Cabbage Kootu
Cabbage Kootu is a simple, healthy and delicious vegan stew that might become your favorite way to eat cabbage.
Equipment
- 1 12 " Stock pot or similar shaped cookware
Ingredients
- 1 medium Green Cabbage washed and finely chopped
- ¾ -1 cup Moong Lentils(split yellow lentils) washed and drained
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2-3 cup Water
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
For the spice paste
- ½ cup Grated Coconut use frozen grated coconut as substitute
- 1 - 2 Green Chili
- 2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 3 tablespoon Roasted Chickpea Lentils check notes for more details
- 2-3 tablespoon Water add as needed
For the tempering
- 2 Red Chilis each broken in to 2
- 7- 8 Curry Leaves washed and pat dried
- 2-3 pinches Hing(Asafetida)
- ½ teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the spice paste in a grinder(blender) jar and grind until fairly smooth. Add another 2 tablespoon of water if the paste is very thick. Keep aside.
- Heat the deep pan/stock pot to medium low and add the 1 tablespoon of oil. After 30 seconds, add the moong lentils and saute for 3-4 minutes making sure the lentils don't stick to the pan. Tip in the chopped cabbage and mix well. Add the turmeric and let this cook for 5 minutes at medium heat.
- Add the spice paste, salt and mix well. Add 1 to 2 cups of water and cover the pan. Simmer for 12-15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Check if cabbage is done else simmer for another 5 minutes.
- When the cabbage is almost done cooking, heat another small pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Keeping the heat low, add the hing and mustard. After 20 seconds, add the red chilis and curry leaves. Once you see the curry leaves wither in the heat, remove from heat and mix in with the kootu.
- Mix well and add more salt if needed. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice, rasam/sambhar and other sides.
Notes
- Roasted split chickpeas is called "pottu kadalai" or "Dalia". It is quite shiny and smooth looking compared to chickpea lentils due to the roasting process it undergoes. Look for "Dalia" in Indian stores or online.
- Leave out green chilis or substitute with milder chilis/ dry red chilis while making the spice paste.
- Cabbage Kootu is served as a side along with rice and rasam/sambhar. You can also eat it with rice alone or with chapati/roti as well.
- If you have sambar powder, you can add a spoon of it along with the spice paste when you add it to the cabbage and lentil mixture.
- I have given a range for the amount of lentils and water. You can less or more depending on how thick you want the kootu to be. The extra lentils can also bump up the protein content.
- The cost and calories per serving is only an approximate value. The final value will depend on the ingredients, quantity, brand etc used.