Moringa - Nutrition and Serving Ideas
Moringa's leaves and flowers have a peppery taste, which goes a long way to explaining one of its common names - the horseradish tree. I find that the younger the leaf, the more peppery the taste.
Nutritional Value
Looking at the values below, it is not hard to understand why it gets its other common name which is the Miracle tree.
92 Nutrients:
- 27 vitamins,
- 18 amino acids,
- 36 anti-inflammatories (omega 3, 6, 9),
- 9 essential amino acids, and
- 46 antioxidants.
- Four times the chlorophyll of wheat grass,
- 36 times the magnesium of eggs, and
- 12 times the vitamin E of Almonds.
Here is a more in-depth breakdown of Moringa's nutrient content.
leaf, raw | pods, raw | Comparison to other common foods gram for gram | |
Energy | 64 kcal (270 J) | 37 kcal (150 kJ) |
|
Carbohydrates | 8.28 g | 8.53 g |
|
Dietary fibre | 2.0 g | 3.2 g |
|
Fat | 1.40 g | 0.20 g |
|
Protein | 9.40 g | 2.10 g | Fresh leaves x2 the protein of yogurt Dried leaves x9 the protein of yogurt |
Vitamins Quantity % DV | |||
Vitamin A equiv. | 47% (378 μg) | 1% (4 μg) | Fresh leaves x4 the Vit A of carrots Dried leaves x10 the Vit A of carrots |
Thiamine (B1) | 22% (0.257 mg) | 5% (0.0530 mg) |
|
Riboflavin (B2) | 55% (0.660 mg) | 6% (0.074 mg) |
|
Niacin (B3) | 15% (2.220 mg) | 4% (0.620 mg) |
|
Pantothenic acid (B5) | 3% (0.125 mg) | 16% (0.794 mg) |
|
Vitamin B6 | 92% (1.200 mg) | 9% (0.120 mg) |
|
Folate (B9) | 10% (40 μg) | 11% (44 μg) |
|
Vitamin C | 62% (51.7 mg) | 170%(141.0 mg) | Fresh leaves x7 the Vit C of oranges Dried leaves x1/2 the Vit C of oranges |
Minerals Quantity % DV | |||
Calcium | 19% (185 mg) | 3%(30 mg) | Fresh leaves x4 the Calcium of milk Dried leaves x17 the Calcium of milk |
Iron | 31% (4.00 mg) | 3% (0.36 mg) | Fresh leaves x3/4 the iron of spinach Dried leaves x25 the iron of spinach |
Magnesium | 41% (147 mg) | 13% (45 mg) |
|
Manganese | 17% (0.36 mg) | 12% (0.259 mg) |
|
Phosphorus | 16% (112 mg) | 7% (50 mg) |
|
Potassium | 7% (337 mg) | 10% (461 mg) | Fresh leaves x3 the potassium of bananas Dried leaves x15 the potassium of bananas |
Sodium | 1% (9 mg) | 3% (42 mg) |
|
Zinc | 6% (0.6 mg) | 5% (0.45 mg) |
|
Other constituents Quantity | |||
Water | 78.66 g | 88.20 g |
|
Units: μg = micrograms, mg = milligrams, IU = International units | |||
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database | |||
https://www.kindearth.net/the-health-benefits-of-moringa-the-superfood-of-superfoods/
But it is not just the leaves and pods that are useful, many parts of Moringa are edible, though to date I have only used the leaves and flowers:
- Immature seed pods, called "drumsticks"
- Leaves
- Mature seeds
- Oil pressed from seeds
- Flowers
- Roots
Leaves
The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant. When compared with common foods Moringa leaves are considerable sources of these same nutrients. Some of the calcium in Moringa leaves is bound as crystals of calcium oxalate though at levels 1/25th to 1/45th of that found in spinach, which is a negligible amount. The leaves can be cooked and used like spinach and are commonly dried and crushed into a powder used in soups and sauces. I tend to dry and powder my leaves to use in smoothies.
Drumsticks
The immature seed pods, called "drumsticks", are commonly consumed in South Asia. I have yet to use the immature seed pod in my cooking, however they are prepared by parboiling, and cooked in a curry until soft. The seed pods/fruits, even when cooked by boiling, remain particularly high in vitamin C (which may be degraded variably by cooking) and are also a good source of dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. See links below to learn how to cook the drumsticks.
Seeds
The seeds, sometimes removed from more mature pods and eaten like peas or roasted like nuts, contain high levels of vitamin C and moderate amounts of B vitamins and dietary minerals. Again I have yet to try this, as seeds I have collected to date I have used to grow more Moringa trees.
Seed oil
Mature seeds yield 38–40% edible oil called ben oil from its high concentration of behenic acid. The refined oil is clear and odourless, and resists rancidity. The seed cake remaining after oil extraction may be used as a fertilizer or as a flocculent to purify water. Moringa seed oil also has potential for use as a biofuel.
Roots
The roots are shredded and used as a condiment with sharp flavour qualities deriving from significant content of polyphenols, just like horseradish - hence one of its common names.
Preparing
Leaves and flowers can be used raw or cooked and other than a quick rinse under running water require no preparation.
The immature seed pods however do require some preparation, see video links below
Serving ideas
There are numerous ways to use Moringa in cooking with various regional recipes. The fruits or seed pods, known as "drumsticks", are a culinary vegetable commonly used in soups and curries. The leaves are also commonly eaten with many culinary uses, and the flowers are featured in some recipes as well.
Traditional dishes which commonly include drumsticks prepared this way include South Indian 'sambar' where it is stewed with lentils, and the Thai dish 'kaeng som' which is a sour curry with drumsticks and fish.
The leaves can be used in many ways, perhaps most commonly added to clear broth-based soups, such as the Filipino dishes 'tinola' and 'utan'. Tender Moringa leaves, finely chopped, are used as garnish for vegetable dishes and salads, such as the Kerala dish 'thoran'. It is also used in place of or along with coriander.
Recipe
Here are some links to ways to use your Moringa in the kitchen:
Dhal with Moringa leaves - check out this link to find this recipes
https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/drumstick-tree/9423948
Moringa Tea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1bKsk58DSs
Moringa Latte (you could substitute the maple syrup for stevia)
https://draxe.com/recipe/moringa-tea/
Using moringa seed pods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEXDNM7rdK4
Drumstick curry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaZSt9j_Y_k
Using Moringa seeds
https://www.deadseamoringa.com/how-to-eat-moringa-seeds/
NOTE: Information for this blog other than the links provided above, have been sources from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera on the 16th June 2019
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