Summer Special Recipe – Veg Paya using Drumsticks

Drumstick – A Summer vegetable

Drumsticks are summer vegetables and are growing now in huge numbers in Kerala. My parents are making some curry out of it daily just to consume everything without them getting wasted. This is after distribution to the neighbours. That’s how while searching for new ways of consuming the drumstick that I happened to stumble upon this recipe by Chef Venkatesh Bhat. My recipe is based on his video. (Link shared at the end of the articl)

So, without further ado let’s begin the recipe.

Drumstick Paya

Ingredients

Groundnut oil – 3 tablespoon

Cinnamon stick – 2 pieces

Cloves – 4 pieces

Curry leaves – a handful

Onion – 2 medium size

Green chillies – 4 pieces

Ginger garlic paste – 3 teaspoons

Tomato – 3

Drumstick – 3

Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1 teaspoon

Salt as required

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Mint leaves – ½ cup (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves – ½ cup (finely chopped)

For paste

Coconut – ½ (grated)

Poppy seeds – 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon

Cashew nuts – 20 g

Black peppercorns – 1 ½ teaspoons

Green Cardamom – 8 pieces

Cinnamon stick – 4 pieces

Mint – ½ cup

Easy Healthy Drumstick Leaves Soup

Method

Let us prepare the paste first.

Heat a pan and dry roast cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, peppercorns, fennel seeds, poppy seeds and cashew nuts for 3 to 4 minutes on a slow flame.

Turn off the flame once whole masalas are roasted.

Add the chopped pudina and grated coconut one by one to the pan and mix well.

Once the contents cool down to room temperature, grind them into a fine paste by adding 100 ml of water. Keep the paste aside.

Now into the main preparation…
- Heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil on a hot pan.
- Splutter cloves, cinnamon sticks, curry leaves and then add the sliced onions, long slit green chillies, and ginger garlic paste.
- Add chopped tomatoes and drumsticks cut into finger size pieces, once the onions have turned golden brown.
- Once the tomatoes are cooked into a mushy texture, add the masala powders. Let them all blend well and cook till the oil leave to the sides. Now, add water.
- Once the water starts boiling, close the pan and let the drumsticks cook in the water for 10-12 minutes.
- Add salt as required and add the paste. Let it cook for another 5 minutes.
- Once they are cooked, garnish the dish with mint and coriander leaves and turn off the flame soon after.
- Add a heaped tablespoon of ghee and mix well to ensure ghee is well incorporated.
- Leave the curry closed in the pan for 30 to 45 minutes and then serve.

No Oil Drumstick Leaves Stir Fry/Poriyal

Tips

You can make paya with yam, taro, brinjal. Yet drumstick suits the recipe the most.
While cutting onion for the recipe, slice it as thin, long pieces as you do for biryani.
Ginger garlic paste can be adjusted based on the thickness of the paste. If the paste is very thick, you can add 1 ½ teaspoons of ginger garlic paste. If the ginger garlic paste is bit watery, then add 3 teaspoons of the same. For this recipe, ginger garlic flavor is important so it’s ok to err on the higher side.
You might like this paya if you are someone who enjoys vada curry or salna.
Having this curry on the next day after preparation will taste even better.
Best served for dinner with rice or dosa or bread of your choice.

Paya is a very famous dish made traditionally using lamb trotters. Yet, drumstick paya will give stiff competition to its non-vegetarian counterpart.

Recipe link by Chef – https://youtu.be/L6Yga1xfDbw