Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Drumstick (moringa pods): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw drumstick pods give 29 kcal, 2.6 g protein, 6.8 g fibre and 71.9 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. The vitamin C ranks 3rd of 36 vegetables and 15th of 130 foods, and the fibre ranks 4th among vegetables. Drumstick is the long, ridged pod of the moringa tree, the vegetable that gives sambar and avial their unmistakable flavour.
About drumstick (moringa pods)
Drumstick pods hang in long green ribbons from the moringa tree, which grows in backyards and along field edges across south and west India and in Bengal and Odisha. IFCT 2017 records names in 14 languages: murungakkai in Tamil, muringakkai in Malayalam, nugga kayi in Kannada, mulakaada in Telugu, shevanga sheng in Marathi, saragavo in Gujarati, sajna danta in Bengali, sajana chhuin in Odia and saijan-ki-phalli in Hindi.
The pods are cut into finger-length pieces and simmered until the soft pulp and seeds inside can be scooped out with the teeth, leaving the fibrous skin behind. They are central to sambar and avial in the south, to shevgyachya shenganchi amti in Maharashtra, and to saragva nu shaak with besan in Gujarat. Bengal cooks sajne data with poppy seed or in a light dal, and Andhra makes mulakkada pulusu with tamarind and jaggery.
What drumstick (moringa pods) brings to a meal
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Vitamin C ranks 3rd of 36
Drumstick pods carry 71.9 mg vitamin C per 100 g. For a man, 100 g of pods meets 90 per cent of his daily requirement, and for a woman 111 per cent, though long simmering in sambar lowers what reaches the plate.
- 02
Fibre near the top
At 6.8 g dietary fibre per 100 g, drumstick ranks 4th of 39 vegetables and 60th of 256 foods. Much of it sits in the tough outer skin, which is usually chewed and discarded.
- 03
Folate and potassium
Each 100 g supplies 63 micrograms of folate, 5th among vegetables, and 419 mg potassium, 3rd. Drumstick folate alone covers 29 per cent of a woman's daily need.
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Light and low in fat
With 29 kcal and 0.1 g fat per 100 g, drumstick pods add body and flavour to dal and curries with very little energy.
Drumstick (moringa pods) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 29 kcal | 1% | 2% |
| Protein | 2.6 g | 5% | 6% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 3.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 6.8 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1.5 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Water | 85.4 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 8 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 33 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 0.73 mg | 4% | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.31 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 38 mg | 9% | 10% |
| Phosphorus | 53 mg | ||
| Potassium | 419 mg | ||
| Sodium | 22 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.1 mg | ||
| Selenium | 3.1 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 71.9 mg | 90% | 111% |
| Beta-carotene | 17 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.62 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Folate (B9) | 63 µg | 21% | 29% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.31 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 358 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Drumstick (moringa pods): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/drumstick-pods/
Where drumstick (moringa pods) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 38 vegetables and mushrooms and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In vegetables and mushrooms | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 71.9 mg | 3rd of 36 | 15th of 130 |
| Folate (B9) | 63 µg | 5th of 39 | 51st of 197 |
| Dietary fibre | 6.8 g | 4th of 39 | 60th of 182 |
| Potassium | 419 mg | 3rd of 39 | 79th of 243 |
| Beta-carotene | 17 µg | 22nd of 31 | 92nd of 160 |
How drumstick (moringa pods) is eaten
- Murungakkai sambar: drumstick pieces simmered in toor dal and tamarind with sambar powder, the classic partner for idli and rice.
- Avial in Kerala: drumstick with raw banana, yam, beans and carrot in a coconut and curd paste, finished with coconut oil.
- Shevgyachya shenganchi amti in Maharashtra: pods in a thin, sweet and sour dal with goda masala and kokum.
- Saragva nu shaak in Gujarat: drumstick cooked in a besan and curd gravy with ginger and green chilli.
- Sajne data posto in Bengal: drumstick cooked with poppy seed paste and green chilli.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Before you plan around it
Only the soft inner pulp and seeds of drumstick are eaten; the outer skin is chewed to release the pulp and then left on the plate. That means the amount actually eaten is smaller than the weight of pods bought, and part of the fibre in the figures ends up discarded. Choose slim, green pods that bend slightly; very thick, woody pods have hard seeds and little pulp. Drumstick is not the same food as moringa leaves or moringa powder, which IFCT lists separately with very different values.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about drumstick (moringa pods)
Is drumstick good for health?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 71.9 mg vitamin C, 6.8 g fibre, 63 micrograms folate and 419 mg potassium per 100 g of drumstick pods, in just 29 kcal. Cooked into sambar with toor dal, it is part of a well-balanced meal.
Is drumstick high in vitamin C?
Yes, for a vegetable. Drumstick pods have 71.9 mg vitamin C per 100 g, ranking 3rd of 36 vegetables in IFCT 2017. Some is lost in long cooking, so adding the pieces later in the sambar keeps more of it.
How do you eat drumstick?
Hold a cooked piece, bite and scrape out the soft pulp and seeds with your teeth, and discard the fibrous outer skin. Splitting the pieces lengthwise before cooking makes the pulp easier to reach and lets the gravy soak in.
Are drumstick pods the same as moringa?
They come from the same tree, Moringa oleifera, but they are different foods. The pods are a vegetable with 29 kcal per 100 g. The leaves are a separate entry in IFCT 2017 with far more beta-carotene, protein and calcium.
Related foods and tables
Drumstick leaves (moringa)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Brinjal (baingan)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Ash gourd (petha)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Plantain (raw banana)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Red gram (toor or arhar)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
All vegetables and mushrooms
39 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.