September is a month of change, and we celebrate National Nutrition Week. The monsoon season is winding down, the festive season is preparing itself, and the kitchens of seasonal cooks around the globe will start to feel more experimental. The seasonal super foods are also in focus during this time of year— the nutrient-dense ingredients that can help boost energy, immunity, and creativity (in the kitchen)! Three September superfoods are spoken of in Indian kitchens and health circles everywhere; they are millets, moringa, and drumstick leaves. 

These September superfoods have a long culinary history, and their nutritional value is no joke. Millets are gluten-free grains, rich in fibre and minerals. Moringa is said to be a "miracle tree," as its leaves, pods, and powdered forms are loaded with vitamins. Drumstick leaves, a commonly used vegetable in South Indian households, are packed with iron and a healthy dose of antioxidants. This blog is going to show you why these superfoods are worth having in your pantry and how you can cook wholesome meals using millets, moringa, and drumstick leaves.

September Superfoods: How to Cook With Millets, Moringa & Drumstick Leaves

Cooking With Millets: Wholesome September Recipes

1. Millet Biryani Recipe

One of the most festive and flavorful ways to cook with millets in September is to prepare a millet biryani recipe. Unlike regular rice biryani, the millet biryani recipe offers a nutty, wholesome texture and makes your meal gluten-free and fibre-rich.

Ingredients for Millet Biryani Recipe:

• 1 cup barnyard millet or foxtail millet
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• Whole spices (1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Salt and fresh mint leaves

Method for Millet Biryani Recipe:

1. Wash and soak millet for 30 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, add whole spices, and sauté onions until golden.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes; cook until soft.
4. Mix in vegetables, yoghurt, salt, and garam masala.
5. Add millet with double the water, cover, and cook until fluffy.
6. Garnish with mint and fried onions before serving.
7. Pro Tip: For extra aroma, drizzle saffron milk on top of millet biryani before steaming.

2. Millet Pancake Recipe

For a healthier breakfast, try a millet pancake recipe that uses ragi flour and foxtail millet flour. This millet pancake recipe is high in fibre and calcium, making it a perfect September morning treat.

Ingredients for Millet Pancake Recipe:

• ½ cup ragi flour
• ½ cup foxtail millet flour
• 1 mashed banana
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup milk (or almond milk)
• Cinnamon powder

Method for Millet Pancake Recipe:

1. Combine ragi flour, foxtail millet flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
2. Add banana, honey, and milk to make a thick batter.
3. Heat a non-stick pan, pour a ladle of batter, and cook until bubbles appear.
4. Flip and cook until golden.
5. Serve with fresh fruit or date syrup.
6. Pro Tip: Add crushed moringa leaves into the batter for an immunity-boosting twist.

Cooking With Moringa: Powerhouse September Recipes

3. Moringa Smoothie Recipe

A refreshing way to use moringa in September is with a moringa smoothie recipe. Packed with antioxidants, this moringa smoothie recipe is a green powerhouse drink for breakfast or post-workout fuel.

Ingredients for Moringa Smoothie Recipe:

• 1 cup spinach and moringa leaves (fresh)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1 tsp moringa powder
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 tsp chia seeds

Method for Moringa Smoothie Recipe:

1. Blend banana, apple, moringa leaves, and moringa powder with coconut water.
2. Strain if needed and pour into a tall glass.
3. Sprinkle chia seeds before serving.
4. Pro Tip: Freeze bananas beforehand to make your moringa smoothie creamier.

4. Moringa Pakora Recipe

A rainy September evening calls for a crispy moringa pakora recipe. These fritters are crunchy, flavorful, and filled with the goodness of moringa leaves.

Ingredients for Moringa Pakora Recipe:

• 1 cup chopped moringa leaves
• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ajwain
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Method for Moringa Pakora Recipe:

1. Mix besan with turmeric, ajwain, and salt.
2. Add chopped onion, chillies, and moringa leaves.
3. Add water slowly to make a thick batter.
4. Heat oil and drop spoonfuls of batter, frying until golden brown.
5. Serve hot with mint chutney.
6. Pro Tip: Mix in a little millet flour with besan for a crunchier moringa pakora recipe.

Cooking With Drumstick Leaves: Iron-Rich September Recipes

5. Drumstick Leaves Adai Recipe

One of the most traditional South Indian dishes is the drumstick leaves adai recipe. This protein-packed pancake combines lentils, rice, and drumstick leaves into a hearty meal.

Ingredients for Drumstick Leaves Adai Recipe:

• ½ cup toor dal
• ½ cup chana dal
• ½ cup rice
• 1 cup drumstick leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 inch of ginger
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking

Method for Drumstick Leaves Adai Recipe:

1. Soak rice and dals for 4 hours.
2. Grind with red chillies and ginger into a coarse batter.
3. Add drumstick leaves and salt.
4. Heat a skillet, spread a ladle of batter, and cook with oil until golden on both sides.
5. Serve with coconut chutney or moringa chutney.
6. Pro Tip: Add a handful of grated carrots to the drumstick leaves adai for sweetness.

6. Drumstick Leaves Curry Recipe

A comforting dish for dinner is a drumstick leaves curry recipe simmered in coconut and tamarind gravy. This drumstick leaves curry recipe balances tang, spice, and earthiness beautifully.

Ingredients for Drumstick Leaves Curry Recipe:

• 2 cups drumstick leaves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

Method for Drumstick Leaves Curry Recipe:

1. Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
2. Add onion and sauté until golden.
3. Add tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder, and cook until soft.
4. Stir in drumstick leaves, tamarind paste, and coconut milk.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes until the flavours meld.
6. Pro Tip: Serve drumstick leaves curry with millet biryani for a superfood-packed meal.

In September, let your kitchen be full of millets, moringa, and drumstick leaves. Whether it’s a fragrant millet biryani recipe, a refreshing moringa smoothie recipe, or a hearty drumstick leaves curry recipe, September's superfoods will give you health and colour in every meal.

Through repeating and reinventing recipes like the millet pancake recipe, moringa pakora recipe, and drumstick leaves adai recipe, you will find that eating healthy does not mean you'll be missing out on taste and flavour—it means enhancing a way of life with traditional and healthy ingredients.

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