Indian Drumstick Vegetable Recipe
Updated: May 17, 2024, By Swasthi
Indian Drumstick Vegetable is cooked with spices, onions, tomatoes and potatoes for a delicious and hearty dish. Call it a curry or a stew, it just tastes fantastic with rice, millets, quinoa or even with flatbreads. Some crispy papadums and a bowl of dal on the side makes it a complete traditional meal. This drumstick vegetable dish is vegan, gluten-free and is bursting with flavors.
Drumstick is a pod of the Moringa Oleifera plant or tree. It goes by the names Sajjan Ki Phalli in Hindi, Munagakaya in Telugu, Murungakkai in Tamil and Nuggekai in Kannada. This long green colored drumstick vegetable is widely used in the South Indian recipes to make curry, Sambar and Pulusu. Even their leaves are used to cook dal and stir fried foods.
I am sharing a simple drumstick gravy that makes a good & simple side dish. Drumsticks and potatoes are cooked in tangy spicy onion tomato gravy that tastes scrumptious with juicy drumsticks. If you are looking for a simple dish then it may be for you since there is no grinding work. It is perfect to prepare on a week day.
To make the drumstick recipe, you can omit the potatoes or replace them with sweet potatoes, pumpkin, egg plants or boiled eggs. This is a South Indian style curry so I haven’t used any garam masala and made it the traditional way. The sauce/curry is runny and not thick like other dishes. If you prefer thicker curry you may use coriander powder, cumin powder and some garam masala.
Photo Guide
How to cook Indian Drumstick Vegetable (Stepwise Photos)
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add curry leaves, mustard and jeera. When they splutter add onions and green chilies. Fry till they turn slightly transparent. They need not turn golden.
2. Add chopped drumsticks and potatoes. Fry on high heat for 2 to 3 mins. This is done to bring out the flavors of drumstick.
3. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turn mushy. Remember fry and do not cook by closing the lid. The taste would be completely different by covered cooking.
4. Add red chili powder. Mix well. Fry till the raw smell of chili powder goes away. This takes about 2 to 3 mins. You can also add coriander powder along with chili powder.
5. Pour enough water to immerse the drumsticks. I added 3 cups of water. You can also add coriander powder at this stage. Cover and cook on a low to medium flame till the drumsticks are fully cooked. The longer the drumsticks are simmered on a low to medium flame the more tasty the drumstick gravy would be.
Serve drumstick potato gravy hot with rice or roti.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Indian Drumstick Vegetable Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 3 drumsticks – vegetable drumsticks (cut to finger sized pieces)
- 1½ cups (1 large onion) onions fine chopped
- 2 medium potatoes diced or cubed
- 2 large tomatoes chopped finely
- 2 green chilies (slit)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1½ tablespoon Oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cumin (or jeera)
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric or haldi
optional
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (use more if desired)
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped finely or cilantro
Instructions
How to cook Indian Drumstick Vegetable
- Wash drumsticks under running water. If not tender scrape off the skin lightly. Wash and chop to finger length pieces. Cube potatoes to medium sized pieces, and add them to a bowl of water until used.
- Add oil to a pan and heat. Add mustard and cumin. When they begin to splutter, add curry leaves, green chilies and finely chopped onions. Fry until transparent or pink stirring often.
- Add drumsticks and potatoes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric. I usually deseed the tomatoes and use for this recipe. Fry until the tomatoes turn mushy.
- Then add red chili powder and fry for 2 minutes. If you wish to add garam masala or coriander powder add it now.
- Pour water just enough to cover the drumsticks and potatoes. Cover and cook till the veggies are soft cooked. Garnish drumstick gravy with coriander leaves. Serve with plain rice & ghee.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
I went to India and had a wonderful experience. When I got back home I started to reflect and thinking about what I could do back home. There are sooo many things, but came to realize that food was a MAIN thing. Ever since, I’ve been working on adding more and different spices and cooking more vegetarian meals. Love this ❤️ / Anna from Sweden
Thank you Anna. So glad to read that!
Hi mam.. Can you please share the Drumstick pickle & Chocolate banana freezer fudge recipes, I used to make them before. Recently, I’m checking for those recipes, and it’s not available. Kindly please share via mail or in this comment section mam. It’ll be helpful for me.
Love your recipes. always turned out well.
Thank you so much!
Wow amazing u r explaining
Thanks Nasreen
Turned out delicious like my mom’s curry. Thank you
Very very good and useful recipies. Looking forward to many authentic South Indian,& Manglorian recepies.
Hello, thanks for the recipe the taste was very nice especially in leaving it longer on a little fire. But I got some questions as I am not familiar with moringa. Inside, how are the seeds ? Because it is like a bit hard, almost crunchy…when the drumsticks need to be removed from the tree to be better ? I felt the outside was very hard and only inside can be eaten right ? I left longer to make sure everything was cooked. Do you have a special time for this recipe ? Thank you so much…
Hi,
I think the drumsticks either didn’t cook yet or they are too old. Choose young drumsticks, they are lighter in color than the older ones. Yes only the inside part is eaten. There is no specific timings to cook them. I usually prick the drumstick with a fork and check. If it is cooked it breaks easily. You can also eat the seed and check. It should be soft. If you buy and cook them 3 to 4 times you will know how to choose. Hope this helps.
Nice recipe loved it…?
Welcome
After adding water, should we cover it with lid or not?
Yes Smita
You should cover and cook.
Turned out well, made it as per recipe. Thank you.
Welcome Anjali
Looks
Yummy. Planning to try out tomorrow
Thank you!
Very very beautiful ??❤️ , the best part is your explanation text, I appreciate, thank you for beautiful and healthy recipe.
Hi Zuhair,
You are welcome! Thank you so much!
Hi, How much tumeric is in the recipe? It’s not in the ingredient list. I made a guess and it tasted great.
Thanks for trying Chris.
I use about 1/8 tsp turmeric. I will update it. Thank you.
I cooked this today with this exact recipe, and was amazed with what I cooked. 🙂 Super yummy.
I had less rice but had the sabzi plain many 2-3 times…..It was great as it is , and when mixed with curd.
I am not able to share my curry picture here.
Thank you ❤
Welcome Lovina
Glad to know it came out good. Thanks for the comment. We don’t have that provision yet. You can send them to our FB page. Thanks again
🙂
Wow.. superb.. .. we get plenty of drumsticks.. till now only used in sambar and few curries. Today tried a drumstick potato curry.. and it tastes yummy. Thank you so much. This adds to my recipe book.
Welcome Aishwarya
This is superb I tried it with sweet potatoes and everyone loved it. This adds to my regular cooking menu. Thank you so much for this wonderful blog.
Welcome Kalyani. Yes it tastes good even with sweet potatoes,
Thanks Madam for the delicious recipe.I love it ?
very Nice receipy n tasty.
Thanks Priyanka
Aswme receipes thankz for uploading these items
U dnt have any app ah????if plz sharetat too
Welcome Archana
We don’t have an app
In the ingredients it is give to slit 2 green chillies but in the procedure u haven’t mentioned anything about green chillies..
But it is really delicious
Just edit the recipe
Thanks will do it
I like the recipe. Easy to cook. Only thing that needs to remeber is selecting the drumsticks. Medium ripen or just about is the best!!! More than medium ripen drumsticks cannot absorb the flavour.. I really enjoyed. Cooking this first time. Thanks.
Welcome Suri
Yes you right the young ones absorb the flavors well. Glad to know you liked it. Thanks for trying