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During the COVID-19 lockdown, when we all had to stay indoors, I started spending a lot of time in my kitchen. Cooking became my way of staying positive and creative. I began experimenting with Moringa, a superfood I’ve always admired for its health benefits. Slowly, I came up with a bunch of new recipes like Moringa sauce, Chicken Moringa salami, and even Moringa Masala Chai.
Out of everything I tried, the Moringa sauce felt the most exciting. It was tasty, healthy, and different from anything I had seen in the market. That’s when the idea struck me: why not introduce it as a super food product so more people could enjoy it? I even started looking around for food manufacturers who might be interested in producing it on a larger scale.
Moringa Oleifera sauce (Moringa sauce)
Ingredients
A bunch of fresh Moringa leaves
8 to 12 Garlic cloves
Walnut 50 gms
Pine nuts or Cashew Nut 25 gms
Hard Cheese (Cheddar / Gouda / Parmesan) 100 gms
Virgin Olive oil 100 ml
Rock salt (to taste)
Method
Take a fresh bunch of moringa leaves, about 250-300 grams in weight. Remove the stems, veins, dried leaves, or any unwanted particles, and rinse the leaves thoroughly. Blanch or steam them for about two minutes, then strain and immediately transfer them to cold water. Next, grind the blanched leaves together with peeled garlic cloves, cheese, walnuts or pine nuts/cashews, and a little rock salt. Do not add water, use two to three teaspoons of olive oil to help the grinding process. Blend the mixture to a coarse or smooth consistency, as you prefer. Transfer the pesto into a bowl, mix in the remaining olive oil, and adjust the salt. Store it in a clean glass bottle, pouring a thin layer of olive oil on top to help preserve it for a longer time.
R S Dev is a consultant from Karnataka