Marunggay is a plant in the Moringaceae family. The scientific name is Morina Oleifera Lam. It is also known as horseradish tree, dool and drumstick tree. The tree is hearty and grows easily in the wild and backyard gardens. Commonly used as an ingredient in Filipino foods, the tree is also found in Africa, India, and other parts of Asia. Malunggay is easy to identify by its circular leaves. The leaves, roots, and bark are edible. The taste of the roots is similar to horseradish and the bark has a gummy consistency. Malunggay is also used for medicinal purposes, as it is rich in many vitamins and minerals. These include iron, amino acids, phosphorous and calcium. It is also rich in vitamins A, B and C.
Fruit
Malunggay trees produce edible fruit. These can be enjoyed on their own or juiced and combined with carrots or other fruits.
Soups
In soups, malunggay is commonly used in a powered form. This allows for medicinal benefit without affecting the texture of the soup itself. Malunggay powder is commonly combined with garlic, onions, pork, chicken, shrimp and broths.
Noodles
Malunggay can be added to noodle dishes or even used to make the noodles themselves. To make noodles, dried malunggay leaves are used in combination with water, flour, eggs and salt.
Tags: combined with, make noodles