Drumstick Palya/Curry

You may be wondering why so many recipes of drumstick and its accessories! We have a drumstick tree in our backyard and when it is season ,we distribute the harvest of the juicy drumsticks ( everybody says these short drumsticks taste special, and it is indeed true)to our neighbors and with what is left I used to make so many types of dishes and this is a simple one at that.

Ingredients:

Tender drumsticks : 6 or 7 Chopped into 2" pieces.
Red dry chillies : 5 or 6 cut into small pieces
Jaggery : 100 grams
Refined Oil : 1 Tbsp
Mustard and urad dhal : 1 tsp each:
Salt : 3/4 level tsp or as per taste
Method:
Take a banali (kadai/thick deep pan),keep on lit stove, add oil when hot add the mustard, when it splutters, add the red chillies pieces and urad dal. When the dal becomes golden brown, drop the drumstick pieces and add one cup water.Cover and cook till done. Now you can add the jaggery and cover and cook again adding water if necessary. The jaggery should melt and get absorbed in the drumsticks and the water in the curry will turn into a thick liquid because of the jaggery. This is the indication that the curry is done.Transfer to serving dish and serve hot with a South Indian Meal.

Drumstick Flowers Buththi

Ingredients:

1. Fresh drumstick flowers : 1 cup
   
2. Fresh coconut (1/2) grated
3. Red long chillies : 6 ( shallow fried in oil)
   
4. Seedless Tamarind : Marble size -made into pulp by soaking in water.
   
5. Onions large : 2 numbers finely chopped
6. Edible oil : 2 Tbsp
7. Salt : 1 1/2 tsp
   

Method:

Sort and pluck the flowers and clean thoroughly and wash in water and drain in a colander.

Grind to a paste coconut, fried chillies and tamarind pulp.The paste should not be very smooth nor too coarse, say medium coarse. Cook the drumstick flowers in very little water till it is just cooked ( in a micro-oven, cook for 3 minutes in 1 Tbsp water in a glass bowl for 2 mins; at 600 watts setting)

Add the oil in a thick pan and when it is hot add the chopped onions and fry till transparent. Now add the masala , salt and mix well, next add the cooked flowers and mix well. Keep the stove on sim and cover and cook for 5 minutes taking care to stir now and then. The whole curry should be fried well on sim fire till slightly roasted. Remove and keep in serving dish.

Goes well as a side dish or can be had with rotis and chappathis.