drumstick curry in mustard gravy

What do you do when you have a glut of drumsticks? Make drumstick curry with mustard or any other spice blend. Or make drumstick flower pakodas.

The regulars at Banaras ka Khana know that I have a giant tree of drumsticks in my front garden, they are bursting with their best flavors right now and the sight of those branches heavy with drumsticks are forcing me to pluck them even if I can't consume them all. It gets distributed to neighbors.

Needless to say, I have been using the drumstick flowers and the pods of drumsticks for different types of curries considering it is so healthy. I see that this fruit (vegetable for us) is a favorite of parakeets. Large flocks of beautiful parrots come to the tree every evening, perch just above the fruit, bow down and peck their beaks into the fruit to eat the flesh. When the fruit will be mature and seeds will develop inside, the parrots beautifully slide down the drumsticks to pick the seeds from the splitting pods. I can spend hours watching them doing this. Parakeets use their feet just like we humans use our hands. Earlier I have seen parrots perching on mature sunflowers in my garden to pick the seeds to snack on. They know instinctively what is good for them indeed.

I use drumsticks in sambar mostly as everyone else. This mustard based drumstick curry is a traditional eastern UP preparation, served with plain boiled rice it becomes a satiating meal on its own. The kind of homely comfort meals we need when we come back from travels etc.

This particular sehjan ki subzi is my grandmother's recipe but it is made with minor variations all over eastern UP and Bihar as well.

The tender drumsticks are great for this curry as they cook quickly but the mature ones are considred better by many people as they pack in more flavour. It is fun to chew the mature thick pieces of drumstick which are quite fibrous and hard, the flavourful flesh lies in the middle of the stick which has to be either scraped out or you chew the stick to eat the flesh and then discard the fiber. This mustard gravy makes the drumstick curry differently flavorful I must add.

I do not peel the drumsticks if they are home grown or organic. Chopping them in about 2 inch long pieces is better for this curry. Making a bundle of the drumsticks is good if you want to retrieve them together in a curry or even in sambar.

ingredients....

a dozen soft baby drumsticks or 6-7 mature drumsticks
2-3 potatoes peeled and cut in wedges
3 large tomatoes cut lengthwise
everyday curry powder 2 tsp or 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cumin n pepper powders
turmeric powder 1 tsp
salt to taste
mustard oil 2 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
coriander greens a handful

to be made into a fine paste
2 tbsp of yellow mustard seeds ( if using black mustard seeds, pass the paste through a sieve to remove the skin)
4-5 green chillies
6 garlic cloves

procedure...

Heat oil in a thick base kadai and pop in the cumin seeds and wait till they splutter..

Throw in the potato wedges, stir fry for a couple of minutes and then add the drumstick pieces too, stir fry lightly till the potatoes are slightly brown n the drumsticks are glossy.

Sprinkle the everyday curry powder, turmeric powder, salt and add the chopped tomatoes to it.

Stir fry the mixture for a couple of minutes and then pour the mustard paste, add water to make a curry of desired consistency, and let it boil covered for about 10 minutes, the tomatoes get mushy, the potatoes soft and the drumsticks yield to pressure.

Add the coriander greens, add some lemon juice if you like,cover and put off the flame and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serve hot over a bed of hot fluffy rice....

sahjan ki sabzi or drumstick curry

i have a handsome drumstick tree in my garden and it flowers twice a year so drumsticks are available almost throughout the year but i don't make it very often.....the reason is, it is so difficult to pluck those sticks from the high branches...............recently i coaxed and cajoled my gardener to pluck some for me and he obliged ......here is how i made the curry.

ingredients

drumsticks cleaned and cut in 2-3 inch pieces.....about 10 sticks
potatoes cut in wedges 3 nos.
tomatoes made into paste 2 nos.
onions made into paste 1 no.
ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
green chilly paste 1 tbsp
red chilly powder 1 tsp
curry powder 2 tbsp
salt to taste mustard oil 4 tbsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
coriander leaves 2 tbsp

preparation

heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure pan and trow in the drumsticks and potato wedges and fry them for a while..........keep tossing to fry them evenly....little braising like this enables the veggies to absorb the masala flavors......when they become pinkish brown take them out and pour in the remaining 2 tbsp of mustard oil into the pan(more oil can be used to make it a rich gravy, i used less to minimize oil)...............throw in the cumin seeds, crackle them and then put in the onion paste and ginger garlic paste......stir fry until oil separates.........now add the powder masalas and fry till fragrant......then add the tomato paste n salt and cook covered till oil separates....now throw in the veggies and 2 cups of water( more or less according to thin or thick gravy required)......fix the lid on the cooker and cook till 2 whistles.........coll down to release pressure.......open the pan and garnish with coriander leaves.........serve hot with plain steamed rice.