Cabbage poriyal-Indian style cabbage stir-fry made with shredded cabbage, shredded coconut, and seasoned with mustard seeds. This is another simple everyday side dish recipe made in less than 15 minutes from scratch. A real food, clean eating, and soul-satisfying dish perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
This healthy dish does not require a long list of ingredients, like any other Indian recipe. And the good news is that these ingredients are available in any leading grocery store.
Cabbage poriyal is an incredibly delicious low-fat recipe made with just a teaspoon of cooking oil, which is significant to try on busy weeknight dinners.
Cabbage is the least preferred vegetable for the guys in my family, and I am always forced to search for various recipes to incorporate cabbage into another menu. And this is one of the main intentions to come up with cabbage Manchurian, Indian cabbage curry, cabbage paratha, cabbage subzi, and cabbage chutney.
What is Cabbage poriyal?
For those who are not familiar with cabbage poriyal- this tastes delightful and straightforward, made in such a way as to retain all the natural flavors of cabbage taste with the beautiful blend of the aroma of mustard seeds and the creamy coconut.
This delicious, easy recipe requires simple preparation and ingredients to cut down your time in the kitchen. Another benefit is that this can be customized to suit your preferences. A crowd-pleasing pan-frying staple that is easy and simple to make in no time.
The cabbage poriyal is the most essential and popular recipe in Tamil cuisine. And this is one of the important South Indian cabbage recipes. This lighter side dish is prepared daily in millions of South Indian households. Furthermore, this comforting, luscious food is usually served at marriages or vegetarian feasts.
This cabbage poriyal is a favorite in other cuisines on the top but is tagged with different names. This is called cabbage Thoran in Kerala, Vepudu in Andhra, and kosu palya in Kannada cuisine. In Andhra style, Kerala style cabbage poriyal's preparation and cooking part remain the same but slightly vary with the seasoning ingredients.
How long does the Cabbage poriyal last?
It is best served immediately and can stay great for four to five hours at room temperature. Also, if kept in the refrigerator, it lasts two to three days. And freeze it if you plan to store it for a longer time.
Another question pops up here: Why is it best to serve immediately? Because the coconut has less shelf time and naturally gets spoiled at standard room temperature. I would not recommend storing more than the above time frame, as the vegetables lose their freshness and thus taste different after these shelves' storing time.
The pairing ideas
This cabbage poriyal is excellent to serve with rice. However, serving with Indian flatbreads like roti or chapati is also a delectable idea.
Make ahead preparations
I know the working mom’s morning hours are exceedingly busy; often, we don't find even for personal care. The time involved in making cabbage poriyal is comparatively low.
Shredding cabbage with the mandolin is stress-free; you need a few minutes to work with the cabbage.
Shredding the cabbage with mandolin saves tons of time you spend on chopping them with a knife. Furthermore, you can keep it simple by cutting them the previous day.
The key ingredients for cabbage poriyal
Cabbage
It is the universal ingredient; I do not need to talk much about its availability. All the grocery stores have them around the season.
The mustard seeds
This ingredient gives a whole new flavor. However, the quantity described here sounds so little. It demands ¼th teaspoon only. And this little quarter teaspoon does wonders in the final output of the dish. It not only adds flavor but also adds a contrasting color.
While discussing the substitution, there is no closure replacement for this spice. However, you can swap it with cumin seeds.
Here in Pennsylvania, I don’t find it challenging to locate, and it is available in specialty stores like Wegmans and Whole Foods. Online would also be a suitable place to discover Indian ingredients.
Moong dal or petite yellow lentils
This is added to increase the protein content and enhance the texture. You may find it hard to locate this one item. I did not see them much outside the Indian stores and online stores. Therefore, you may skip using it as this will not break the cabbage poriyal recipe.
Grated Coconut
You can find frozen grated coconut in Indian stores. Alternatively, you may use the baking isles' desiccated coconut or coconut flakes. Frozen grated coconut and desiccated coconut vary in flavor.
The frozen version is fresh and moist and has the subtle flavor and creamy taste of cabbage poriyal. So, if you can access frozen grated coconut, I recommend using it.
Red chili
I have added broken red chili to add heat to the dish. If you prefer, you may skip using or add them.
The variations
- Add finely chopped carrots. This adds extra color and richness to the cabbage poriyal.
- Add green peas. Like the above, this combo also gives rich color and texture.
- You may add or substitute green chili.
- Add curry leaves if you have them handy.
How to make cabbage poriyal
Add cooking oil, mustard seeds, and moong dal in a pan. Fry until moong dal changes its color to a golden brown. Then add shredded cabbage, broken red chilies, salt, and water.
Simmer the flame and close the lid for 10 minutes. Cooking with the covers on creates steam inside. This additional steam and the low heat are well enough for the cabbage. But be sure to stir them in between to avoid burnt bottoms when making cabbage poriyal.
Sprinkle some water, if it is not done completely.
Finally, add grated coconut and give a gentle stir. Transfer to the serving bowls and serve hot.
You may like other spicy stir-fries like,
Printable recipe card
Cabbage poriyal-Indian style cabbage stir-fry
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds black
- ½ teaspoon urad dal /skinless black gram
- 1 red chili broken into pieces
- 2 tablespoon onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon moong dal /split yellow moong bean
- 1 cup cabbage shredded
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water or as required
- 2 tablespoon grated coconut
Instructions
- Over medium heat, in a pan add vegetable oil, black mustard seeds, urad dal, red chili, moong dal.
- Fry until moong dal turns golden brown.
- Add chopped onion and saute until soft and tender.
- Now add shredded cabbage, salt, and water.
- Simmer the flame, close the lid and cook it for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally in between.
- When it is cooked well, add the grated coconut.
- Combine gently and serve hot.
Anonymous
Good
Ron
Suja, I remember this dish from my travels in India, except I think they used more than one hot chili, as it was very spicy. I noticed in your video that you stir-fry the dahl, does that make it cook quicker?