Drumstick leaves (Moringa oleifera) soup

Drumstick leaves is something I have been missing or craving for ever since we moved to US. We get drumsticks though in regular Indian grocery stores. When I found a small drumstick plant at a nearby Chinese grocery store, I got very excited and got the plant right away. I also had to  immediately call my mom and mother-in-law to brag about it as well :) This recipe was suggested by my mother-in-law. She asked me to make  this very healthy soup for the kids at least once week. She suggested that I serve this with rice and ghee for the kids. We also had this soup as a starter for our lunch that day. The plant has been thriving well and I have been using the leaves on a regular basis these days.

My drumstick plant:

She also wanted to pose for a picture :)

Ingredients:
1. Drum stick leaves, 1 cup, washed.
2. Small onions, 1.2 cup, peeled.
3. Tomato, small, 1.
4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
5. Turmeric powder, a pinch.
6. Chili powder, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on preferred spice level.
7. Fennel powder, 1/4 teaspoon.
8. Hing (asafetida), a pinch.
9. Salt, as per taste.
10. Ghee, as preferred, to be added as a topping (optional).

Preparation:
Add all the ingredients in a pressure cooker with just enough water to cover them and cook for a whistle for 5 minutes. This is the easiest and fastest way to cook them. The soup can also be prepared on stove top with enough water until everything is cooked. Alternatively you can also sauté the onions and tomato with a little bit of oil and then the other ingredients can be added and cooked the usual way. This gives the soup a richer taste.

Serving suggestion: This soup can be served as a starter. For kids, this soup can be mixed with mashed rice and ghee and served for lunch.

Variation: You can try the same soup with spinach or any other greens as well.