Moringa oleifera- Sonjna/ Moringa/ Drumstick tree/ Horseradish tree/ Ben oil tree/ Murungakka/ Munuga

[J.M. Garg]

It has started flowering in Kolkata & its flowering canopy looks so beautiful in the background of blue sky. Pictures taken in Jan & Feb.

Moringa oleifera, commonly referred to simply as Moringa, is the most widely cultivated variety of the genus Moringa. It is of the family Moringaceae. It is an exceptionally nutritious vegetable tree with a variety of potential uses. The tree itself is rather slender with drooping branches that grows to approximately 10 m in height; however, it normally is cut back annually to one meter or less, and allowed to regrow, so that pods and leaves remain within arms reach.

Considered one of the world's most useful trees, as almost every part of the Moringa tree can be used for food, or has some other beneficial property. In the tropics it is used as foliage for livestock. The tree has its origin from the South Indian State of Tamilnadu.

 

The immature green pods, called "drumsticks" are probably the most valued and widely used part of the tree. They are commonly consumed in India, and are generally prepared in a similar fashion to green beans and have a slight asparagus taste. The seeds are sometimes removed from more mature pods and eaten like peas or roasted like nuts. The flowers are edible when cooked, and are said to taste like mushrooms.The moringa pod is known as drumstick or saragwa or saragwe in India. In South India, it is used to prepare a variety of sambar and is also fried. It is also preserved by canning and exported worldwide. In other parts of India, especially West Bengal and also in a neighboring country like Bangladesh it is enjoyed very much. It can be made into varieties of curry by mixing with coconut, poppy seeds and mustard. It can just be boiled, until the drumsticks are semi-soft and consumed directly without any extra processing or cooking. It is used in curries, sambars, kormas, and dals, although it is also used to add flavor to cutlets, etc.

 

In India, the plant is propagated by planting limb cuttings 1–2 m long, from June to August, preferably. The plant starts bearing pods 6–8 months after planting but regular bearing commenced after the second year.

 

The above inf. taken from Wikipedia link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa_oleifera . More details are available here.
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With regards,
J.M.Garg
"We often ignore the beauty around us"
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[satish phadke]

Nice photographs of such a common tree.Looks more beautiful in your pictures.
A great source of Calcium: so a must in our diet
Satish Phadke

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Dr. Satish Phadke