Every part of Moringa Tree can be cooked!
Moringa Powder
Moringa Tea
There are number of ways you can enjoy moringa tea:
- You can use ½ to 1 teaspoon of dried Moringa leaves to a cup of water. If making the tea with fresh leaves, you can add 2 to 3 compound leaves to boiling water, cook the leaves briefly for a minute, then cover and let steep for 5 – 10 minutes.
- You can put ½ tsp moringa powder into hot water, cover and let steep. Add some lemon peel and a little sweetener of your choice, or play around with other combos (with peppermint or cardamom)
Superfood Moringa Smoothie
1 cup coconut milk (or any other nut milk)
1 tsp moringa powder or dried leaf
½ tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
½ tsp turmeric plus pinch of black pepper
¼ tsp cardamom (or two cardamom seeds pods)
½ banana (fresh or frozen)
(can modify with other herbs, spices and superfoods like coriander, ginger, astragalus, etc.)
Blend and drink.
Moringa Pods
Cooking the Pods
Young moringa oleifera tree pods are edible whole, with a delicate flavor like asparagus. They can be used from the time they emerge from the flower cluster until they become too pulpy/woody to snap easily. The largest ones usable will probably be 12 to 15 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter. At this stage of growth they can be prepared in many ways. Here are a few:
1. Cut the pods into one-inch lengths. Add onion, oil and salt. Boil for ten minutes or until tender.
2. Steam the pods without seasonings, then marinade in a mixture of oil, vinegar, sea salt, pepper, garlic and parsley.
3. An acceptable “mock asparagus” soup can be made by boiling the cut pods until tender, seasoned with onion. Add nut milk, thicken and season to taste.
4. Even if the pods pass the stage where they snap easily they can still be used. You can cut them into three-inch lengths, boil until tender (about 15 minutes), and eat as you would artichokes. Or you can scrape the pods to remove the woody outer fibers before cooking.
Sautéed Moringa Pods
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 sliced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
2 cup fresh moringa pods
1 cup fresh lima or butter bean seeds, peeled
1 cup green cowpea or yard-long bean pods cut into 1-1/2″ lengths and sliced lengthwise
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
Preparation:
Cut moringa pods lengthwise into 4 pieces. Slice white pulp including tender seeds. Discard outer covering. Cut pulp into 1-1/2 inch lengths.
Sautee garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Cover, and cook 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add lima or butter beans, and cook 3 minutes. Add moringa pulp and cowpea or yard-long bean. Cover, and cook 10 minutes.
Moringa Peas
Cooking the Peas:
Seeds, or “peas,” can be used from the time they begin to form until they begin to turn yellow and their shells begin to harden. Only experience can tell you at what stage to harvest the pods for their peas.
To open the pod, take it in both hands and twist. With your thumbnail slit open the pod along the line that appears. Remove the peas with their soft winged shells intact and as much soft white flesh as you can by scraping the inside of the pod with the side of a spoon. Place the peas and flesh in a strainer and wash well to remove the sticky, bitter film that coats them. (Or better still, blanch them for a few minutes, then pour off the water before boiling again in fresh water). Now they are ready to use in any recipe you would use for green peas. They can be boiled as they are, seasoned with onion, oil and salt, much the same as the leaves and young pods. They can be cooked with rice as you would any bean. The more mature the seeds, the more potent they are so you wouldn’t want to eat too many at a time at their more mature stages.
In India the peas are prepared similar to this:
Ingredients:
12-15 moringa tree pods
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic
4 cups grated coconut
1 tsp miso paste
2 inches ginger root
4 Tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Blanch both peas and pods flesh, drain.
Remove milk from 2 1/2 cups grated coconut by squeezing water through it two or three times.
Crush ginger root and garlic, save half for later.
Mix peas, flesh, coconut milk, ginger and garlic together with onion, miso paste, oil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the peas are soft – about 20 minutes.
Fry remaining coconut until brown.
Fry remaining half of crushed ginger root and garlic in 2 Tbsp oil.
Add coconut, ginger, garlic to first mixture, heat through.
Moringa Flowers
Cooking The Flowers:
Caution: Moringa flowers can act as an abortifacient so do not use in pregnancy.
The flower buds and blossoms should be cooked before consuming. They can be made into a tea, as well as fried by themselves or battered and fried. To make a tea, boil water, then place a cluster of flowers to steep in it for about 5 minutes. Add a little sugar or stevia as desired.
The flowers can be used as a natural pesticide, as insects and other pests are repelled by the flower essence.
Moringa Leaves
Cooking The Leaves:
Moringa leaves can be cooked any way you would prepare spinach or collards or kale. One easy way to cook them is to steam 2 cups freshly picked leaves for just a few minutes in one cup water, seasoned with onion, oil and sea salt. Vary or add other seasons according to your taste. You can also blanche them for just a few minutes, then take them out and cool them down with cold water, squeeze the water out with your hands and toss them with some fresh cut tomatoes and soy sauce for a salad. Then pour a cup of moringa tea using the water you parboiled them in.
Moringa and Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 medium chopped onion
1 tsp minced ginger
1 cup cubed butternut squash
1 cup cubed sweet potato
2-3 cups fresh moringa leaves
Garlic salt or salt to taste
Preparation:
Sautee onion, garlic and ginger all together until golden brown. Add the butternut squash and sweet potato, stir it for 1 min. Add 2 cups of water, cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in the moringa and let it cook for 2 minutes. Serve on top of cooked rice.
Fresh Moringa Leaf and Beans
Ingredients:
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium tomato
1 cup fresh Moringa leaves
1 cup of beans, mongo beans are used in the Philippines but you may substitute, baby limas, red beans or pintos.
2-3 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Boil the beans until tender. While the beans are boiling, sauté the onions, garlic and tomato. When beans are tender add the tomato, onion, garlic to the beans. Add fresh Moringa leaves stripped from the stems. Salt and pepper to taste.
Moringa Leaves Gulay
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk diluted with 1 cup water
1 cup tofu
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
6 cup moringa leaves, washed
4 pieces chili peppers, crushed
1/8 tsp. sea salt
Preparation:
Boil coconut milk, tofu, garlic and onion for 10 minutes. Season with salt, stirring the mixture continuously. Add moringa leaves and crushed chili peppers. Cook 5 minutes longer.
Mung Bean Stew
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 sliced onion
1/2 cup miso broth
3 cups water
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
dash of pepper
3 cup moringa leaves, washed
1 cup dried mung bean, boiled
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Sautee garlic, onion and tomatoes in a large frying pan. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Add mung bean, miso broth and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then add moringa leaves and cook 5 minutes longer.
Vegetarian Moringa Jambalaya
Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 carrot, sliced thinly
3 Tbsp. oil 1 green pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Moringa leaves
1 cup peas or green beans
1 Tbsp. finely chopped celery
3 cup water
Preparation:
Wash rice and soak in small bowl for 1 hour, then drain. Sautee onion in cooking oil until tender, but not brown. Add the tomatoes. When boiling, stir in rice slowly on low fire. When rice is half-cooked add the other ingredients. Cover tightly and cook on low temperature. Serve hot with sliced papaya.
Corn with Moringa Leaves
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
1 head onion
2 cup grated young corn
1 small zucchini diced
1 cup moringa leaves
1-1/2 tsp all-purpose seasoning
3 cup water
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Sautee garlic and onion in medium fry pan. Add water and let it boil. Then add the corn, stirring often to avoid burning. When cooked, add the zucchini and moringa.
Vegetable Delight
Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 head garlic, crushed
1 onion bulb, sliced
1 cup pure coconut milk
1 small pc ginger
8-10 string beans, quartered or 1 cup cubed yellow sweet potato
3 pcs bell pepper, green & red, quartered
3 tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup peas
1/3 cup pure coconut milk reserve
1/2 cup moringa leaves
1 tsp crushed black pepper
Preparation:
Sautee garlic in oil until brown. Add onion. Transfer to unglazed cooking pot, then add 1 cup pure coconut milk, peas, yellow sweet potato and ginger. Boil until half done. Add bell peppers and tomatoes. Season with salt and crushed pepper. Add the rest of the coconut milk and moringa. Boil for 5 minutes, and serve.
Source: http://www.moringatreeoflife.com/Recipes.html