Cabbage Kootu Recipe
Cabbage kootu with a simple coconut spice paste to make it delicious and healthy. Perfect with rice and rasam.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cabbage chopped fine
- 1/4 cup yellow moong dal
- 1/4 cup chana dal
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- A few curry leaves
- For roasting and grinding
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds optional
- 1/4 cup sliced shallots chinna vengayam, ulli or onions
- 2 green chillies adjust to taste
- 1 small tomato cubed
- 1/2 cup grated coconut thawed if frozen
For tempering:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/4 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 4 shallots sliced thin
- 2 dried red chillies
- A pinch of hing / asafoetida
Instructions
- Wash and drain 1/4 cup yellow moong dal and 1/4 cup chana dal together
- Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 15 minutes (2 whistles)
- Set aside and let the pressure release naturally
- In the meantime, place 4 cups of chopped cabbage in a pan and add 1/4 cups of water
- Cook on low heat until the cabbage is half cooked
- Remove from heat and set aside
- In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds (if using)
- Let them brown a bit and then add 1/4 cup sliced shallots (or onions) and 2 chopped green chillies
- Saute until golden brown
- Then add 1 small tomato cubed and sprinkle some water
- Cook until the tomato is soft
- Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup grated coconut
- Mix everything well and cool completely
- Grind with water to a coarse paste and set aside
- On low flame, return the cabbage back to the stove and add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and a few curry leaves along with salt
- Mix well and add the cooked dal
- Top this up with the roasted and ground coconut spice paste
- Add some water if the consistency is too thick
- Bring to boil and turn off heat
- In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil for tempering
- Add 1/4 teaspoons mustard seeds and when they pop, add the sliced shallots and red chillies along with the hing
- Fry until the shallots are golden brown
- Dunk into the kootu and mix well
- Cabbage kootu is ready!
Notes
It's important to make sure the cabbage doesn't cook to a mush so when you cook it, just do it halfway and leave a bit of bite in it
I use a mix of two dal - chana dal and moong dal - because I like my kootu to have some texture. You can definitely choose one over the other. Remember that moong dal will cook to a mush and chana dal will be soft yet whole so go with what you prefer
Adjust the amount of chilli to your taste. A blend of green chilli (in the coconut paste) and red chilli (in the tempering) tastes fabulous
Serve cabbage kootu with steamed white rice and a dollop of ghee. This is also a great dish to feed your babies and toddlers with adjusted spice levels
Temper your cabbage kootu in ghee for an extra special flavour. I normally use coconut oil which we love!