Cabbage Fry | Cabbage Poriyal

Cabbage is one of the most common vegetable in South India among vegetarians. It is good for health due to the presence of Vitamin C, Amino-acids and various minerals like, Copper, Manganese, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorous, etc. There are many types of cabbage poriyal, I have also discussed another cabbage fry that uses moong dal in the preparation. Here in this version I have used just basic ingredients available in a pantry and is the most common way I make cabbage kootu. It is almost like a stir fry. The kootu tastes so good and goes well with mutton curry along with rice or with dal and sambar.

INGREDIENTS

Serve 2 to 3 people

Total Preparation Time - 

1. Cabbage -  One half of a small whole cabbage
2. Big onions - 1
3. Green chillies - 1
4. Grated coconut - 2 spoons
5. Curry leaves 
6. Urad dhal/Black gram/Ulutham paruppu (Skinned, whole white) - 1 spoon
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 spoon
8. Salt - As per taste
9. Oil - 2 spoons

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash cabbage and chop it. 
• Steam cook the chopped cabbage in an idly cooker/idly vessel (place the chopped cabbage on idly plates, pour water into the cooker and leave  the plates inside the cooker as you would do for making idly) or any provisional vessel for steam cooking, for 5 minutes on a medium flame. Do not overcook. This step is optional.
• In a pan add oil, mustard seeds after it splutters add urad dhal/ulutham paruppu/black gram and fry until it turns light brown.
• Then add curry leaves, chopped onions, split green chillies and fry well.
• Now add the steam cooked cabbage/raw chopped cabbage and fry well (Timing for frying - 3 minutes for cooked cabbage, 5-6 minutes for raw cabbage), do not add water.
• Finally remove from flame and add grated coconut to it and mix well, Serve.

TIP 1: Steam cooking makes your frying easy. The reason is, cabbage will be already cooked and hence you do not have to fry them too much. Also frying requires more care. You can also use raw chopped cabbage directly for frying.

TIP 2: For steam cooking you can use the same procedure as that of making idly in an idly cooker/vessel. It is the same process no change in it. Just place the chopped cabbage on the plates and steam cook it for few minutes. 

TIP 3: Do not boil or pressure cook the cabbage it will make the dish mushy and bad to taste.

TIP 4: You can also use dry red chillies for seasoning instead of green chillies!!

Serves as a good side-dish for Sambar Rice, Lentil dhal rice!!