We’ve always been told that green leafy vegetables are good for our bodies. In the case of the tiny malunggay (moringa) leaf, its size is no indication of the multitude of health benefits that come with it. Now, you think to yourself, how can you incorporate this healthy veggie into your diet? The answer: Malunggay recipes.
10 Malunggay recipes
Breastfeeding moms turn to malunggay to boost milk supply. This little leaf is also high in iron, and Vitamins A, B and C. It can be used to combat diarrhea and malnutrition, and has also been found to help prevent diabetes and cancer.
Here are 10 malunggay recipes that you can start with.
1. Malunggay tea
Get off to a healthy start every morning with a cup of malunggay tea.
To make your own tea leaves at home, you will need freshly harvested malunggay that has been cleaned. Lay them out on a clean sheet of paper for 2-3 days to dry.
Once dried, remove the leaves from the stems. Shake out the leaves over a fine mesh sieve or sifter to get rid of extra stem pieces or other debris from the leaves. Carefully dry roast the leaves over low heat in a pan, turning frequently to avoid burning. Store the tea in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Steep tea leaves in hot water for 1-3 minutes, then strain. You can also use a tea ball or a French press if you have these.
2. Green smoothie with malunggay
Green smoothies typically contain spinach or kale, but you can also use malunggay to give your healthy drink an extra vitamin boost.
Add sweet fruits like pineapples, bananas and oranges to your smoothie, and tweak the flavor to your liking.
3. Malunggay omelette
Instead of plain scrambled eggs, prepare a malunggay omelette for your family’s breakfast.
Roughly chop a handful of malunggay leaves and whisk them into the eggs before frying. You can also add tomatoes for extra flavor.
4. Malunggay bread
To make malunggay powder, hang freshly harvested malunggay upside down to dry. Catch the leaves as they fall off using any clean, dry container.
Grind the dried leaves using a blender, food processor or mortar and pestle until they’re in powdered form.
5. Malunggay muffins
If you prefer to bake with fresh malunggay, try making malunggay muffins using this recipe. These baked goodies contain blended malunggayleaves, and are great as healthy snacks for kids and breastfeeding moms.
6. Clam soup with malunggay
Halaan or clam soup made with malunggay is one of the most popular Filipino “solutions” for moms who want to boost their milk supply.
To make this simple soup, all you need to do is boil half a kilo of cleaned clams in 3 cups of water with a thumb of sliced ginger and 1 sliced whole onion.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add in as much malunggay as you wish, and cook for 1 more minute. Season and serve.
7. Malunggay Oyester Rockefeller
Oysters Rockefeller is a dish of oysters on a half-shell topped with butter, cheese and green herbs. Breakfast Magazine shared their recipe with a twist, using malunggay in place of the traditional parsley.
8. Malunggay pesto
To make pesto at home, all you need to do is combine garlic, basil, pine nuts or cashews, and extra virgin olive oil in a blender.
Then, throw in some malunggay leaves to infuse your pesto recipe with added vitamins and minerals.
9. Malunggay burger
Here’s a way to get your kids to eat malunggay without a fuss — add it to their favorite burgers!
This beef burger patty recipe in The Malunggay Book contains both the leaves and meat from the pods of the malunggay tree. (The link also contains other malunggay recipes that you can try, including ones for fetuccine and lumpia.)
10. Malunggay polvoron
You can include ½ to 1 tbsp of the powder to your flour mix, depending on your taste preference. Make your own malunggay powder, or purchase it from major supermarkets.
You can also read: What are the benefits of malunggay for your family?
