March: ROASTED MALUNGGAY TEA
Illustration: Malunggay
Roasting your own malunggay tea is a calming art in itself. If you have a tree in your backyard or neighborhood, prepare your own moringa powder to boost any fruit juice or smoothie drink. Malunggay (Moringa) leaves are nutritionally very rich. The plant is rich in antioxidants, iron, calcium, and amino acids, and is known to fight inflammation, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and is good for the stomach. It’s good for everyone, and not just lactating mothers.
Ingredients:
- Malunggay Leaves
- Fruit Juice or Smoothie of your choice
Instructions:
- Take about 3 fresh, bright green compound leaves, and place them on a tray, and bring them to a shaded area. Clean out the leaves of dust and dirt.
- Lay the leaves on a clean sheet of paper for about 2 days indoors. After drying, shake the leaves off the stems.
- On a pan over low fire, roast the leaves. Turn them over every 2 minutes. Make sure not to overcook the leaves.
- Once roasted, seal the leaves in a bag. Using the back of a spoon, crush the leaves inside the bag.
- Store the powder in a cool, dry place.
- To use, add about a spoon of the roasted malunggay powder to your beverage. Every 10 grams has about 4.5mg of iron, 49.5mg of magnesium, 198mg of calcium, and 2.5g of protein.
Illustration, Pattern and Recipe by Alessandra Lanot | LifeAfterBreakfast.ph