Cabbage, Two Ways

The humble cabbage is not the most exciting vegetable; these two recipes are both nice ways to add some greens to a meal and/or use up a cabbage at the bottom of the fridge. The second recipe is my attempt to recreate a cabbage thoran I had at Rasa in Stoke Newington. Rarely is one impressed by cabbage but I was this time…

Cabbage 1

Half a white cabbage

1/2 teapoon turmeric

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon hing

3 inches of fresh root ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Chop the cabbage into thin strips and heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick saucepan or wok. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil. While you wait for them to start to crackle, grate the fresh ginger.
2. Add the ginger to the mustard seeds and stir. Add the turmeric, hing and salt and stir thoroughly. The cabbage should be a nice yellow colour and will start to wilt and soften – it will cook in ten minutes. I prefer it with a bit of crunch rather than completely cooked.

Cabbage 2 – inspired by Keralan thoran

1/2 sweetheart cabbage

2 tablespoons grated coconut

10 curry leaves, ideally fresh

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon hing

a generous pinch of chili

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat your oil in a non-stick saucepan or wok and chop the cabbage into fine strips. Add the black mustard seeds to the hot oil. Once they start to crackle, add the curry leaves, followed by the hing and coconut and salt with a pinch of chili – I like this to have a bit of a kick. You can add a squeeze of lemon if you like.
2. This will cook in ten minutes – you’ll see the volume reduce and the leaves soften.