Drumstick Curry (Drumstick Vegetable) – Munakkaya Tomato Curry

Updated: August 26, 2022, By Swasthi

Drumstick Curry recipe – Andhra style vegetable drumsticks cooked in a spicy onion tomato curry. Drumsticks are one of the most commonly eaten veggie in South Indian states. These are the pods of the Moringa tree and are considered to be great for digestion. We use them to make curry, sambar, stew (pulusu), rasam and even pickle.

drumstick curry - curried vegetable drumsticks



In this post I share a simple recipe to make a delicious & flavorful drumstick curry that you can serve with plain rice. Simple everyday curries from South Indian cuisine, have a chunky curry base with a thin runny or watery gravy/sauce. They are much different from the restaurant dishes but yet taste good & healthy.

This Indian vegetable drumstick curry is one of the kinds, made with pantry ingredients, easy to cook and makes for a comforting meal. This drumstick curry is eaten, mixed with hot rice and ghee. Some papads, or omelet and curd go well on the side to make the meal complete.

Drumsticks are prepared in a few different ways in India. We cook them with eggplants (brinjal), cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, golden pumpkin and even with boiled eggs. We also make pulusu, a sweet spicy & tangy stew with drumsticks.

I have also shared how to make the pulusu in the same recipe card notes below.

Related recipes
Brinjal Curry
Egg Pulusu
Drumstick sambar

vegetable drumstick curry

Photo Guide

How to Make Vegetable Drumstick Curry (Stepwise photos)

Please prepare ingredients from the recipe card below.

1. Heat oil in a deep pan. When the oil turns hot add mustard & cumin. They will begin to splutter, then add curry leaves, garlic and green chili. Saute until the leaves turn crisp.

tempering spices in oil

2. Add the onions, sprinkle salt and fry till they turn transparent. You don’t need to brown the onions but the raw smell should be gone.

frying onions to make drumstick curry

3. Add drumsticks & fry for 2 to 3 mins to remove the raw smell.

adding drumsticks

4. Add tomatoes, some more salt &turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes become completely soft and pulpy. Do not cover and cook but fry in a open pan as it tastes better.

adding tomatoes to make drumstick curry

5. Add red chili powder & coriander powder(optional). Saute well until the raw smell of the chilli powder goes away.

spice powders added to make drumstick curry

6. Pour water just enough to cover the drumsticks. Stir well.

pouring water

7. Cook on a medium flame till they are thoroughly cooked. If you have enough time, try cooking on the lowest heat for a long time. I sometimes do that, it yields a very tasty curry.

simmering drumstick curry on a low heat

Serve drumstick curry with rice or chapathi.

drumstick curry

You can also make a variation to this by adding boiled eggs. When the drumsticks are almost cooked but not fully, prick boiled eggs with a fork and add them here. Cook till the drumsticks are completely done. You can also fry the eggs in 1 tsp oil and then add them here

drumsticks with boiled eggs.
munakkaya tomato curry

If you are new to cooking, then the following tip may help you:

Choosing drumsticks: Always choose young and fresh looking drumsticks. The veggies that are harvested long time ago will usually dry up and it is harder to cook them. They will also lack the flavor.

The quantity of all ingredients to prepare this drumstick curry are approximations only. You can adjust to suit your taste.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

drumstick curry recipe

Drumstick Curry (Drumstick Vegetable Recipe)

5 from 14 votes
Vegetarian Drumsticks cooked in a spicy onion tomato gravy. A simple curry from South Indian cuisine.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 to 3 drumsticks , cut to finger length
  • 2 to 3 tbsps oil
  • 2 onions (1½ cups finely chopped)
  • 2 tomatoes , (1 cup finely chopped)
  • 1 green chili (Slit, optional)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 pinch mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed, (optional, gives a different flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ⅓ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
  • 1 cup water (adjust as needed)


Instructions

How to Make Drumstick Curry

  • Lightly scrape off the drumsticks to remove a thin layer of skin. Skip this if using homegrown drumsticks.
  • Rinse them under running water. Cut to finger length pieces. Also chop onions, tomatoes and green chilli.
  • Pour oil to a deep pan and heat it. Add mustard & cumin.
  • When they splutter, add curry leaves and green chili. Fry until the leaves turn crisp.
  • Add onions, sprinkle salt and fry till transparent.
  • Next add drumsticks. Fry for 2 to 3 mins to remove the raw smell.
  • Add chopped tomatoes, some salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.
  • Do not cover and cook but fry in an open pan, since fried tomato gravy tastes better.
  • Add coriander powder and red chili powder. Fry for 2 to 3 mins until the raw smell of chilli powder vanishes.
  • Pour water just enough to cover the drumsticks.
  • Cover and cook on a medium flame till they are tender. Cooking the drumsticks on the lowest flame yields a tasty curry.
  • If there is lot of water left towards the end then evaporate by cooking on a slightly higher flame.
  • Turn off the stove when the drumstick curry turns slightly thick. Add more salt if needed.


Notes

To make pulusu, just skip tomatoes from the recipe. Add 1 to 2 tbsps of tamarind and 2 tbsps jaggery to the pot along with drumsticks. Pour more water. Towards the end add coriander leaves along with stalks. You may also need to add more chilli powder. Pulusu is of runny consistency.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Drumstick Curry (Drumstick Vegetable Recipe)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 131 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 656mg29%
Potassium 218mg6%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 567IU11%
Vitamin C 27mg33%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Dearest Swathi,

I have tried most of your recipes and we enjoyed all of it. Every recipe turns out wow and yummy.
Firstly all the masalas are inhouse, and easy to make.
I enjoy cooking all your recipies and we enjoy eating it too.
Thank you for sharing all your yummy recipes with us and keep rocking.

love this combo of egg and drumstick..

Delicious curry..

looks yummy and love the combo..

Havent try egg n drumstick combo….looks spicy

looks delicious !!!

delicious drum stick curry.

Healthy and delicious curry

superb, looks yum