Gave me…

My neighbour gave me this the other day and I managed to cook this dish…

…for dinner with it, moringa leaves!

At one time, everyone was talking about it and I also went in search of the green noodles, made from those leaves. Unfortunately, it did not sweep me off my feet so I never went back for more. I did check the websites and I saw a lot of health benefits one could derive from them and I was contemplating on planting my own tree. Luckily, my friend, Annie, in KL sent me a photograph of the one in her mum’s garden – it was HUGE, as big as a durian tree and I changed my mind instantly!

My neighbour at the back had a tree right beside the fence and ever so often, the broken twigs and branches would drop over on our side but I never paid any attention to them. I don’t know why they eventually got rid of it and in its place, they have planted a few guava trees and it sure looks like they are enjoying the fruits, growing in abundance all over the trees.

This neighbour who gave me the leaves…

…had a plant in a pot so the growth is kind of inhibited or controlled, so to speak. I guess that is why it is small and so are the leaves as well.

I did not know how to cook them so I went and googled. It looked like most people would brew tea with them and drink and others would dry them in the sun, pound them into powder and stuff them in capsules and eat. I saw an Indian recipe with dhal and the rest were all fried with egg, like cangkok manis. I went and asked my friends on Facebook and most said I could fry with egg like cangkok manis. One said I could throw them into the soup when I cook instant noodles – actually, that did cross my mind! In the end, I decided to go about it my own way.

I fried some chopped garlic in oil till golden brown, added one chili, thinly sliced, followed by all the stuff I got from here – two prawns (with heads and shell intact), a few pieces of sotong (squid) and some fried fish cake made from the bay kar/ikan tenggiri (mackerel)paste that I bought, sliced and when it was done, I added an egg, followed by a teaspoon of oyster sauce diluted in some water…

I must say that it tasted very nice… – one can never go wrong with all that seafood!

If the leaves had any taste, I sure couldn’t detect it and on the whole, I must say that cangkok manis, with its special sweetness, can win hands down. However, considering that the dish tastes all right and that the leaves have so many health benefits. that got me wondering as to why this is not cooked and served at our restaurants and chu-char (cook and fry) places in town.