I’ve always thought of cabbage as providing a little healthy crunch on the top of a fish taco or for acting as the base for a cole slaw. Other than that, cabbage, let alone cooked cabbage, never entered my repertoire of ingredients. But I’ve recently discovered, thanks to my Indian boyfriend and his mother (who is a fantastic cook), just how delicious cabbage can be when cooked. This recipe uses easy ingredients, with a couple more exotic touches, for a dish that is easy, healthy, and vegetarian. Its traditional Indian name is “gobi aloo.”
You’ll need…
A fresh head of green cabbage, sliced
1 large or 2 small potatoes, cut into about half inch slices ( I like Yukon Gold)
About half of a white or yellow onion, sliced
Jalapeno or serrano chili (about half of the pepper, sliced thin)
Fresh ginger (about an inch, grated)
Turmeric (about 1 tablespoon)
Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon, if you can find them)
Salt
Canola oil
Cilantro, for garnish
Serves 4
Heat about 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large saute pan over medium/high heat. Add mustard seeds. They’ll pop a bit. Then, reduce the heat to medium and add your potato and salt. Cover with a lid and let cook for 2 minutes.
Grate about an inch of ginger into the pan and add the sliced onion. Add the turmeric. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the green chili while you are sauteing the onions.
Add the sliced cabbage and continue sauteing for a few minutes. Then cover the whole pan and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Continue sauteing until the cabbage is soft and flavorful. This may take 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve as a filling for Indian rotis or chapatis (tortillas will work too!).
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