I don’t know if you have ever had close encounters with those, hairy, horrible, creepy caterpillars that we knew as ‘kambli-poochis’ when we were young? During a particular season they would swarm all over my grandmother’s garden in Mysore. And their particular haunt was the drumstick or moringa tree. One day the drumstick tree would look normal, and the next day, its bark would be wrapped in a ‘kambli’ or blanket as thousands of these caterpillars set up home there. I could never eat my grandma’s drumstick sambhar because I always felt it had kambli-poochi fur in it!

But I now realise that those creatures were a clever lot. Yes, hidden behind all those bristles is a decent brain. Because they picked the tree with the highest nutritional and medicinal value in the whole garden! How come they know about it and we don’t?

POWER-PACKED LEAVES
If you compare drumstick tree leaves with any other healthy food, gram for gram, the moringa leaves win.
Moringa leaves have 7 times more Vitamin C than oranges.

4 times more calcium than milk
4 times more Vitamin A than carrots (I somehow don’t like the idea that those kambli-poochis have better eyesight than I do!)

2 times more protein than milk, and 3 times more Potassium than bananas

The moringa or drumstick tree is native to the north western slopes of the Himalayas. But now has found its way all across the tropical and sun-tropical regions of the world. Ayurveda has listed out at least 300 medicinal
properties of the drumstick tree.

It is used to prevent anaemia in children and pregnant mothers. Across Africa, this power-packed leaf is used to fight against malnutrition in children under 5. In fact, in the Binga district in Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is promoting drumstick leaves as the best weapon against a host of chronic health problems.

Because it promotes all-round improved health, it boosts immunity tremendously, preventing kids from falling ill.

A SUPER WATER-PURIFIER
Apart from its 300 medicinal properties, researchers have found out yet another miraculous use for the drumstick. The seeds of the drumstick, when powdered, are a ‘coagulant,’ which means that if a few handfuls of drumstick seed powder are tossed into a polluted well, all the impurities in the water (like silt, suspended organic matter like rotting leaves and even bacteria), coagulated or get fused with the powder and (having got heavier) sink to the bottom of the well. So the top layers of the well’s water are as good as tap water. 2 level teaspoons of seed powder is all that’s needed to purify 20 litres of water! Moringa trees are now being planted all across Africa for all its health benefits. Also it needs minimal water -- it’s long tap roots allow the tree to grow in even semi-desert conditions.

So if you eat methi-paratha at home, try substituting the methi with the moringa leaves. If you have spinach in your sambhar, try moringa leaves, for a change. Now, many companies that sell herbal supplements, sell dried and powdered moringa leaves in bottles. These can be added to soups, salads and other dishes. Even the pretty flowers of the tree are made into chutneys…many claim it tastes just like mushrooms. All these days, I’ve been eating bananas for brain-food. But if moringa has more potassium than banana, I’m going to switch. I can’t bear to think that those moringa eating kambli-poochis might be brainier than me!