South Indian Cabbage With Yogurt

South Indian Cabbage With Yogurt
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(236)
Comments
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This spicy curry is inspired by a recipe by the cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey. I’ve seen other vegetarian recipes for cabbage cooked with dal (which I’ve made optional here, so you don’t have to go to a special Indian market), spices and coconut, but this one is the only one I’ve seen that’s enriched at the end with warmed yogurt. Make sure that you don’t let the yogurt get too hot or it will curdle. For a vegan dish, omit the yogurt.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 2tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil
  • 2teaspoons black mustard seeds
  • 2teaspoons split, peeled urad dal, or 1 teaspoon each urad dal and channa dal, soaked for 1 hour and drained (optional)
  • teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
  • 2dried red chilies, or ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 2teaspoons ground coriander seeds
  • ½teaspoon turmeric
  • 1medium onion, cut in half root to stem, then thinly sliced across the grain
  • 1small cabbage (or ½ large), cored and shredded
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 to 4tablespoons grated coconut (to taste)
  • 1cup plain low-fat yogurt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

97 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 168 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil over medium heat in a 14-inch wok or 12-inch skillet, and add the mustard seeds and dal (if using). As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the cumin, chilies or cayenne, coriander seeds and turmeric. Stir together, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the cabbage. Cook, stirring, for one minute until it begins to wilt. Salt generously, stir together, cover and turn the heat to low. Cook for about eight minutes until the cabbage is just tender. Stir in the coconut, taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.

  2. Step 2

    Place the yogurt in a bowl, and place the bowl in a pot of hot water. Stir until the yogurt is warm. Scrape into the pan with the cabbage, and fold in. Serve warm with rice.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 1 several hours before you serve. Reheat, then stir in the yogurt.

Ratings

5 out of 5
236 user ratings
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Comments

This is a South Indian technique of using lentils as spices. When fried whole with the other spices they add a nutty taste and crunchy texture.
This is very different from Dal main dishes, where dals are boiled with water and cooked with spices, until soft, forming a substantial mail dish.

Not having fresh coconut on hand, I substituted coconut oil for the canola oil. The coconut flavor was noticeable. Also, I swirled a bit of tamarind paste into the yogurt. Nice flavor boost to the dish

Instead of coriander seeds , it is more flavorful if using coriander cumin seed powder .this is more tradional

Very nice homey, earthy Indian dish! Addition of curry leaves and upping the spices were great suggestions.

Yum! Really fast and foolproof recipe. I heated the yogurt in a bowl on tops of rice that had finished cooking. I didn’t use the dal but was delicious without. Used coconut oil rather than listed oil, and Greek yogurt because that’s what I had.

1 tsp tumeric

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