Drumstick Leaves-Palya and Rasam

I resisted myself from buying drumstick leaves in Singapore. The main reason being the size of the bunch they sell. But after 5yrs of my stay here..I put up some courage to buy and experiment the rest of the leaves (after cooking palya and rasam). I took a looooooong time to decide on that.

Amma cooked with these leaves on a regular basis. Our neighbour had a big drumstick tree in India. She was generous enough to give us leaves and drumsticks every alternative week. We would gladly feast on palya and rasam. D.leaves taste bitter when eaten raw.It is either stirfried or cooked with water to remove that bitterness. I googled to see so many recipes for leaves from chutney powder to poriyal. Drumstick pickle itself was awesome. I have bookmarked all of them to try one by one till the leaves are alive in the refrigerator :D . I have thought of blogging it if they turn out good. Till then all of you enjoy palya/sabji and saaru. I have made it similar to bassaru recipe as I did not recall my mother's rasam recipe. But bassaru worked out even better! So you all enjoy them.

You need the following to make palya and rasam:
Drumstick Leaves : 4 cups (tightly packed)
Green leafy veggies reduce in qty once they are cooked.
Togaribele/Toordal/Lentils of your choice - 1 cup
Onion: 1 medium sized (peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces)
Garlic: 2 cloves; 1 chopped finely, reserve the other one for rasam (optional)
Red Chillies: 2-3
Jeerige/Cumin: 2tsp
grated fresh coconut : 2tbsp
Tamarind juice : 1tbsp
Salt, Jaggery
Tampering :mustard, uddinabele/uraddal, kadalebele/chanadal, hing

Pre-Prep :
1. Pressure Cook drumstick leaves and togaribele/toordal/lentils separately. I add a pinch of turmeric while cooking them. Add more water to cook lentils as this will serve as stock to cook rasam/saaru.
2. Separate leaves and lentils from water
3. Combine the water collected from both. Combine cooked lentils and leaves together
4. Reserve 2tbsp of lentil&leaves mixture for rasam

Palya :

1.Heat 2tsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard. When mustard stops spluttering add chanadal & uraddal.
2.When they turn brown add garlic pieces and fry till garlic pieces turn golden brown. Now add finely chopped onion and give a nice stir.
3.Stir and fry till onions are pink. Reserve half a teaspoon of this mixture for rasam.
4.Add salt and the mixture of lentils and leaves. Stir nicely. Cover and cook for 1 min. Switch off the stove.
5.Check the salt and cover and leave the palya/sabji till you make rasam. You can garnish it with grated coconut if you have them on hand.

Rasam:
1.On a hot pan dry roast red chillies and cumin. Cumin should be warmed rather than roasting.
2.Take roasted red chillies, cumin, 1 clove garlic, 2tbsp of lentils n leaves mixture, 2tbsp of grated fresh coconut, tamarind juice, salt and jaggery in a mixer grinder. Grind it into a smooth paste.
3. Take stock water, add the paste, reserved tampering mixture from palya/sabji and boil it.
4. Check for salt and adjust flavors accordingly.

Palya and Rasam goes well with hot rice.