Malunggay
01-17-07 · Asian Pantry Tags: fresh produce
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Malunggay is Moringa oleifera Lamk, a tree with edible leaves and fruits. When I posted my halaan (clams) and malunggay soup recipe last year, there were some comments referring to the fruit of the malunggay. I have been a fan of malunggay leaves for a long, long time but I have never tried cooking nor eating the malunggay fruit. After reading those comments, I tried looking for malunggay fruit in the wet market and found none. I do know, however, that our next door neighbor had a malunggay tree in his front yard. Unfortunately, he chopped down the tree before I could ask for a few of its fruits.
Behind our house, there is another malunggay tree that is visible over the fence. On whose lot it grows, I do not know which makes it difficult to ask for a few pods. However, I have a telephoto lens that allows me to take photos of faraway trees hehehe. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. For those who don’t know what the edible fruits of the malunggay tree look like, there they are in the photo above.
An Ilocos episode in the Living Asia Channel showed how the malunggay pods are used for cooking bulanglang and diningding (or dinengdeng). All very intriguing but until I find some for sale in the market (or until I find out on whose property that malunggay tree in the photo grows), I’ll have to content myself with digitized malunggay.
The only place I have seen malunggay fruits being sold are in Nueva Ecija markets and in the Baguio market right across the fish section where the dinengdeng vegetables can be found. They shoud also be in the Villasis, Pangasinan market along McArthur Highway. I don’t know if it can be found in Farmer’s Market
hi connie,
i have an ilocano godfather who introduced us to yummy ilocano food, and that’s where i first tasted the malunggay fruit. they’re also being sold frozen here at the oriental stores, so i am sure you can also find it in your supermarkets. it was usually served by itself, i am not sure how it is cooked though, maybe boiled like peanuts? there is also this seaweed salad that’s made of tiny grape-like seaweed that i’ve never found here, or eaten anywhere else outside of my godfather’s house (he passed away long before i ever got interested in doing any cooking). do you know what this particular seaweed is called?
more power to you and hope you get around to doing that cookbook soon. this website is such an invaluable resource for pinoys overseas.
Hi Connie,
I have tried malunggay fruit when i was in Manila that was 10 years ago or so and its really nice.
My ilokana friend cooked malunggay fruits at hinaluan ng bagoong ang sarap talaga.
i love bunga ng malunggay in pinakbet. as far as i know, pinakbet is cooked with pork and alamang, bulanglang is also with alamang plus inihaw na bangus (small ones, grilled whole, not dinaing type) and diningding is cooked with bagoong (we use bagoong balayan, minus the fish, just the sauce). although we seldom have diningding coz masyadong malansa yung bagoong even after cooking. The veggies used for pinakbet and bulanglang are basically the same, the only difference is the “sahog” and my favorite is the bunga ng malunggay. Before cooking it, you have to peel it just a little, kasi makapal ang balat nya (dont split it in half, just cut into 2 inches maybe)
if you’re going to buy sa market, just make sure yung bata pa ang piliin mo kasi yung magulang na matigas kahit lutuin.
Maricel, all out of town markets. I heard that the malunggay fruit wilts fast so if we chance upon it on some trip, they will be wilted by the time we get to Antipolo…???
teklapong, the cookbook is done. just reshooting some of the photos. problem is… super barat mga publishers dito. grabe.
gena, would you know what the dish is called? I’m allergic to bagoong but my husband loves it.
brenda, what is the length of a young malunggay fruit? hard to judge from the distance of the tree.
Maricel, all out of town markets. I heard that the malunggay fruit wilts fast so if we chance upon it on some trip, they will be wilted by the time we get to Antipolo…???
teklapong, the cookbook is done. just reshooting some of the photos. problem is… super barat mga publishers dito. grabe.
gena, would you know what the dish is called? I’m allergic to bagoong but my husband loves it.
brenda, what is the length of a young malunggay fruit? hard to judge from the distance of the tree.
Maricel, all out of town markets. I heard that the malunggay fruit wilts fast so if we chance upon it on some trip, they will be wilted by the time we get to Antipolo…???
teklapong, the cookbook is done. just reshooting some of the photos. problem is… super barat mga publishers dito. grabe.
gena, would you know what the dish is called? I’m allergic to bagoong but my husband loves it.
brenda, what is the length of a young malunggay fruit? hard to judge from the distance of the tree.
Malungay fruit is a very common vegetable in the Ilocos region. Here in Canada you get them in chinese stores and indian stores. East indians love this vegetable. It is ususally de-rind or pelled by cutting the outer covering with a sharp knife and what is left are the pods with meaty flesh. You can sautee this with ground pork or beef with garlic, onion and tomato. When my mom was here last summer, she planted some malunggay seed in a pot and now it is about five feet tall. it is still inside the house as it is winter now. I hope it will survive until the spring when I can take it out in the patio. My Mom is now in Antipolo wintering. I hope she will be back here in the summer.
con,
its the same length with the others, but the young ones are more soft to the touch, pag pinisil mo, hindi matigas and you can diffirentiate from the pysical appearance kasi mas greenish ang young ones. yung mga magulang na, more dark in appearance tsaka matigas. try mo sa marikina market although these are seldom sold in the market. and if ever sa out of town ka makabili, it will still be good when you get to antipolo, it really doesnt wilt that fast.
This was on my must-have list when I was there last month! I was so excited to have some again, I forgot to take photos! lol! Happy New Year.
Hi Connie,
Sorry, i can’t remember what the dish called,that was my first and last taste…
Im from Nueva Ecija. Nung bata pa ko i would remember we would always include bunga ng malunggay sa pakbet, maybe because we have a tree sa backyard namin hehe. Anyway, dont get the sobrang mura or bata pa dahil wala yun laman pag niluto, eto un mga payat saka malambot. Wag din yun sobrang matanda naman at matigas po yun masyado.
I dont think madali mag-wilt dahil i remember minsan pipitas kami say, today, yung matitira iluluto pa ulit bukas.
Length naman is around 12-16inches yata.
Rudy, the seeds your mom planted are the ones from inside the pod? Cause if they are, I think I’ll go find on whose property that tree grows and ask for a few pods to plant in out backyard. I really, really love malunggay. And the idea of having those leaves available for the picking, all year round, is just wonderful.
thanks, brenda. marikina is much nearer.
JMOM, happy new year too!
Gena, ah ok. Well, if you happen to see your friend again…
Mayette, so pag pinisil dapat may laman na makakapa… thanks.
Rudy, the seeds your mom planted are the ones from inside the pod? Cause if they are, I think I’ll go find on whose property that tree grows and ask for a few pods to plant in out backyard. I really, really love malunggay. And the idea of having those leaves available for the picking, all year round, is just wonderful.
thanks, brenda. marikina is much nearer.
JMOM, happy new year too!
Gena, ah ok. Well, if you happen to see your friend again…
Mayette, so pag pinisil dapat may laman na makakapa… thanks.
Rudy, the seeds your mom planted are the ones from inside the pod? Cause if they are, I think I’ll go find on whose property that tree grows and ask for a few pods to plant in out backyard. I really, really love malunggay. And the idea of having those leaves available for the picking, all year round, is just wonderful.
thanks, brenda. marikina is much nearer.
JMOM, happy new year too!
Gena, ah ok. Well, if you happen to see your friend again…
Mayette, so pag pinisil dapat may laman na makakapa… thanks.
connie, be careful medyo mahirap balatan yan. if you buy in the wet market, pabalatan mo na.where i buy it, naka plastic na at balat na. it’s good with calabasa,small eggplant and suahe shrimps plus bagoong isda. visayan version ng dinengdeng.
Hi Miss Connie! I’m 22 years old and I’ve been an avid reader of your blogs, most especially pinoycook (well, now it’s pinoyfoodtalk.com and sassyfoodie
). I’ve been cooking your dishes for almost a year now and your recipes inspired me to cook. 
We used to rely on home delivery services from fast food joints since my mom (who is a single parent) cannot cook everyday because of her work. I remembered that I used to cook dinner even before I do my homework during my colllege days. 
Since I had recently graduated already and had gotten a job for almost two months now, I only cook on weekends (at least five dishes to last for a week). 
I would like to thank you for your delicious recipes that made my family eat healthier foods. 
Anyway, about the malunggay fruit, my Ilokano grandmother used it for inabraw/inabrao. It is similar to pinakbet but it is a little more malansa because of the bagoong isda used for the dish. She also called it ‘kayurin mo irog’ because when cooked, you can use your spoon to scrape the meat off the fruit (including the seeds). I never actually saw them sold in supermarkets or wet markets and I think we were only able to eat them because our neighbor owned a malunggay tree.
Ever since we moved from Muntinlupa to Para”aque, I never had the chance to eat the fruit again. 
I hope you will be able to taste the fruit soon because it is a perfect ingredient for Ilokano dishes. 
Thank you once again for your wonderful recipes and I can’t wait for your book!
taj, ah binabalatan pa ba kahit mura?
Hi there Jaecel. Your comment is very inspiring. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying cooking and you actually cook for your family. This is what makes food blogging so great.
Re the malunggay, am hunting for my neighbor hehehe i’ll ask for some from his malunggay tree. simpler than hopping from one market to another.
taj, ah binabalatan pa ba kahit mura?
Hi there Jaecel. Your comment is very inspiring. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying cooking and you actually cook for your family. This is what makes food blogging so great.
Re the malunggay, am hunting for my neighbor hehehe i’ll ask for some from his malunggay tree. simpler than hopping from one market to another.
taj, ah binabalatan pa ba kahit mura?
Hi there Jaecel. Your comment is very inspiring. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying cooking and you actually cook for your family. This is what makes food blogging so great.
Re the malunggay, am hunting for my neighbor hehehe i’ll ask for some from his malunggay tree. simpler than hopping from one market to another.
Hi Connie,
I’m Ilocano. You’re right, malunggay pods are usually put in dinegdeng, even pinakbet. They have to be peeled as the skin is tough. Sometimes, we throw in some kamote chunks and segadilyas too. It’s been a while though, and am salivating at the thought of a GI (genuine Ilocano) pakbet! Miss my mom!
to answer your question to taj, yes binabalatan din kahit mura pa. hiwain mo sa isang dulo, then using a knife, kuha ka ng balat from the top hilahin mo pababa hangang matapos lahat ng sides the bunga. medyo ninipis na sya. then just cut it into 1.5 – 2 inches, just like sitaw.
hayyyy naku…. ginugutom na ako…. sarap nyan sa pinakbet!
hi connie,
If Pasig was nearer to Antipolo, I’d gladly bring you a potted malunggay.
Hello!
We have lots of malunggay trees which my lola has planted. Passers-by would usually get a branch or two and my lola would scold this people. You can’t blame the old lady; she works hard for her beloved malunggay.
The leaves are used in the typical tinola although my erpat likes to use them in kinunot, a native Bicolano dish of pagi in coconut milk and the obligatory sili. I haven’t tasted it yet because I do not like the smell of boiling pagi and the fact that it’s endangered (or is it?) is not tempting me to taste the dish at all. Anyway, Bicolanos are fond of this dish. You might want to try it.
Anyway, there was a time when my lola became kinda “obsessed” with the fruit. She did not actually use them in any recipe but she had them dried and then the seeds she took like regular tablets. It’s supposed to make you strong, if I’m not mistaken.
I also saw the fruit being sold in an Indian market in one of those Discovery Travel and Living shows… I’m wondering how they call it…
Kudos (again) for your blog as well! Been reading for quite some time now. My ermat is now a reader as well, hehe.
yes connie, after you peel that green skin with a knife the inside is a lighter shade of green. well kahit mura parang di pa rin masyado edible ang balat, you’ll see pag nahawakan mo na.
Hello!!
I live in Pasig, Metro Manila and I’m wondering where I can get seeds? Thank you!
Manila Seedling Bank in QC.
EXPERTS SAYS….SO COOK EASY & EAT AS DESIRED…
Malunggay, known scientifically as Moringa oleifera Lamk, is one of the world’s most useful plants. It is used as food, effective flocculant or water treatment, antibiotic, source of oil, and coagulant for turbid waters.
It is also called mother’s best friend, and miracle vegetable by many who know malunggay’s beneficial uses. It is cultivated in all countries of the tropics. It is easy to plant and is available year-round.
Malunggay’s image was even used as the official logo of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, an agency of the Department of Science and Technology.
One hundred grams or 1 cup of cooked malunggay leaves contain 3.1 g. protein, 0.6 g. fiber, 96 mg calcium, 29 mg phosphorus, 1.7 mg iron, 2,820 mg ß-carotene, 0.07 mg thiamin, 0.14 mg riboflavin, 1.1 mg niacin, and 53 mg ascorbic acid or vitamin C. The antioxidant activity of malunggay is about 71%, with µ-tocopherol (vitamin E) equivalent of 45.
Malunggay leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A and B, and minerals such as calcium and iron. It is even an excellent source of protein, being higher than the amino acid pattern of Food and Agriculture Organization-reference protein, yet contains very low fat and carbohydrates. The leaves are incomparable as a source of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine, often the natural minerals humans lack.
Due to its high vitamins A, C, and E, which are very potent antioxidants, malunggay is a very good quencher of unstable free radicals that can react with and damage molecules that cause aging. Antioxidants reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They also prevent the onset of various chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer, and heart and kidney diseases.
Malunggay contains the phytochemical niaziminin, which is found to have molecular components that can prevent the development of cancer cells (Faizi et al., 1992) and correlated with inhibitory ability against superoxide generation. The first naturally-occuring thiocarbamates, novel hypotensive agents niazinin A, niazinin B, niazimicin and niaziminin A and B were isolated from malunggay.
Malunggay is called miracle vegetable because it is not just a food, it is also a medicine. It may therefore be a functional food. Malunggay promotes good eyesight, digestion, facilitates bowel movement, and is a cure for stomach ache.
It is also used to cleanse wounds and ulcers. It helps alleviate scurvy, asthma, earache, and headaches. For its high calcium content, lactating mothers are advised to eat malunggay leaves to produce more milk.
Malunggay, the Miracle Vegetable
April 09, 2008 by Gnette
In United States, they have an apple a day to keep the doctors away. But here in the Philippines, we have what we call Malunggay. In United States, they call it Moringa and Sajina in Indian Subcontinent and Asia. The scientific name of Malunggay is Moringa oleifera Lamk.
Leaves, pods and flowers of Malunggay are all edible. Here in the Philippines, we have several dishes cooked with Malunggay like tinolang manok (chicken ginger stew with vegetables), pinakbet (meat vegetable stew with shrimp paste) and mongo soup.
Malunggay has many nutrients. Each ounce of Malunggay contains 3 times the iron of spinach, 7 times the Vitamin C found in oranges, 4 times the Vitamin A of carrots, 3 times the potassium of bananas and 4 times as much calcium as milk.
1 cup of cooked Malunggay leaves contain 3.1 grams protein, 0.6 grams fiber, 2,820 mg Beta-carotene, 96 mg calcium, 53 mg Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), 29 mg phosphorus, 1.7 mg iron, 1.1 mg niacin, 0.14 mg Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and 0.07 mg Vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Malunggay is a practical solution to malnutrition and other health problems. Studies shows that people who consume Malunggay regularly have an strengthened immune system, controlled blood pressure, sugar level of diabetes managed and reduced arthritis pains. Even lactating mothers are advised by health workers to eat Malunggay leaves because it is proven to produce more milk.
may i know what are some recepi of malunggay seed pods? please answer
When I have some, I’ll post the recipes in the blog.
try malungay fruits w/sardines,or else malungay leaves w/chicken this is common ingridients of tinola(chicken soup w/amorgoso leaf)malungay fruits is commonly used in dinengdeng or pinakbet in ilokano recipies.
malunggay is the best vegetable of all….
sa mga hindi pa nakakatikim jan, tikman nyo na masarap at subrang masustansya……….
hehehehe