Bouillon of fish with Moringa Leaves – Bouyon Bred mouroum ek karang fri

 This bouillon of fish with moringa leaves is a clear broth made with  freshly picked  moringa  leaves and fried fish. It is a  comfort  food for all Seychellois and is a highly nutritious  dish  blending the  super food qualities of the moringa leaves and the protein and omega 3 fatty acids of the fish.

What is a Bouyon?

Bouyon derives from the French term ‘bouillon’, from the verb ‘bouillir’ meaning to boil. Bouillon is also a culinary term used in English and it means  a plain and unclarified broth made by boiling meat and bones or vegetables in water and used to make soup and sauces.

In the Seychellois cuisine, the bouyon is  a broth made primarily with fried or fresh fish and eaten as a main meal. Traditionally we do not make bouyon with meat.

The two types of bouyon

In Seychelles we  prepare two types of bouyon – the bouyon blan and the bouyon bred. The bouyon blan, which is closely related to the bouillabaisse,  is made from fresh fish flavoured with herbs, green or ripe tomatoes, garlic, ginger and has a tarty flavour which is obtained from a squeeze of lime or  bilenbi also known as tree cucumber.

The bouyon bred , on the other hand, is made from any ‘greens’ or bred and usually has fried fish as its main ingredient. The bouyon in all its forms is probably the most popular dish among the Seychellois and is consumed almost daily.

Bouyon is at times consumed as a soup, but in most cases would accompany a rice dish as a main course or is a main course in itself and is traditionally eaten with a variety of chutneys. A bouyon with no fish is technically a soup.

It is worth noting that in many countries including the USA, Australia, South Africa and UK, the term ‘ bouillon’ can also mean dehydrated stock and sold in either cubes (stock cubes), in granular or powdered form.

What is Bred?

Bred  is a Seychellois Creole word that refers to a large variety of the tender leaves and shoots of some edible plants that are used as leaf vegetables and are commonly known as ‘greens’ or at times spinach ,although spinach is a name that applies to a  specific vegetable.  In Réunion Island it is known as ‘brèdes’. The word bred is of Portuguese in origin and derives from ‘bredo’ or ‘brada’, meaning ‘green leaves that are eaten boiled’.  It was introduced to Africa and subsequently to the Indian Ocean Islands by the Portuguese sailors, who were the first Europeans to establish settlements around Africa.

The main bred  that are consumed  in the Seychelles,  apart from bred mouroum, are  bred lanmar, bred paryater, bred martin, bred soudsin, bred sousout, bred zironmon, bred mayok, cresson or watercress and bred gondola.

What is Bred Mouroum?

Bred Mouroum derives from  Moringa  (Moringa Pterygosperma) – which in turn derives from a Tamil word ‘murungai’ meaning “twisted pod”, alluding to the young fruit.  Other common names include drumstick tree (from the long, slender, triangular seed-pods resembling a drumstick), horseradish tree (from the taste of the roots, which resembles horseradish), and ben oil tree or benzolive tree (from the oil which is derived from the seeds).

In Seychelles, where we use mainly the tender leaves in bouyon, soups and chutneys. It is also known as bred pti fey, meaning small leaf greens, because of its small leaves.

The Moringa Tree

The moringa  is a fast-growing, almost indestructible , drought-resistant deciduous tree that can reach a height of 10–12m.  It is an incredible plant that has been used throughout Africa, Asia and the Asia Pacific for thousands of years, both as a form of rich nourishment and sustenance and for medical purposes. It was introduced in the Seychelles early during settlement and is grown in most backyard.

The moringa tree is a time described as a sort of supermarket on a trunk, it yields at least four different edibles: pods, leaves, seeds, and roots. And beyond edibles, it provides products that make village life in many countries more self-sufficient: lubricating oil, lamp oil, wood, paper, liquid fuel, skin treatments, and the means to help purify water, to name but a few. The living tree, itself, also provides such things as shade, landscaping, and shelter from the elements. As stated before, in Seychelles, it is the leaves that are mostly consumed and this post we will therefore focus on the leaves because it is the main ingredient in the bouyon.

The Moringa Leaves 

The foliage of the moringa is fernlike, with myriad tiny leaves produced in abundance through most of the year. The leaves are tear-drop shaped, averaging 1-2 centimeters in length and .5-1 centimeter in width. The vibrant green feathery leaves are smooth, thick, and firm. Moringa leaves offer a slightly bitter flavour with grass-like undertones and can often have a horseradish-like heat. During the cooking process, they release a distinct grassy aroma.

Harvesting, selection and storage

If you have a Moringa tree in your backyard, you can always harvest a bunch of young fresh leaves. They are more flavourful and cooks fast. Otherwise buy the green leaves from the Asian markets if available.

If you are harvesting from your backyard, the best time for harvesting is early in the morning to prevent excess evaporation. You can use a sharp knife  and cut the young leaf stems, or  you can snap the  stems  at the nodes or just tear a few branches off. All methods you decide to use will promote the development of new shoots.

If you have the opportunity to buy fresh leaves always ensure that they are light-green in colour and avoid those with dull/sunken leaves, yellow discoloration, and spots.  Once at home, wash them thoroughly in clean running water, in order to remove dirt and any insecticide residues.

Although it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, fresh leaves should be eaten at the earliest in order to get maximum nutrition benefits. They lose moisture quickly after harvesting and tend to wilt easily and lose fragrance. It will spoil very easily if they are stored tightly together.

The Moringa Flowers and Buds

The flowers or blossoms and buds are both edible and can also be used in the bouyon. The flowers  are fragrant and surrounded by five unequal, thinly veined, yellowish-white petals and are about 1.0–1.5 cm long and 2.0 cm broad. They grow on slender, hairy stalks in spreading or drooping flower clusters which have a length of 10–25 cm. They can be harvested at any time, but younger flowers are better, quality wise and are considered a delicacy in many countries. They contain good amount of both calcium and potassium. Some people say that they taste like mushrooms!

The buds are the unopened flowers and have a soft, delicate texture and a taste quite distinctly their own. The best way to describe it is:  tender, mild, succulent, and juicy.

Preparation of the Leaves

Preparing the bred mouroum leaves requires a bit of patience, because you have to carefully pick each leaf individually from its petiole, which is the stalk that attaches the leaf  blade to the stem.  The petioles  are not digestible. 

A tip that may  assist in this process is to insert the small twigs of the bred in a plastic bag and place them in a fridge overnight and shake them vigorously the next day while still in the bag. The cold tends to dislodge some of the leaves away from the petioles shortening the preparation process.

Traditionally this process, in order for it to become less tedious, is conducted while taking part in gossiping; while watching a domino game or just having a general chat…

Once the leaves have been picked they are washed and drained and kept for the next stage.

The medicinal Value of the moringa leaves

The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, being a significant source of B vitamins, vitamin C, provitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin K, manganese, and protein. When compared gram for gram with common foods particularly high in certain nutrients, the moringa leaves show some surprising results. For example, it has  4 times the vitamin A of carrots; 7 times the vitamin C of oranges; 4 times the calcium of milk; 3 times the potassium of bananas; 3/4 the iron of spinach and 2 times the protein of yogurt.

The Fish

Although most fish can be used for this recipe, I have chosen the bludger trevally because it has a fairly oily flesh and minimal small bones. The fish is cut into bite size, seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper and fried. The reasons why we fry the fish is because the frying process imparts an extra flavour dimension to the bouyon as well as minimising the possibility of the fish breaking up during the cooking process.

Here is the recipe for Bouillon of Fish with Moringa Leaves – Bouyon Bred Mouroum ek Karang Fri

Did you make this recipe?

I hope you will enjoy preparing this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.

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