sehjan or moringa in Hindi, murungaikkai in Tamil, and munagakaya in Telugu. It is also known as the “Miracle Tree” for its nutritional richness and medicinal uses.

In India, the tender pods are parboiled and added to sambhar across South India. It is also made as a stir-fry dish with the usual masalas and eaten with rice or rotis. Leaves are used in parathas, stir-fries, stews, and dal. The flowers make herbal teas, and the seeds can be roasted or powdered for water purification. Globally, moringa leaves are valued in soups and stews in the Philippines and parts of Africa. Its versatility, leaves, pods, flowers, and seeds, make it a culinary blank canvas.

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Recently, the plant has seen a lot of experimentation in the way it is cooked. Food content creators, especially, have played a big role in introducing their audiences to the many ways this pod can be included in the diet. Chef and content creator Saransh Goila shared a bharta recipe made with drumsticks, where he chars the vegetable to bring out a smoky flavour. This is just one example of how people are playing with flavours to translate this plant for themselves.

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Drumsticks are also a huge part of GSB cuisine. Food content creator Smitha Deo highlights a dish called Maska Sanga Talasan, a traditional GSB drumstick recipe with rava and coconut oil. On my many visits to a close friend's house, who belongs to the GSB community, I have been happily fed drumsticks in dal by her mom. 

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To mention drumsticks without acknowledging their impact on Maharashtrian cuisine would be unfair. Most days when my team sits down to lunch, I am never surprised to find drumsticks in my editor's meal. Even a simple preparation with curry leaves has such a profound effect on the palate, unmatched by anything ordered online. Chef and food content creator Keertida has long been vocal about her love for Maharashtrian cuisine, and her account features many recipes featuring this superfood. One such gem is pithla, made from boiled shevga and besan, a true comfort food.

Wild And Wonderfully Green

Being a miracle tree is not merely a wild claim for Moringa. “It has Vitamins A, E, and C, and is rich in Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Iron, so especially for women, it’s a great thing to have in the diet,” says Akshata, a Women’s Health Nutrition Specialist. “It helps with Calcium and Iron intake, supports stress relief through Magnesium and Zinc, and is packed with antioxidants like quercetin and polyphenols, so it’s helpful for cell health, anti-ageing, and fighting oxidative stress.

“It also helps regulate post-meal sugar spikes, reduces inflammation, and supports those with lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, or PCOD. It lowers LDL cholesterol, aids liver detoxification thanks to chlorophyll content, and Vitamins E and A are great for skin and hair. Vitamin C helps with energy levels, so people with constant fatigue also benefit. Plus, moringa powder is available year-round, unlike some seasonal Vitamin C fruits,” she concludes. 

In short, drumsticks are a nutritional dynamo that belongs in every kitchen. Its nutritional wealth, combined with its adaptability, ensures it is a superfood hero. Whether added to sambhar, tossed into a stir-fry, or incorporated into modern wellness powders, drumsticks are the green gold that deserve their place in every kitchen. 

The A–Z Ingredient Guide is ELLE Gourmet India’s monthly series celebrating the rich tapestry of regional Indian ingredients and the many ways they’re cooked across homes and cultures. Each month, we explore a new ingredient. Stay tuned as we are just as 'E'xcited for the next ingredient, coming soon!