Drumstick curry with milk | Munakkaya Palu Koora

Drumstick curry with milk is a typical dish from the Telugu states. This mildly spiced delicious curry goes well with rice, roti, or chapati.

In Indian, the moringa vegetable has several vernacular names – Muringakka in Malayalam, Sajjan ki phali in Hindi, Murungai in Tamil, Munakkaya/Munagakaya or Mulkkada in Telugu, or Shegva in Marathi.

This vegetable is widely used in South Indian culinary dishes, as it renders its unique flavor to the dish. For example sambar, soups, pickles, etc.

Drumstick is one of my favorite vegetables and I can never get bored of eating this healthy veggie.

Drumsticks are cooked in different ways. I’ve already shared a recipe for Drumstick Masala curry. Today, I’m sharing a simple recipe, and the addition of milk enhances the taste of this mildly flavored vegetable.

What is Drumstick Curry with milk?

Drumstick curry with milk is a hearty, homestyle curry of drumsticks simmered with milk.

In the Telugu language, the dish is called munakkaya/mulakkada palu posina koora.

Palu posina koora/kura may be a new word to many. It translates to curry cooked in milk. Vegetable curry cooked in milk is a common method followed in Andhra cuisine.

I have relished eating drumstick milk curry with hot steamed rice since childhood.

About the Recipe

Drumstick pieces are cooked with onions, ginger-garlic paste, basic Indian spices and simmered in milk.

The recipe needs a handful of ingredients that are common in the Indian kitchen. Yet, they create a fragrant, flavorful, and scrumptious curry.

Adding milk gives the gravy a creamy texture and adds a mild sweet flavor. The curdled milk (not spoiled) almost tastes and looks like Koya/kova.

So what’s different in this curry? whole spices (bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon) and curry leaves. As you cook the ingredients, the very aroma of the curry bubbling away will make the family members dive into it as soon as it’s ready.

While serving kids, you can remove the whole spices.

The juicy vegetable gets juicer and absorbs all the flavors of whole spices, chilies, and spice powders.

Intentionally, I’ve kept the spice level to medium. However, you can adjust as per your preference.

Reasons to make

Easy and quick recipe.

Can be made in less than 30 minutes.

No blending or grinding.

Need minimal ingredients.

Can make the curry with less oil.

Light on the stomach.

Creamy and luscious curry, because of milk.

Serve it as a side dish with rice or roti for lunch or dinner.

Health Benefits

Drumstick pods are a powerhouse of essential nutrients. It is a highly nutritious vegetable with a rich source of Vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, and magnesium.

The vegetable is a good source of dietary fiber that helps in digestion and relieves constipation. The high-fiber vegetable is diabetic friendly.

It helps to restore hemoglobin levels.

Drumstick helps to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure.

For the above reasons, include the superfood in your diet at least once or twice a week. People who have mild iron deficiency have to include drumsticks 3 to 4 times a week.

Ingredients to make Drumstick Milk curry

Drumsticks: Select a slim drumstick that has small seeds. You can buy drumsticks that have slight bumps but avoid the ones that have pronounced bumps.

Whole Spices: bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon stick.

Green chilies

Spice powders: turmeric powder, red chili powder.

Base: onions.

Herbs: curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Tempering: oil, mustard seeds, and cumin.

Milk: toned or full cream, any milk is fine.

Salt to taste.

How to make Drumstick Milk curry

Heat oil in a pan over medium flame. When hot, add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, and cumin. Saute until the seeds crackle.

Add chopped green chilies, onion, and curry leaves. Saute until the onions turn soft.

Add turmeric powder and drumstick pieces. Saute for 5 minutes.

Next, add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes away.

Turn the flame to low and add salt and red chili powder. Mix well.

Add milk and water.

Give a good mix. Cover the pan and simmer on low flame for 10-15 minutes or until the drumstick pieces are cooked completely.

Adjust the gravy consistency as per your liking.

Lastly, add coriander leaves and mix.

Drumstick curry with milk is ready. Serve hot with rice or Indian flatbread.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this curry with steamed white rice, rotis, chapatis, or parathas.

More Indian curry recipes

Dried Yellow Peas curry

Aloo Besan curry

Chana masala curry

Mixed Veg curry

You can follow the same recipe to make the curry with Bottle gourd (Lauki/Soorakaya), Ridge Gourd (Turai/Beerakaya) as well.

If you’ve tried this Drumstick Curry with Milk recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Feedback and suggestions are highly appreciated. Also, please share the recipes with your friends and family members.

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