I love cabbage and this simple south indian dish is one of my all time favorites! On a cold day, this is my comfort food and reminds me of my mom’s kitchen. This is a healthy no oil version.
3 cups cabbage, chopped
1/3 cup moong dal (Split green gram dal)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cilantro
1 serrano pepper
6-7 curry leaves (approx. one stem)
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
In a large soup pot bring a cup of water to a boil. Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida and the moong dal, mix well. When it starts vigorously boiling drop the heat to medium-low, cover and let cook for 20-25 minutes. You may need to manage the amount of water during this process. To avoid the dal from sticking to the bottom of the pan you will need to stir every 5 minutes and add more water if needed. Cook until the dal becomes soft and mashed.
To this add the chopped cabbage and salt, mix well and let cook for another 15 minutes, until the cabbage cooks.
In the meanwhile, add the cilantro, cumin seeds, serrano and curry leaves to a blender. Blend to a fine paste with very little water.
Add this curry-cilantro paste to the cooked cabbage-dal mixture, mix well and simmer for 5-7 more minutes. Serve hot with rice or any indian bread.
