Weekend Herb Blogging #95: MORINGA OLEFEIRA (the nutritious plant)

This is Our Taste of Life's first entry to Kalyn's Kitchen's Weekend Herb Blogging. Melissa of Cooking Diva is hosting for this week. Since it's my first official weekend herb blogging, I want to blog one of the best plants in the world and that, which the Philippines grow abundantly. What I see more fitting is no other than Moringa Oleifera, locally known as "malunggay" and popularly known as "drumstick tree" in english. I have read from one pinoy blog that this is the most underrated vegetable or plant. True enough, many are still alienated by the immense benefits it can offer. Think of increasing a mom's supply of breastmilk, this is the cheapest, most readily available answer! Think of conquering iron deficiency, it's the most organic source you can have! Still can't get enough of that? According to Trees for Life, it's 2x the protein of yogurt and its quality rivals that of milk and eggs, 7x the vitamin C of oranges, 3x the potassium of bananas, 4x the vitamin A of carrots and 4x the calcium of milk. It's incredibly packed with nutrients! Who would not want to add it into their food and grow some in their backyards? As others have coined it, it's something synonymous to growing multivitamins at your doorsteps! The irony of it all though is that many are still unaware of Moringa being a powerhouse of nutritional value. In the Philippines we were so blessed to have this plant available. It can be grown practically anytime, anywhere. In fact, it's quite common to see this plant towering in the backyard of a Filipino household. However, I wonder how many people are actually using it in their home cooking? We feel that there's more to optimizing the leaves nutrients. A lot of scientific reports have demonstrated its ability to combat malnutrition and its promise as a food source in the tropics. Yet, all these indispensable information have not reached the people who need it most. I guess it's about time that its use be heightened more. Let our bowls and pots be floating with this leaves! Here are two Filipino favorite dishes where moringa is commonly used:

Chicken Tinola (Boiled Chicken with Green Papaya)

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 45 mins

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken

1 small size green papaya, cut in diagonals

1 med size onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small size ginger, julienne

1 cube chicken bouillon

2 tbsps fish sauce

1 cup moringa leaves

2 tbsps canola oil

5 cups of water (adjust if necessary)

Procedure:
1. Add canola oil in a heated pot. Sauté onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Add chicken and sauté for 5 minutes or until no more blood is visible.
3. Add fish sauce and water. Allow to boil.
4. Add the bouillon and papaya. Season with pepper and cook until the meat becomes tender.
5. Add moringa leaves and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Suam Na Mais (Vegetable Corn Soup)

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 1 hr

Serves 8

Ingredients:

corn kernels from 10 pcs japanese white corn cobs

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 med size onion, chopped

1/4 kg ground lean pork

1 cup moringa leaves

1 cube pork bouillon

2 tbsps canola oil

5 cups of water (adjust accordingly)

Procedure:
1. Heat canola oil in a pot. Add onion, garlic and pork. Sauté until the pork becomes slightly brown.
2. Add the corn kernels and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Add water, pork bouillon and simmer until the corn kernels are cooked. Wait for all the starches to be gelatinized. It maybe necessary to adjust the water from time to time.
4. Add moringa leaves and simmer for 2 more minutes. Serve while hot.